Of the 44 pairs of brothers who have earned varsity letters as members of the Illini wrestling program, the very first siblings — Joe and Allen Sapora — stand out above the others.
The natives of Renova, Pa., a small lumbering community 178 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, matriculated to the University of Illinois and had legendary collegiate careers.
Joe, born in 1904, was recruited by then Illini coach Paul Prehn, but wrestled his final two seasons for Harold "Hek" Kenney. In 1929 and 1930, he was the nation's premier grappler at 115 pounds, winning back-to-back NCAA and Big Ten individual titles.