Illinois wrestling star Lucas Byrd captured a national championship on Saturday, and his victory is one that is being celebrated by millions of short kings globally.
Byrd won the national title in the 133-pound weight class by defeating Iowa’s Drake Ayala in the NCAA Championships finals at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. He became the 21st Illinois wrestler to win a national championship and first to do so at 133 pounds.
Byrd then went very, very viral, but not just because of his athletic achievement. The 5-foot-6 senior celebrated the victory with his 6-foot-2 girlfriend, Ellie Holzman.
Celebrating with the ones we love most 🧡💙#NCAAWrestling x 🎥 ESPN/ESPN+ / @IlliniWrestling pic.twitter.com/CNmlytFOYG
— NCAA Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) March 23, 2025
Byrd and Holzman, a former Illinois volleyball player, already had a huge following on social media. They had grown their TikTok audience to more than 400,000 followers as of Wednesday.
Byrd and Holzman have embraced the attention that their eight-inch height differential attracts. In a feature for the Big Ten Network last month, Holzman revealed that the couple met in a bar. Holzman broke the ice by telling Byrd he kind of looks like Harry Potter.
By many metrics, Byrd seems to be crushing life.
