Wrestling's incomplete lineup yields tenth place at Midlands

With three place winners, the shorthanded No. 8 Illinois wrestling squad finished in tenth place at the 46th Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill.

"We're still trying to get healthy, that's the big thing," head coach Mark Johnson said. "But we're still not wrestling the way we are capable of, and that's disappointing."

Jimmy Kennedy followed up last year's fourth-place finish by placing third, defeating Maryland's Steve Bell, 6-1. Kennedy lost to Iowa's Daniel Dennis in a second sudden death round, 5-3.

Jordan Blanton finished fifth with a 3-2 defeat of Iowa State's Jerome Ward. John Dergo rounded out the place winners with an eighth-place finish, losing to Chattanooga's Lloyd Rogers in the seventh-place match, 9-6. Dergo competed for only the second time all season, after sitting out with a leg injury.

"I'm still trying to get into the flow of things," Dergo said. "I'm not as good as I'd like to be, but all of us have a long way to go."

Patrick Bond and John Wise, both two-time NCAA qualifiers, failed to advance past the second round.

Having struggled with injuries all season, Johnson once again was unable to field his full lineup. Mike Poeta, who was slated to be the No. 1 seed in the 157-pound class had he competed, continues to be sidelined following offseason knee surgery. The team's depth and leadership also took a hit in the weeks prior to the tournament when fifth-year senior Troy Tirapelle learned that his shoulder injury would require surgery that will likely be season-ending.

Compounding the team's injury woes were the absence of Ryan Prater and Grant Paswell, who both missed weight.

"Prater had been hurt so we didn't know if we wanted him to even wrestle," Johnson said. "But both will be back for West Virginia."

Without Prater and Paswell, the Illini were unable to field competitors at the 149 and 157 classes.

The team will be off until Jan. 9, when the team travels to West Virginia.

"Mike Poeta will be in the lineup," Johnson said.