WAVERLY, Iowa (12/8/01) -- Augsburg College's Larry Lyden (Sr. New Brighton, Minn.) claimed an individual title at 197 pounds, leading the Auggie White Team to a third-place finish at the Dick Walker Invitational, held Saturday at Wartburg College.

Lyden claimed a 2:25 pin victory over Coe's Nick McTee in the 197-pound final to claim Augsburg's lone championship at the eight-team meet. Augsburg had 12 wrestlers place in the top six in the event and finished third with 108.5 points. Wartburg won the title with 155.5 pounds, while Coe was second with 112.0.

Jamell Tidwell (Fr., Richfield, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) finished second for the Auggies at 141 pounds, while Matt Jones (Fr., Lake Crystal, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial HS, 133 pounds) and Josh Erlandson (Fr., Ellsworth, Wis., 149 pounds) placed third. Placing fourth was Joe Kunisher (So., Ham Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS, 165) and Clint Hodgdon (Fr., Ostrander, Minn./LeRoy-Ostrander HS, 184).

Finishing fifth was Clint Strom (Fr., St. Croix Falls, Wis., 125), Mark Matzek (Fr., Ellsworth, Wis., 133), Blaine Kuhlman (So., Medford, Minn., 149) and Tony Davis (Jr., Elk River, Minn., 157). Andy Fraley (So., Forest Lake, Minn.) placed sixth at 174.

Augsburg wrestlers a three-week layoff for the holidays before returning to action Dec. 28-29, at the Orange Bowl Sunshine Open in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The next White Team action will be on Jan. 5, when Augsburg competes at the North Country Invitational at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Augsburg White Team at Dick Walker (Wartburg) Invitational
December 8, 2001 at Waverly, Iowa.

Team Scores: 1. Wartburg (Iowa) 155.5; 2. Coe (Iowa) 112.0; 3. Augsburg White 108.5; 4. Loras (Iowa) 98; 5. Iowa Central CC 77.5; 6. Ellsworth CC (Iowa) 70.0; 7. Cornell (Iowa) 43.0; 8. St. Olaf 9.0.

Most Valuable Wrestler: Tony Sweeting, Coe, 141.