NORTHFIELD, Minn. (2/23/02) -- Earning 10 individual conference champions for the second time in the 55-year history of the meet, the Augsburg College wrestling team won the final Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference individual championships, held Saturday at Carleton's West Gymnasium.

Augsburg won the meet with 140 points, advancing all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Division III national championship for the fifth season in a row. Augsburg has won the last two Division III national titles and an NCAA-record seven of the last 11. Augsburg is ranked first in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll.

The NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships will be held in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Friday and Saturday (3/1-2).

Augsburg won the final 16 MIAC team titles in a row, the second-longest active MIAC championship streak, behind St. Thomas' 17 straight men's indoor track league titles. With Carleton dropping wrestling after this season, the MIAC will have just four wrestling schools remaining and will no longer sponsor a conference championship in the sport. Augsburg has won 26 of the last 28 MIAC titles and 29 titles since 1968.

Darin Bertram * (Sr., Herman, Minn./Herman-Norcross HS) and Nick Slack * (Sr., New Prague, Minn.) shared the Carl Larson Trophy for the outstanding wrestler of the championship meet. Both joined eight other MIAC athletes -- including four Auggies -- who have won four MIAC individual championships.

Defending national champion and three-time national finalist Bertram topped St. John's 125-pounder Matt Vos (Jr., Hopkins, Minn./Sibley East HS) 6-1 in the final match. It was the only meeting of ranked wrestlers on the afternoon; Bertram is top-ranked in the nation at 125, while Vos is ranked sixth.

Slack, rated No. 1 in the nation at 174, won all three of his matches by pin to claim the 174-pound title. Slack also earned the Rory Jordan Award for most pins in the least amount of time, with his three pins in 8:07. Slack earned his fourth trip to the national meet; he won the national title in 2000 and finished second in 2001.

Tony Abbott * (Sr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS), who moved into the top ranking nationally at 165 pounds, claimed conference championship honors with a first-period pin and major decision win in the finals, winning his second conference title and qualifying for the national meet for the third time.

John Marchette (Sr., Canual Fulton, Ohio/North Canton Hoover HS), ranked No. 1 in the nation at 133, earned two second-period pins to win his conference weight class and earn a trip to the national meet for the third time. He won the 133-pound national title in 1999.

Ricky Crone (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.), a transfer from Northern Iowa currently ranked second nationally at 184, won his weight class to earn his first trip to the national tournament as an Auggies, while third-ranked Kevin Rasmussen (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.) took the conference crown at 197 and earned a trip to nationals for the second time. Brad Fisher * (Sr., Austin, Minn.), ranked fourth at 141, earned his third trip to the national meet with his league title.

Other Auggies winning conference titles were Jamell Tidwell (Fr., Richfield, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) at 141, Jeremy Jirele (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.) for the second time at 149, and Mike Flanagan (Jr., St. Paul, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS), a mid-season transfer from Minnesota at heavyweight.

St. John's, which finished second, qualified three individuals as "wild cards" -- 125-pounder Vos, 133-pounder Chuck Griffith (Jr., Morris, Minn./Morris Area HS) and 149-pounder Tim Anderson (Jr., Zimmerman, Minn./Princeton HS).

Concordia-Moorhead finished third, but did not qualify a wrestler for the national meet. St. Olaf finished fourth and qualified 149-pounder Alex Morf (Jr., Mt. Vernon, Iowa) for the second straight year.

Alternates are Concordia's Ryan Smith (Sr., Brainerd, Minn., 149 pounds), William Duppler (Fr., Valley City, N.D., heavyweight) and Dennis Kline (Fr., Plymouth, Minn., 197).

Concordia coach Doug Perry and Carleton coach Sean Ahrar were named MIAC Co-Coaches of the Year on a vote of the league coaches.

2002 MIAC Wrestling Championships
Feb. 23, 2002 at Carleton College, Northfield, Minn.
1. Augsburg 140, 2. St. John's 79.5, 3. Concordia-Moorhead 55.5, 4. St. Olaf 26.5, 5. Carleton 0.
Carl Larson Trophy (Outstanding MIAC Wrestler) -- Darin Bertram * (125, Augsburg) and Nick Slack * (174, Augsburg).
Rory Jordan Trophy (Most Pins in Least Time) -- Nick Slack * (174, Augsburg).
MIAC Coach of the Year: Sean Ahrar (Carleton), Doug Perry (Concordia)

Championship match results (all winners advance to NCAA Tournament):
125 pounds -- Darin Bertram * (AUG) dec. Matt Vos (SJU), 6-1
133 pounds -- John Murchette (AUG) pin Chuck Griffith (SJU), 4:34
141 pounds -- Brad Fisher * (AUG) maj. dec. Nathan Lefebvre (SJU), 11-1
149 pounds -- James Tidwell (AUG) dec. Tim Anderson (SJU), 6-4
157 pounds -- Jeremy Jirele (AUG) maj. dec. Mark Otis (SJU), 10-1
165 pounds -- Tony Abbott * (AUG) maj. dec. Travis Fuhol (SJU), 14-0
174 pounds -- Nick Slack * (AUG) pin Peter Benson (COR), 2:51
184 pounds -- Ricky Crone (AUG) maj. dec. Aaron Barthel (SJU), 16-3
197 pounds -- Kevin Rasmussen (AUG) maj. dec. Dennis Kline (COR), 13-2
Heavyweight -- Mike Flanagan (AUG) dec. William Duppler (COR), 3-0

Wildcard selections that advance to NCAA Tournament:
Matt Vos, 125 pounds, SJU
Chuck Griffith, 133 pounds, SJU
Alex Morf, 149 pounds, STO
Tim Anderson, 149 pounds, SJU

Alternate selections:
Ryan Smith, 149 pounds, CON
William Duppler, heavyweight, CON
Dennis Kline, 197 pounds, CON