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La Salle graduate and Illinois redshirt senior Lucas Byrd had already earned his third-career All-American honor in the 2025 NCAA Division I Championships.
On Saturday night, he got his national title.
Byrd, the nation's top seed at 133 pounds, defeated Iowa's Drake Ayala in the national championship finals. Ayala handed the 23-1 Byrd his only defeat of the year back in January with a 4-2 decision in a dual meet. Byrd returned the favor in the Big Ten finals, getting a pin-fall win for the conference crown.
In the rubber match for the national championship, the pair exchanged escapes in the second and third periods for a 1-1 tie going to overtime. Ayala took a 2-1 lead in the second overtime with an escape, but gave up a point on a stalling penalty. In the final overtime, Byrd gained enough riding time for a point, winning the national championship in a 3-2 decision.
In the first round of the national tournament, Byrd had a 3-2 win over Cal Baptist's Hunter Leake and then a 9-0 major decision against Penn's Ryan Miller to reach the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, Byrd had another major decision, beating Penn State's Braden Davis 12-1. With that win, Byrd advanced to the semifinals and secured a top six finish, cementing his All-American status. He secured his finals appearance with a 2-0 win against Cal Poly's Zeth Romney.
Byrd was also an All-American in 2021 and 2022 when he finished fifth in the national tournament each time. Byrd was a national qualifier in 2023 but didn't place. He did not compete last season, taking a medical redshirt.
Byrd graduated from La Salle in 2019 after becoming the first Lancer to win multiple state championships. Byrd placed seventh in the Ohio High School Athletic Association's state tournament as a freshman in 2016 and jumped to third as a sophomore. He then secured a 113-pound state title in 2018 and a 120-pound title in 2019.
Byrd was one of three Lancers to win state titles in 2019, leading the program to a Division I team runner-up finish.
With the title, Byrd became the first Fighting Illini wrestler to win a national title since Isaiah Martinez won back-to-back 157-pound titles in 2015 and 2016.
He becomes the first local product to win a Division I wrestling title since Lawrenceburg native Mason Parris won a 285-pound championship for Michigan in 2023. Parris also won the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler that year.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: La Salle graduate, Illinois wrestler Lucas Byrd wins NCAA championship
Continue reading...
On Saturday night, he got his national title.
Byrd, the nation's top seed at 133 pounds, defeated Iowa's Drake Ayala in the national championship finals. Ayala handed the 23-1 Byrd his only defeat of the year back in January with a 4-2 decision in a dual meet. Byrd returned the favor in the Big Ten finals, getting a pin-fall win for the conference crown.
In the rubber match for the national championship, the pair exchanged escapes in the second and third periods for a 1-1 tie going to overtime. Ayala took a 2-1 lead in the second overtime with an escape, but gave up a point on a stalling penalty. In the final overtime, Byrd gained enough riding time for a point, winning the national championship in a 3-2 decision.
In the first round of the national tournament, Byrd had a 3-2 win over Cal Baptist's Hunter Leake and then a 9-0 major decision against Penn's Ryan Miller to reach the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, Byrd had another major decision, beating Penn State's Braden Davis 12-1. With that win, Byrd advanced to the semifinals and secured a top six finish, cementing his All-American status. He secured his finals appearance with a 2-0 win against Cal Poly's Zeth Romney.
Byrd was also an All-American in 2021 and 2022 when he finished fifth in the national tournament each time. Byrd was a national qualifier in 2023 but didn't place. He did not compete last season, taking a medical redshirt.
Byrd graduated from La Salle in 2019 after becoming the first Lancer to win multiple state championships. Byrd placed seventh in the Ohio High School Athletic Association's state tournament as a freshman in 2016 and jumped to third as a sophomore. He then secured a 113-pound state title in 2018 and a 120-pound title in 2019.
Byrd was one of three Lancers to win state titles in 2019, leading the program to a Division I team runner-up finish.
With the title, Byrd became the first Fighting Illini wrestler to win a national title since Isaiah Martinez won back-to-back 157-pound titles in 2015 and 2016.
He becomes the first local product to win a Division I wrestling title since Lawrenceburg native Mason Parris won a 285-pound championship for Michigan in 2023. Parris also won the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler that year.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: La Salle graduate, Illinois wrestler Lucas Byrd wins NCAA championship
Continue reading...
