Wrestling 1/11/09 -- Augsburg wins NWCA/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals championship
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (1/11/09) -- Winning matches over the No. 3- and No. 1-ranked teams in succession, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed its fourth National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals championship on Sunday at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI Dome.
Augsburg (5-1 overall), ranked No. 2 in the latest Division III national poll, won six of 10 matches, including two by fall, in topping No. 3-ranked Delaware Valley (Pa.) 25-17 in Sunday's semifinals. Then, behind the strength of two key pins late in the match, the Auggies defeated top-ranked and defending national champion Wartburg (Iowa) 21-20 in the championship match.
"We wrestled with purpose. We had a goal to be Division III national dual meet champions, and we weren't going to be denied," said Augsburg head coach Mark Matzek. "Each and every kid stepped up in their own way in each dual meet, and in that last dual, we wrestled hard."
Augsburg claimed its fourth NWCA Division III National Duals championship in the eight years that the tournament has been in its current format, where teams from all three NCAA divisions, the NAIA, junior college and women's wrestling compete at one site. Augsburg previously won National Duals titles in 2002, 2005 and 2007, while Wartburg won National Duals titles in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008.
In a match which featured two ties and three lead changes, Augsburg clinched the victory over Wartburg when the Auggies' Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS), ranked No. 2 at 197 pounds, pinned Wartburg's No. 7-ranked Nick Shandri in 2:14, giving the Auggies a 21-17 advantage going into the final bout of the day. Massey, now 13-0 on the season with seven pins, earned the Division III National Duals Outstanding Wrestler award. A transfer from Division I Wisconsin, Massey is in his first season with the Auggies after a four-year absence from collegiate wrestling (he competed at Wisconsin in the 2003-04 season).
"He had two pins and a decision on the weekend. He was very deserving," Matzek said of Massey's weekend performance. "He expects big things of himself, and we expect big things of him. He is the type of wrestler that can get in a zone, and he'll get the points that are asked of him."
Augsburg won four of the six meetings of ranked wrestlers in the dual against Wartburg, including a 6-3 victory by No. 2-ranked Willy Holst (SR, Prescott, Wis.) over top-ranked Jacob Naig of Wartburg at 149 pounds. Holst is now 12-0 on the season. Top-ranked Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) bounced back from an upset loss in the semifinals with a 6-5 win over Wartburg's No. 7-ranked Mark Kist.
Top-ranked 133-pounder Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) improved to 24-0 on the season with a first-period pin of Delaware Valley's No. 10-ranked Brandon Clemmer in the opening match, and a 5-4 win over No. 2-ranked Matt Kelly of Wartburg in the finals. Of his 24 wins this season, 21 have been by bonus points -- 16 pins, two technical falls, two major decisions and a forfeit.
Another key win for the Auggies against the Knights came at 174 pounds, as Zach Molitor (SO, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS), a transfer from Division I North Dakota State, scored a 6:23 pin over Wartburg's No. 5-ranked Grant Jenkins. Molitor is now 17-5 on the season with five pins.
The Auggies are now 12-9 in the all-time series against Wartburg, breaking a two-match losing streak to the Knights. Augsburg is now 233-20 against Divisions II and III teams since the 1989-90 season, losing just 15 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is 239-23 since the 1979-80 season and 163-13 since the 1989-90 season.
Augsburg and Wartburg will meet again in a dual meet on Jan. 30 at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis.
In the victory over Delaware Valley, pins by Lang and 141-pounder Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), along with a major-decision win by Holst and decisions by Massey, No. 3-ranked heavyweight Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.) and No. 5-ranked 157-pounder Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) provided the difference in the match.
Among other Minnesota teams at the National Duals, No. 22-ranked Concordia-Moorhead placed fifth in the Division III field with a 24-15 win over No. 11-ranked Cornell (Iowa). In Division II, Minnesota State Mankato placed third, while in Division I, Minnesota placed sixth.
College Wrestling -- NWCA Division III National Duals Semifinals
No. 2 Augsburg (Minn., 4-1) 25, No. 3 Delaware Valley (Pa., 9-1-1) 17
Sunday, January 11, 2008 -- UNI Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa.
125 -- No. 5 Chris Sheetz (DVC) dec. No. 1 Seth Flodeen (AUG, 8-2) 9-3 (Delaware Valley 3-0).
133 -- No. 1 Travis Lang (AUG, 23-0) pinned No. 10 Brandon Clemmer (DVC) 1:57 (Augsburg 6-3).
141 -- Tony Valek (AUG, 20-5) pinned No. 9 Eric McCann (DVC) 3:42 (Augsburg 12-3).
149 -- No. 2 Willy Holst (AUG, 11-0) maj. dec. Dale Fava (DVC) 13-3 (Augsburg 16-3).
157 -- No. 5 Jason Adams (AUG, 23-2) dec. Robbie Hickman (DVC) 7-0 (Augsburg 19-3).
165 -- Justin Barowski (DVC) dec. Brandon Bahr (AUG, 18-9) 7-3 (Augsburg 19-6).
