CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Navy wrestling team (1-0) began its season with an upset win over No. 23 Illinois (1-1) on Saturday at Huff Hall in Champaign, Ill. 

The Mids claimed wins at 133, 141, 165, 184 and 197 to beat the Fighting Illini by a score of 23-18. 

Bonus points played a huge role in Navy pulling off the upset. The Mids earned eight bonus points from two falls and a technical fall win.

"We are a more balanced team this season with depth. We have continually counted on the same guys, but now we have more in the arsenal," said head coach Cary Kolat. "Winning a dual on the road is always a good thing. We saw areas that we definitely need to work on. We had a few guys not manage their matches properly, but we should be better the next time we hit the mats."

The 125-pound bout opened the dual and featured an intriguing matchup between Evan Tallmadge and No. 31 Justin Cardani. Tallmadge was wrestling in his first collegiate match, while Cardani was competing for the first time since the 2022 NCAA Championship. Cardani jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period with a takedown. Tallmadge answered with an escape in the first and scored another escape in period two to make the score, 3-2. Tallmadge didn't score a takedown in the final period, but still earned a point for having over a minute of riding time to send the match into overtime. Cardani claimed the opening bout for the Fighting Illini with a takedown 33 seconds into sudden victory to win by a 6-3 decision. The victory gave Illinois a 3-0 lead in the dual. 

No. 19 Brendan Ferretti (133) accumulated the first bonus points for the Mids with a fall victory (4:46) against Kole Brower. The Macomb, Mich., native held a 9-3 advantage thanks to three takedowns before ending the match with a pin to score Navy six points for its first lead of the dual (6-3). 

No. 25 Josh Koderhandt (141) defeated the 14th nationally-ranked wrestler of his career with an 8-2 decision over No. 32 Danny Pucino. The junior used an early takedown in the first period to gain a 4-1 lead through the first five minutes of the contest. Koderhandt went ahead, 7-1, with his second takedown in the third period and added an additional point by securing riding time to give Navy a 9-3 advantage on the scoreboard. 

Illinois quickly responded with a pair of wins at 149 and 157 to retake an 11-9 lead. The Fighting Illini received five points from a technical fall win by Kannon Webster over James Latona (20-5, 5:57). Illinois then took the lead back in the 157-pound matchup between Joe Roberts and No. 33 Jonathan Ley. Roberts struck for the lone takedown of the bout in the third period to win by a 4-2 decision. 

Navy needed a big answer from senior Andrew Cerniglia (165), who was wrestling at 165 pounds for the first time in his collegiate career. He surrendered an early takedown to Luke Odom, but responded with a huge scoring spree. After getting on the board with an escape, Cerniglia scored a takedown and two four-point near falls to take a 12-3 lead into the second period. The Nazareth, Pa., native added two more four-point near falls to win by a 20-3 technical fall (6:21). His effort put the Mids back in front, 14-11.

Freshman Danny Wask (174) stepped onto the mat for the first time to face the top-ranked Fighting Illini wrestler, No. 5 Edmund Ruth. Wask battled hard with one of the best athletes in his weight class and led, 5-4, heading into the final period. Ruth tied the score with an escape in the third period to send the contest into sudden victory. Ruth was credited with a takedown with 17 seconds remaining on the clock to win by an 8-5 decision and even the scoreboard at 14-14. 

Illinois' No. 22 Dylan Connell looked to regain the lead for his team and avenge his loss to No. 19 David Key (184) at 2023 NCAA Championship. Connell didn't have a chance to score any points thanks to a huge pin by Key in the second period to win by fall (3:27). The victory earned Navy six points toward its team score, giving Cael Crebs (197) the opportunity to clinch the dual. 

Crebs took a commanding, 10-2, lead over Isiah Pettigrew in the first period. He scored seven of his points on a takedown and a four-point near fall. Pettigrew nearly mounted a comeback by scoring eight points in the third period, but a pair of escapes helped Crebs hold on for a 14-13 decision win to secure the Mids the win.  

Although Navy already had the dual won, the heavyweight bout was still a highly anticipated matchup between No. 10 Luke Luffman and No. 13 Grady Griess. Two takedowns in the third period and a riding time point earned Luffman a major decision victory (11-3). The match marked just the third time Griess suffered a loss by major decision in his career. 

The Mids compete in Annapolis for the first time next Sunday in the Navy Quad Meet at Alumni Hall. Navy will face Morgan State (Noon), VMI (1:30 p.m.) and Pitt (3 p.m.).

Match Notes
• Navy defeated its first Big Ten opponent since its, 21-12, win over Maryland in 2019
• The Mids improved to 125-95-10 against active members of the Big Ten and 2-1 against Illinois
• Navy won its opening dual for the first time since the 2019-2020 season when it beat Fresno State, 25-9
• Ferretti won his first dual match by fall. He owns three wins by fall in his career
• Koderhandt earned his 55th win at Navy. He has come out on top in six-consecutive dual matches dating back to last season. 
• Cerniglia claimed his eighth technical fall victory as a Mid. The senior also continued his dominance in duals, improving to 16-3 (84.2) in his career
• Key defeated an opponent by fall for the eighth time. The Norcross, Ga., native now owns a 16-5 (76.2) dual record and is 3-0 in his career against Illinois wrestlers

Navy vs. No. 23 Illinois Dual Results
125 | No. 31 Justin Cardani dec Evan Tallmadge, 6-3 SV1 // Illinois 3, Navy 0
133 | No. 19 Brendan Ferretti fall Kole Brower, 4:46 // Navy 6, Illinois 3
141 | No. 25 Josh Koderhandt dec No. 32 Danny Pucino, 8-2 // Navy 9, Illinois 3
149 | Kannon Webster tech fall James Latona, 20-5 (5:57) // Navy 9, Illinois 8
157 | Joe Roberts dec No. 33 Jonathan Ley, 4-2 // Illinois 11, Navy 9
165 | No. 26 Andrew Cerniglia tech fall Luke Odom, 20-3 (6:21) // Navy 14, Illinois 11
174 | No. 5 Edmond Ruth dec No. 32 Danny Wask, 8-5 SV1 // Navy 14, Illinois 14
184 | No. 19 David Key fall No. 22 Dylan Connell, 3:27 // Navy 20, Illinois 14
197 | Cael Crebs dec Isiah Pettigrew, 14-13 // Navy 23, Illinois 14
285 | No. 10 Luke Luffman major No. 13 Grady Griess, 11-3 // Navy 23, Illinois 18