Upsets Help No. 4 Buckeyes Down No. 10 Illinois, 24-9

Friday, January 10

Urbana-Champaign, IL

8 p.m.

Ohio State

University of Illinois

Upsets Help No. 4 Buckeyes Down No. 10 Illinois, 24-9

1/10/2025 10:10:00 PM | Wrestling

Buckeyes return to Columbus to face No. 17 Rutgers Sunday

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 4 Ohio State (9-0, 1-0) defeated No. 10 Illinois (6-1, 1-1) at Huff Hall in Champaign, Illinois, Friday behind a pair of upsets by unranked Buckeyes. Ohio State won seven of the 10 matches in a 24-9 victory.

Freshman e'Than Birden (165) and redshirt sophomore Seth Shumate (197) both earned wins over ranked Illini wrestlers.

How it Happened

125-No. 10 Brendan McCrone (R-So.) def. Caelan Riley (Jr.) | D, 5-0
McCrone opened the Big Ten season with a takedown early in the first. He took a 3-0 score into the second and then added an escape for a 4-0 lead. With a point for riding time, McCrone got the win by decision, 5-0.

133-No. 2 Lucas Byrd (R-Sr.) def. No. 9 Nic Bouzakis (R-So.) | D, 8-5 SV-1
Bouzakis struck first with a takedown to lead quickly 3-1 after a Byrd escape. Bouzakis added an escape early in the second for a 4-1 lead. Byrd tied it at 4-all with an edge-of-the-mat takedown that was challenged by Ohio State but to no avail. Bouzakis reclaimed the lead with an escape to head to the third leading 5-4. Byrd escaped to tie the bout to send the match to sudden victory. Byrd then got the victory with a takedown to win, 8-5.

141-No. 1 Jesse Mendez (Jr.) def. No. 13 Danny Pucino (R-Jr.) | F, 1:47
Mendez opened the scoring with a takedown and then got the pin at 1:47.

149-No. 12 Dylan D'Emilio (Gr.) def. No. 11 Kannon Webster (R-Fr.) | D, 2-0
The first period ended with no score. D'Emilio went up 1-0 with an escape to send the bout to the third with the lead. D'Emilio did not allow a Webster escape in the third and with a point for riding time won by decision, 2-0.

157-Jason Kraisser (Gr.) def. No. 9 Paddy Gallagher (R-Jr.) | D, 15-9
Gallagher scored first with a takedown followed by a Kraisser escape. The Illini then went up 4-3 with a takedown heading to the second period. Kraisser added an escape point before a Gallagher takedown to regain the lead at 6-5. Kraisser tied it with an escape, then added a takedown and four-point nearfall to lead 13-6 after five minutes. Gallagher added a takedown followed by a Kraisser reversal and a point for riding time to take the bout by decision 15-9.

165-e'Than Birden (Fr.) def. No. 10 Braeden Scoles (R-Fr.) | D, 9-4
Birden got the opening takedown before a Scoles escape made it 3-1. Birden added another takedown to lead 6-2 after three minutes. There was no scoring in the second. Scoles escaped early to make it 6-3. Birden got another takedown for a 9-3 lead. Scoles added an escape to make it 9-4 but Birden held on for the win by decision.

174-No. 9 Carson Kharchla (Gr.) def. No. 21 Danny Braunagel (R-Sr.) | D, 11-5
Braunagel scored first after a scramble with a takedown for a 3-0 lead. Kharchla earned an escape and late takedown to lead 4-3 after three minutes. Braunagel tied it at 4-all with an early escape in the second. Kharchla added a takedown and after a Braunagel escape led 7-5. Kharchla added a point with an escape and added a takedown for an 11-5 win by decision.

184-No. 10 Edmond Ruth (R-Sr.) def. No. 14 Ryder Rogotzke (So.) | D, 7-3
Ruth scored first with a takedown two minutes in to the first period. Rogotzke escaped to trail 3-1 headed to the second period. Rogotzke added an escape point early in the second for a one point deficit. Ruth went up 4-2 with an escape in the third. Rogotzke was awarded a point for Illinois stalling but Ruth added a takedown for a 7-3 win by decision.

197-Seth Shumate (R-So.) def. No. 11 Zac Braunagel (R-Sr.) | D, 11-9
Shumate earned an early takedown to lead 3-1. Shumate added a takedown and two-point nearfall for an 8-2 lead after a Braunagel escape. Braunagel added another escape early in the second for the only scoring in the period. Shumate upped the lead to 8-3 with an escape in the third. Braunagel added a takedown followed by a Shumate escape. Braunagel added another takedown but Shumate held on to win by decision, 11-9

HWT-No. 7 Nick Feldman (R-So.) def. No. 11 Luke Luffman (R-Sr.) D, 7-3
Neither wrestler was able to score in the opening period. Feldman escaped to lead 1-0 to open the scoring in the second. That score held entering the third. Luffman evened the bout with an escape but Feldman got the first takedown of the match to lead 4-1 with a minute gone in the final period. Luffman added an escape but Feldman earned another takedown to win by decision 7-2.

