More ILLINI News! Lucas Byrd in the NWCA All-Star Classic!

ILLINI stud Lucas Byrd will be wrestling in the newly revived NWCA All-Star Classic. He will face ILLINOIS high schooler and ASU All American Michael McGee. The Sun Devil is already a two-time AA like Byrd, but this will be his sixth year on a college roster after transferring from Old Dominion, where he was a Round of 12er and finished 1-2 at the Big Dance as a Freshman. 


WHAT: NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC

WHEN: November 22, 2022

WHERE: Austin, Texas

WHO: Lucas Byrd

WHY: Because, my man, the Byrd is the Wyrd®


The two have met, way back at the 2021 NCAA tournament in the fifth-place match when Lucas Byrd was a redshirt Freshman. The ILLINI beast secured the pinfall at 6:17. 

Wrestlestat.com predicts an 8-6 win for the ILLINI, who holds the 1-0 head-to-head as well as a better record against common opposition (Byrd 22-8; McGee 15-7). 

I don't know if McGee has a NIL deal, but it surely can't beat the "Byrd is the Wyrd" branding that is going down at Chain Wrestling. Check out his store here. You buy Byrd HIMAR, you get free potato! 





Scheduled matches

Men’s Matches
125: Pat McKee (Minnesota) vs Brandon Courtney (Arizona State)

133: Lucas Byrd (Illinois) vs Michael McGee (Arizona State)

141: Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) vs Real Woods (Iowa)

149: Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) vs Austin Gomez (Wisconsin)

157 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) vs Will Lewan (Michigan)

165: Dean Hamiti Jr. (Wisconsin) vs Keegan O’Toole (Missouri)

165: David Carr (Iowa State) vs Quincy Monday (Princeton)

174: Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)

184: Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)

197: Jacob Warner (Iowa) vs Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming)

285: Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa) vs Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)

Women’s Matches
143: Adaugo Nwachukwu (Iowa Wesleyan) vs Alara Boyd (McKendree)

191: Gabrielle Hamilton (Life) vs Sydnee Kimber (McKendree)

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