Michigan rallies to beat No. 11 Illinois 18-14
Hayden Walters’ last-second takedown at 197 put Michigan ahead and No. 6 Taye Ghadiali closed the dual at heavyweight as the Wolverines edged Illinois in Ann Arbor.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan defeated No. 11 Illinois 18-14 at the Bahna Wrestling Center on Jan. 18, 2026.
Illinois opened the dual with two bonus-point wins that built an early lead. No. 15 Spencer Moore earned a 10-2 major decision at 125 after a takedown in the final five seconds, and No. 9 Braeden Scoles posted an 18-4 major decision at 165 that included multiple third-period takedowns, a penalty on Justin Gates and a riding-time point for Scoles.
No. 1 Lucas Byrd followed Moore’s win with a 7-2 decision at 133 to push Illinois ahead 7-0. Michigan then won three straight decisions in the middle weights to take its first lead of the dual, including No. 11 Dylan Ragusin’s 2-0 decision at 141 and No. 17 Lachlan McNeil’s 10-4 decision at 149.
Illinois regained the lead when Chris Moore upset No. 8 Brock Mantanona 4-2 at 184; Moore’s takedown and a third-period escape accounted for the margin. That result left Illinois ahead 14-12 entering the final two bouts.
In the penultimate match, Hayden Walters produced the decisive swing. Walters defeated Dylan Connell 5-1 at 197 after a takedown with 4 seconds remaining and a riding-time point that finished his total. The victory put Michigan back in front and set up the clinch.
No. 6 Taye Ghadiali closed the dual at 285 with a 7-4 decision. Ghadiali scored two first-period takedowns to build a 6-1 cushion and added an escape in the second; Illinois trimmed the margin but could not recover.
The dual featured multiple lead changes and several ranked matchups. Illinois collected two major decisions and a ranked upset, but Michigan’s late rallies in the final two bouts supplied the four-point margin that decided the meeting.