174 -- No. 7 Rocky Mantella (DVC) pinned Zach Molitor (AUG, 16-5) 1:22 (Augsburg 19-12).
184 -- No. 1 Mike Wilcox (DVC) tech. fall Brad Baus (AUG, 7-7) 17-0 at 3:05 (Augsburg 19-17).
197 -- No. 2 Jared Massey (AUG, 12-0) dec. Jeff Siciliano (DVC) 9-2 (Augsburg 22-17).
HWT -- No. 3 Andy Witzel (AUG, 22-1) dec. No. 2 Kyle Bilquist (DVC) 3-1 (Augsburg 25-17).
College Wrestling -- NWCA Division III National Duals Championship Match
No. 2 Augsburg (Minn., 5-1) 21, No. 1 Wartburg (Iowa, 8-1) 20
Sunday, January 11, 2008 -- UNI Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa.
125 -- No. 1 Seth Flodeen (AUG, 9-2) dec. No. 7 Mark Kist (WAR) 6-5 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- No. 1 Travis Lang (AUG, 24-0) dec. No. 2 Matt Kelly (WAR) 5-4 (Augsburg 6-0).
141 -- No. 2 Zach McKray (WAR) pinned Tony Valek (AUG, 20-6) 6:24 (TIED 6-6).
149 -- No. 2 Willy Holst (AUG, 12-0) dec. No. 1 Jacob Naig (WAR) 6-3 (Augsburg 9-6).
157 -- No. 1 Aaron Wernimont (WAR) dec. No. 5 Jason Adams (AUG, 23-3) 13-6 (TIED 9-9).
165 -- No. 1 Justin Hanson (WAR) maj. dec. Brandon Bahr (AUG, 18-10) 17-9 (Wartburg 13-9).
174 -- Zach Molitor (AUG, 17-5) pinned No. 5 Grant Jenkins (WAR) 6:23 (Augsburg 15-13).
184 -- Romeo Djoumessi (WAR) maj. dec. Brad Baus (AUG, 7-8) 16-6 (Wartburg 17-15).
197 -- No. 2 Jared Massey (AUG, 13-0) pinned No. 7 Nick Shandri (WAR) 2:14 (Augsburg 21-17).
HWT -- No. 8 John Helgerson (WAR) dec. No. 3 Andy Witzel (AUG, 22-2) 3-1 (Augsburg 21-20).
Sunday's scores from NWCA Division III National Duals -- at UNI Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
(Rankings listed are from latest Division III national poll)
Championship Semifinals:
No. 1 Wartburg (Iowa) 33, No. 4 Coe (Iowa)
No. 2 Augsburg (Minn.) 25, No. 3 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 17
Seventh-Place Match:
No. 24 Heidelberg (Ohio) 32, No. 14 Olivet (Mich.) 13
Fifth-Place Match:
No. 22 Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 24, No. 11 Cornell (Iowa) 15
Third-Place Match:
No. 3 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 22, No. 4 Coe (Iowa) 15
Championship Match:
No. 2 Augsburg (Minn.) 21, No. 2 Wartburg (Iowa) 20
Saturday's scores from NWCA Division III National Duals -- at UNI Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
(Rankings listed are from latest Division III national poll)
First round:
No. 1 Wartburg (Iowa) 47, Wabash (Ind.) 0
No. 15 Luther (Iowa) 25, No. 14 Olivet (Mich.) 17
No. 7 Wisconsin-La Crosse 29, Dubuque (Iowa) 15
No. 4 Coe (Iowa) 25, No. 22 Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 12
No. 3 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 46, Ohio Northern 0
No. 9 St. John's 22, No. 24 Heidelberg (Ohio) 10
No. 21 Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 31, No. 11 Cornell (Iowa) 19
No. 2 Augsburg (Minn.) 54, Buena Vista (Iowa) 0
Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Wartburg 47, No. 15 Luther 3
No. 4 Coe 31, No. 7 Wisconsin-La Crosse 7
No. 3 Delaware Valley 41, No. 9 St. John's 4
No. 2 Augsburg 54, No. 21 Johnson & Wales 0
Consolation First Round:
No. 14 Olivet 33, Wabash 15
No. 22 Concordia-Moorhead 25, Dubuque 18
No. 24 Heidelberg 34, Ohio Northern 4
No. 11 Cornell 23, Buena Vista 16
Consolation Second Round:
No. 14 Olivet 33, No. 21 Johnson & Wales 9
No. 22 Concordia-Moorhead 22, No. 9 St. John's 14
No. 24 Heidelberg 18, No. 7 Wisconsin-La Crosse 18 (Heidelberg advances on criteria)
No. 11 Cornell 27, No. 15 Luther 15
Consolation Third Round:
No. 22 Concordia-Moorhead 21, No. 14 Olivet 16
No. 11 Cornell 22, No. 24 Heidelberg 15
Division III Extra Matches:
Buena Vista 21, Ohio Northern 16
Dubuque 40, Wabash 3
