Michigan
Illinois
Wolverines Win Final Two Bouts to Claim Back-and-Forth Battle Against No. 11 Illinois
1/18/2026 6:28:00 PM | Wrestling
» No. 12 Michigan claimed six bouts, including three of the final four, to defeat No. 11 Illinois, 18-14, in a dual that featured five lead changes; U-M improved to 3-0 in Big Ten duals.
» Hayden Walters (197 pounds) scored a last-second takedown to earn a 5-1 decision and put Michigan back in front in the penultimate match; Taye Ghadiali (Hwt) then clinched the dual with a 7-4 decision.
» Cameron Catrabone (157) erased a five-point deficit with a reversal and four-point tilt in the final minute of his 8-7 decision against Ryan Bennett.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team won three of the final four bouts, including the last two, to secure an 18-14 victory over No. 11 Illinois on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 18) at Crisler Center. The dual featured five lead changes as the Wolverines rallied to improve to 3-0 in Big Ten Conference action.
Redshirt freshman Hayden Walters, ranked 20th at 197 pounds, used a last-second takedown to defeat Dylan Connell, 5-1, and put Michigan back in front in the penultimate bout. After a scoreless first period, the wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third, with Walters holding a :58 riding-time advantage entering the final minute. With the score tied 1-1 and :11 remaining following a restart, Connell attempted a half-shot single, but Walters immediately spun behind to secure the decisive takedown and extend his advantage time to 1:03 for the extra point.
Graduate student Taye Ghadiali sealed the Michigan victory in the final bout, earning a 7-4 decision against Ryan Boersma. Ghadiali scored a pair of first-period takedowns before Boersma narrowed the margin with a second-period score. Ghadiali did not surrender another point, improving to 14-2 on the season.
Illinois captured the dual's first two bouts to build an early 7-0 lead, though freshman Gauge Botero held top-ranked and defending NCAA champion Lucas Byrd to a 7-2 decision at 133 pounds, riding out the third period.
Michigan responded with three straight decisions to take its first lead, 9-7, at the intermission break as graduate students Dylan Ragusin and Lachlan McNeil, along with redshirt freshman Cameron Catrabone, each earned wins to improve to 3-0 in Big Ten duals.
Ragusin blanked Kole Brower, 3-0, at 141 pounds, scoring a second-period reversal and riding out the third to accumulate 3:43 in advantage time. McNeil, ranked 13th at 149 pounds, earned a 10-4 decision against 28th-ranked Michael Gioffre, scoring on a pair of single-leg takedowns and adding two near-fall points on a second-period scramble.
Catrabone, ranked 14th at 157 pounds, rallied from a five-point deficit to earn an 8-7 decision against Ryan Bennett. Trailing after a first-period takedown, second-period rideout and early third-period reversal, Catrabone reversed Bennett on a restart midway through the final frame and followed with a four-point tilt to take the lead with :35 remaining before riding out the bout.
Redshirt sophomore Beau Mantanona added his second ranked win of the weekend with an 8-4 decision against 24th-ranked Colin Kelly at 174 pounds. Mantanona scored on a single-leg takedown in the first period, a double-leg in the second and accumulated 2:53 in riding-time advantage to improve to 13-3 this season.
The Wolverines (7-2, 3-0 Big Ten) will return to action after a bye week, hosting Northwestern on Friday, Jan. 30, at Crisler Center. The dual is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start and will be streamed live on B1G+.
No. 13 Michigan 18, No. 11 Illinois 14
Individual rankings by InterMat
125 -- #21 Spencer Moore (UI) major dec. #19 Diego Sotelo, 10-2 -- UI, 4-0
133 -- #1 Lucas Byrd (UI) dec. Gauge Botero, 7-2 -- UI, 7-0
141 -- #27 Dylan Ragusin (U-M) dec. Kole Brower, 3-0 -- UI, 7-3
149 -- #13 Lachlan McNeil (U-M) dec. #28 Michael Gioffre, 10-4 -- UI, 7-6
157 -- #14 Cameron Catrabone (U-M) dec. Ryan Bennett, 8-7 -- U-M, 9-7
165 -- #9 Braeden Scoles (UI) major dec. Justin Gates, 17-4 -- UI, 11-9
174 -- #13 Beau Mantanona (U-M) dec. #24 Colin Kelly, 8-4 -- U-M, 12-11
184 -- #32 Chris Moore (UI) dec. #8 Brock Mantanona, 4-2 -- UI, 14-12
197 -- #20 Hayden Walters (U-M) dec. Dylan Connell, 5-1 -- U-M, 15-14
Hwt -- #8 Taye Ghadiali (U-M) dec. Ryan Boersma, 7-4 -- U-M, 18-14
Players Mentioned