Lineup vs. the Illini

Wt.	No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Illinois	OSU	ILL
125	No. 10 Brendan McCrone (OSU) def. Caelan Riley (ILL) \| D, 5-0	3	0
133	No. 2 Lucas Byrd (ILL) def. No. 9 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) \| D, 8-5 SV-1	3	3
141	No. 1 Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. No. 13 Danny Pucino (ILL) \| F, 1:47	9	3
149	No. 12 Dylan D'Emilio (OSU) def. No. 11 Kannon Webster (ILL) \| D, 2-0	12	3
157	Jason Kraisser (ILL) def. No. 9 Paddy Gallagher (OSU) \| D, 15-9	12	6
165	e'Than Birden (OSU) def. No. 10 Braeden Scoles (ILL) \| D, 9-4	15	6
174	No. 9 Carson Kharchla (OSU) def. No. 21 Danny Braunagel (ILL) \| D, 11-5	18	6
184	No. 10 Edmond Ruth (ILL) def. No. 14 Ryder Rogotzke (OSU) \| D, 7-3	18	9
197	Seth Shumate (OSU) def. No. 11 Zac Braunagel (ILL) \| D, 11-9	21	9
HWT	No. 7 Nick Feldman (OSU) def. No. 11 Luke Luffman (ILL) D, 7-3	24	9

Earlier in the day, several Buckeyes competed at the 2025 David H Lehman Franklin and Marshall Open in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Two Buckeyes earned titles, both wrestling unattached at the event.

True freshman Ben Davino earned the title at 133 with a 5-0 record. Redshirt freshman Rocco Welsh also posted a 5-0 record to win the 184-pound bracket.

Graduate Sammy Sasso wrestled for a title at 157 but fell in the title match to earn a second-place finish.

At 141, Andre Gonzales finished sixth with a 4-2 record.

Ohio State at the 2025 David H Lehman Franklin and Marshall Open.

141-Andre Gonzales (Ohio State) MD Brandt Fajerman (F&M), 19-5
141-Andre Gonzales (Ohio State) MD Clayton Gabrielson (Maryland), 12-3
141-Ryan Jack (NC State - UnAttached) MD Andre Gonzales (Ohio State), 14-4
141-Andre Gonzales (Ohio State) TF Jordan Decatur (Kent State), 20-3 5:55
141-Andre Gonzales (Ohio State) NC Carter Nogle (Air Force Academy)
141-Bryce Kresho (F&M) DEC Andre Gonzales (Ohio State), 12-7

157-Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) TF Billy Templeton (F&M), 17-2 3:34
157-Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) F Owen Hicks (Army Prep), 2:08
157-Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) TF Micah Hanau (Army-West Point), 17-2 3:59
157-Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) DEC Doug Terry (Cleveland State), 12-7
157-Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) DEC Trae Mcdaniel (Army-West Point), 10-8
157-Jackson Arrington (NC State - UnAttached) F Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), 4:41

157-Brock Herman (Ohio State) TF Kellen Smith (Army Prep), 21-5 5:49
157-Brock Herman (Ohio State) MD Dagen Condomitti (Rutgers), 12-3
157-Brock Herman (Ohio State) MD Josh Palacio (Air Force Academy), 14-3
157-Nick Stampoulos (Lock Haven-Unattached) M FOR Brock Herman (Ohio State)
157-Latrell Schafer (NC State - UnAttached) FOR Brock Herman (Ohio State)

197-Cael Black (Lock Haven-Unattached) DEC Cole Robertson (Ohio State), 4-1
197-Justin Griffith (Drexel - UnAttached) DEC Cole Robertson (Ohio State), 9-8

133-Ben Davino (Ohio State - UnAttached) MD Dan Jones (Princeton), 16-4
133-Ben Davino (Ohio State - UnAttached) TF Hunter Heflin (Naval Academy), 20-4 2:22
133-Ben Davino (Ohio State - UnAttached) MD Raymond Lopez (American University), 17-5
133-Ben Davino (Ohio State - UnAttached) TF Jacob Joyce (Brown), 18-3 6:05
133-Ben Davino (Ohio State - UnAttached) MD Ethan Berginc (Army-West Point), 11-3

184-Rocco Welsh (Ohio State - UnAttached) F Tyler Hurst (Millersville), 2:22
184-Rocco Welsh (Ohio State - UnAttached) TF Cole Karpinski (Army-West Point), 21-6 2:20
184-Rocco Welsh (Ohio State - UnAttached) TF Marcus Petite (Buffalo), 23-6 6:08
184-Rocco Welsh (Ohio State - UnAttached) MD Jakob Gilfoil (Army-West Point), 15-2
184-Rocco Welsh (Ohio State - UnAttached) DEC James Conway (Unattached-Unrostered), 4-2

Up Next:
The Buckeyes return to Columbus to face No. 17 Rutgers at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Covelli Center in the Big Ten home opener.

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