ST. CLOUD, Minn. (12/8/01) -- For the second year in a row, Augsburg College placed second at the St. Cloud State Invitational wrestling tournament, held Saturday at Halenbeck Hall. Augsburg scored 148.5 points, just two points away from champion North Dakota State's 150.5 points.

The meet matched the two-time defending Division II national champions, NDSU, against the two-time defending Division III national champions, Augsburg. North Dakota State had five champions to Augsburg's two. The Bison topped Augsburg wrestlers in four head-to-head meetings in championship matches, while Augsburg had one head-to-head winner.

Claiming the lone Auggie win over an NDSU wrestler in a championship match was Kevin Rasmussen (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.) at 197 pounds, who topped NDSU's Brian Kraemer 6-3 in the final match. Rasmussen entered the match ranked fourth in the country in the Division III national rankings, while Kraemer was ranked third in Division II.

Brad Fisher * (Sr., Austin, Minn.), ranked second in the country at 141 pounds, was the lone other champion for the Auggies, winning the class with a 6-1 triumph over Derek Weigel of the University of Mary.

Six Auggies placed second in their weight classes. Darin Bertram * (Sr., Herman, Minn./Herman-Norcross HS), the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 125, lost by injury default in the championship match, while Bryan Miller (Sr., Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville HS) suffered a 12-5 loss to Jake Theilbar of North Dakota State in the 133 pound final.

At 149, Ryan Stroud (Fr., Park Falls, Wis.) placed second to Dickinson State's Tyrone Martinez by a 6-4 count. At 157, NDSU's Thad Pike got the better of Jeremy Jirele (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.) by a 5-3 count, while Tony Abbott * (Sr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS) lost the 165-pound final 5-3 to NDSU's Mike Fiedler.

The top match of the day came at 174 pounds, when NDSU's Todd Fuller defeated Augsburg's Nick Slack * (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn.), in the championship match. Both wrestlers entered the match rated No. 1 in the nation in their respective divisions.

Placing third for Augsburg was Mike Cuperus (Jr., Worthington, Minn.) at 184 pounds, and placing fourth was Scott Revier (So., Olivia, Minn./BOLD HS) at heavyweight.

Augsburg has a three-week layoff for the holidays before returning to action Dec. 28-29, at the Orange Bowl Sunshine Open in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Augsburg, typically the lone Division III school in the field, has won the primarily Division I meet the last two years in a row.

Augsburg at St. Cloud State Invitational
December 8, 2001 at Halenbeck Hall, St. Cloud, Minn.

Team Scores: 1. North Dakota State 150.5; 2. Augsburg 148.5; 3. Univ. of Mary (N.D.) 89.0; 4. St. Cloud State 85.5; 5. Northern State (S.D.) 56.0; 6. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 45.0; 7. Southwest State 41.5; 8. Dickinson State (N.D.) 39.5; 9. Minnesota State-Moorhead 32.5; 10. Waldorf College (JC, Iowa) 24.5; 11. St. John's 21.5; 12. Ridgewater CC 21.0; 13. Wisconsin-River Falls 18.5; 14. Concordia-Moorhead 18.0; 15. Minnesota-Morris 17.0; 16. Rochester CC 12.0.

Most Valuable Wrestler: Todd Fuller, North Dakota State (174).

125: 1st - Pat Runez, (MARY) def. Darin Bertram * (AC), inj. default
3rd- MattStrawser (NDSU) def. Davey Starks (UWEC) 6-4 OT
5th- Nick Voss (WAL) def. Dante Lewis (UMM) inj. default
133: 1st - Jake Theilbar (NDSU) def. Bryan Miller (AC) 12-5
3rd- Adam Mergen (SJU) def. Josh Soupir (SSU) 4-2
5th- Brian Biel (MARY) def. Brian Englund (NSU) 7-0
141: 1st - Brad Fisher * (AC) def. Derek Weigel (MARY) 6-1
3rd- Scott Larson (MSU) def. Reese Boehm (NDSU) 7-3
5th- Kevin Owens (WAL) def. Joe Sathre (SCSU) 6-3
149: 1st - Tyrone Martinez (DSU) def. Ryan Stroud (AC) 6-4
3rd- Colin Kelly (NDSU) def. Mike Champagne (MARY) 6-0
5th- Joel Fugleberg (UMM) def. Dana Dargatz (NSU) 5-0
157: 1st - Thad Pike (NDSU) def. Jeremy Jirele (AC) 5-3
3rd- Anson Juelfs (DSU) def. Chris Muller (UWEC) 9-3
5th- Dan Duch (SCSU) def. Rory Olson (CON) Fall 2:15
165: 1st - Mike Fiedler (NDSU) def. Tony Abbott * (AC) 5-3
3rd- Matt Neumueller (SCSU) def. Jason LaBrie (MARY) 4-2
5th- Brian Lahr (SJU) def. Rick Ties (ROCH) 8-3
174: 1st - Todd Fuller (NDSU) def. Nick Slack * (AC) 5-4
3rd- Jon Duncombe (SCSU) def. Dan Williams (MARY) 8-3
5th- Cory Anderson (NSU) def. Jake Elgin (RWCC) 6-3
184: 1st - Chris Rufo (NDSU) def. Joey Krause (NSU) 10-9
3rd- Mike Cuperus (AC) def. Nate Whiting (SCSU) 7-2
5th- Josh Janousek (RWCC) def. Cody Ranz (MSU) 2-1
197: 1st - Kevin Rasmussen (AUG) def. Brian Kraemer (NDSU) 6-3
3rd- Adam Kolo (UWEC) def. Randy Gust (MARY) 4-1
5th- Cody Kummer (SSU) def. Paul Breth (SCSU) Fall 1:54
HWT: 1st - Dustin Darveaux (SCSU) def. Marl Simmonds (SSU) 10-0
3rd- Baron Blanchard (NSU) def. Scott Revier (AC) 8-2
5th- Joe Bryce (NDSU) def. Nate Dumelling (UWRF) 5-1