CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (1/14/06) -- Winning 18 of 20 individual matches in two dual-meet victories, the Augsburg College wrestling team advanced to the semifinals of the National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals on Saturday at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome.

Augsburg, ranked No. 3 in the latest Division III national rankings and seeded No. 3 in the 15-team Division III National Duals field, opened the tournament with a 38-3 victory over Augustana (Ill.), then topped No. 6-seed (No. 19-ranked) Cornell (Iowa) 36-3 in the quarterfinals.

Augsburg will face No. 2-seed (No. 2-ranked) Wisconsin-La Crosse in a championship semifinal on Sunday (1/15) at 11 a.m. The other championship semifinal will pit top-ranked Wartburg (Iowa) and No. 4-seed (No. 5-ranked) Luther (Iowa). The winners will meet at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the championship match, with the losers wrestling at 1 p.m. for third place.

Fellow Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference school St. John's, seeded No. 7 in the tournament and ranked No. 20 nationally, went 1-2 in its duals on Saturday. The Johnnies lost 31-9 to No. 26-ranked Buena Vista (Iowa) in the opening match, topped Wilmington (Ohio) 31-13, then lost 19-14 to No. 21-ranked Simpson (Iowa) in the consolation wrestlebacks.

Augsburg is now 5-0 in dual meets this season. Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 204-13 since the 1989-90 season, losing just eight matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against teams from Division III, Augsburg is 220-17 since the 1979-80 season and 144-7 since 1989-90.

Augsburg dominated its first day of action at the National Duals, scoring two pins and two major decisions in the 38-3 win over Augustana (Ill.) and a pin, technical fall and four major decisions in the 36-3 win over Cornell (Iowa).

Augsburg's Brad Tupa * (Sr., Dundas, Minn./Faribault HS), ranked No. 3 nationally at 184 pounds, improved to 14-0 with two victories. He scored a 26-second pin in his opening match, then claimed a first-period, 16-1 technical-fall victory in his second match.

Ryan Valek * (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), ranked No. 1 nationally at 165, claimed two major-decision victories to improve to 23-2 on the season. Jared Evans (Jr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 4 nationally at 149, scored a decision and first-period pin among his two victories on the day, improving to 19-3 on the season.

Wally O'Connor (So., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS), ranked No. 3 nationally at 197, claimed two victories on the day to move to 17-7. O'Connor claimed a decision in the only meeting of ranked wrestlers on the day, as he topped Cornell's John Ugaste, ranked No. 6 nationally, 6-4.

Augsburg's Josh Hansen (Jr., Albert Lea, Minn.) had two wins on the day, including one by pin, at 141 pounds, improving to 20-2 on the year. Heavyweight Andrew Neumann (Jr., Somerset, Wis.) improved to 19-4 with two wins, including one major decision.

College Wrestling -- No. 3 Augsburg (4-0) 38, Augustana (Ill., 3-7) 3
January 14, 2006 -- UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Action begins at 125 pounds.

125 -- Seth Flodeen (Augsburg, 17-8) dec. Leo Bird (Augustana) 3-1 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- Jafari Vanier (Augsburg, 1-0) dec. Dan Stanton (Augustana) 3-2 (Augsburg 6-0).
141 -- Josh Hansen (Augsburg, 19-2) pinned Ryan McMurray (Augustana) 1:46 (Augsburg 12-0).
149 -- No. 4 Jared Evans (Augsburg, 18-3) dec. Larry Amedio (Augustana) 4-1 (Augsburg 15-0).
157 -- Mike Kerr (Augustana) dec. Tim Matzek (Augsburg, 16-7) 3-1 (Augsburg 15-3).
165 -- No. 1 Ryan Valek * (Augsburg, 22-2) maj. dec. Brian Daly (Augustana) 8-0 (Augsburg 19-3).
174 -- George Lynaugh (Augsburg, 5-3) maj. dec. Dan Cremar (Augustana) 16-3 (Augsburg 23-3).
184 -- No. 3 Brad Tupa * (Augsburg, 13-0) pinned Brian Kerr (Augustana) 0:26 (Augsburg 29-3).
197 -- No. 3 Wally O'Connor (Augsburg, 16-7) dec. John Parkhurst (Augustana) 5-2 (Augsburg 32-3).
HWT -- Andrew Neumann (Augsburg, 18-4) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 38-3).

College Wrestling -- No. 3 Augsburg (5-0) 36, No. 19 Cornell (Iowa, 11-5) 3
January 14, 2006 -- UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Action begins at 125 pounds.

125 -- Chris Heilman (COR) dec. Seth Flodeen (AUG, 17-9) 3-1 (Cornell 3-0).
133 -- Ben Moss (AUG, 8-2) dec. Greg Murphy (COR) 4-2 (TIED 3-3).
141 -- Josh Hansen (AUG, 20-2) dec. Dave Paramski (COR) 6-2 (Augsburg 6-3).
149 -- No. 4 Jared Evans (AUG, 19-3) pinned Aron Kindelsperger (COR) 2:34 (Augsburg 12-3).
157 -- No. 5 Jeremy Anderson (AUG, 24-0) maj. dec. Patrick McAuley (COR) 10-1 (Augsburg 16-3).
165 -- No. 1 Ryan Valek * (AUG, 23-2) maj. dec. Drew Vickers (COR) 13-4 (Augsburg 20-3).
174 -- No. 5 Robbie Gotreau (AUG, 23-2) maj. dec. Kyle Kehrli (COR) 21-9 (Augsburg 24-3).
184 -- No. 3 Brad Tupa * (AUG, 14-0) tech. fall Adam Sandoval (COR) 16-1 at 3:00 (Augsburg 29-3).
197 -- No. 3 Wally O'Connor (AUG, 17-7) dec. No. 6 John Ugaste (COR) 6-4 (Augsburg 32-3).
HWT -- Andrew Neumann (AUG, 19-4) maj. dec. Chris Gustafson (COR) 9-0 (Augsburg 36-3).