COLUMBUS, Ohio (1/19/02) -- For the second time in two weeks, top-ranked Augsburg College will face national No. 2 Wartburg (Iowa) in an important wrestling dual meet, as the two schools reached the finals of the 16-team National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals with three meet victories on Saturday at Ohio State University's French Field House.

Augsburg, which topped Wartburg 27-11 on Jan. 6 at Waverly, Iowa, will face the Knights at 2 p.m. (Central time) on Sunday at the St. John Arena in the finals of the National Duals, in the first year of a new format where all three NCAA Divisions are competing in separate 16-team tournaments at one site. In Division I, defending national champion Minnesota will face host Ohio State in the championship match, and in Division II, defending national champion North Dakota State will face Central Oklahoma in the championship match.

Augsburg claimed three relatively easy victories to advance to the championship match, as the Auggies outscored their opponents by a 114-16 margin and won 25 of the 30 individual matches. In the opener, Augsburg claimed five pins in a 47-3 win over Thiel (Pa.); the quarterfinals saw the Auggies use five major decisions and a pin in a 31-7 win over Buena Vista (Iowa); and the semifinals featured two pins, a technical fall and a major decision in an Augsburg 36-6 win over King's (Pa.).

Augsburg, the two-time defending Division III national champions and winners of seven of the last 11 national crowns, extended its consecutive-match winning streak against Division III opponents to 65 with the three victories on Saturday. Augsburg's last loss to a Division III opponent was a 26-16 loss to Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Feb. 11, 1994. Since the 1989-90 season, Augsburg is 114-3 against Division III opponents; since 1979-80, Augsburg is 190-13. Against non-Division I opponents (Divisions II and III) since 1989-90), Augsburg is now 157-7.

Tony Abbott * (Sr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS), ranked second in the nation at 165 pounds, led the way for the Auggies with three pins on Saturday, including a 33-second pin in his opening match. Abbott, now 23-3 on the season, now has a team-high 15 pins this season.

Nick Slack * (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn.), the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 174 pounds, won two of his three matches by pin, including the fastest pin of the Division III tournament so far, a 13-second pin of Thiel's John Murtha in the opening match. Slack, who has lost just two matches in the last three seasons, is now 24-1 with 12 pins, the second-best total on the team.

Darin Bertram * (Sr., Herman, Minn./Herman-Norcross HS), the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 125 pounds, claimed three victories, including two over nationally-ranked wrestlers. Bertram scored a pin in his first match; topped Buena Vista's Jaime Taxted, ranked second nationally, 5-2; and beat King's Mitch Marcks, ranked eighth nationally, 4-0 to improve to 18-1 overall.

Kevin Rasmussen (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.), ranked second in the nation at 197, claimed three wins to improve to 21-3 overall. Brad Fisher * (Sr., Austin, Minn.), ranked third nationally at 141, scored three wins to improve to 26-1 overall.

John Marchette (Sr., Canual Fulton, Ohio/North Canton Hoover HS), the top-ranked wrestler nationally at 133, won both of his matches, with a major decision and a technical fall. Ricky Crone (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked third nationally at 184, won both of his matches on the day, including a 6-4 win over King's Jason Schlingman, ranked fifth nationally.

Two Auggie ranked wrestlers went 2-1 on the day -- Jamell Tidwell (Fr., Richfield, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked third nationally at 149; and Jeremy Jirele (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.), ranked seventh nationally at 157.

Augsburg College Wrestling at NWCA Division III National Duals
January 19, 2002 -- French Field House, Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio

 

Augsburg (6-0) 47, Thiel (Pa., 3-6) 3
125 -- Darin Bertram * (AUG, 16-1) pinned Rob Regner (Thiel) 2:52 (Augsburg 6-0).
133 -- Mark Matzek (AUG, 19-10) pinned Chris Brown (Thiel), 2:48 (Augsburg 12-0).
141 -- Brad Fisher * (AUG, 24-1) dec. Jeff Linn (Thiel) 5-0 (Augsburg 15-0).
149 -- Steven Dedrick (Thiel) dec. Ryan Stroud (AUG, 18-6) 10-5 (Augsburg 15-3).
157 -- Jeremy Jirele (AUG, 19-3) tech. fall Scott Sandquist (Thiel) 15-0 at 4:04 (Augsburg 20-3).
165 -- Tony Abbott * (AUG, 21-3) pinned Timothy Holland (Thiel) 0:33 (Augsburg 26-3).
174 -- Nick Slack * (AUG, 22-1) pinned John Murtha (Thiel) 0:13 (Augsburg 32-3).
184 -- Mike Cuperus (AUG, 22-4) pinned T.J. Albright (Thiel) 4:59 (Augsburg 38-3).
197 -- Kevin Rasmussen (AUG, 19-3) dec. Jason Miklacic (Thiel) 9-6 (Augsburg 41-3).
HWT -- Scott Revier (AUG, 16-11) pinned Nicholas Shannon (Thiel) 1:27 (Augsburg 47-3).

Augsburg (7-0) 31, Buena Vista (Iowa, 11-3) 7
125 -- Darin Bertram * (AUG, 17-1) dec. Jaime Taxted (BVU) 5-2 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- John Marchette (AUG, 18-1) maj. dec. Mike Vagher (BVU) 11-2 (Augsburg 7-0).
141 -- Brad Fisher * (AUG, 25-1) maj. dec. Chris Gubbels (BVU) 9-0 (Augsburg 11-0).
149 -- Jamell Tidwell (AUG, 20-2) dec. Alex Brandenburg (BVU) 9-3 (Augsburg 14-0).
157 -- Aaron Loewens (BVU) maj. dec. Jeremy Jirele (AUG, 19-4) 13-1 (Augsburg 14-4).
165 -- Tony Abbott * (AUG, 22-3) pinned Matt Doebel (BVU) 5:44 (Augsburg 20-4).
174 -- Nick Slack * (AUG, 23-1) maj. dec. George Gerdes (BVU) 12-3 (Augsburg 24-4).
184 -- Ricky Crone (AUG, 20-1) maj. dec. Adam Buthe (BVU) 10-2 (Augsburg 28-4).
197 -- Kevin Rasmussen (AUG, 20-3) dec. Michael Irvin (BVU) unknown score (Augsburg 31-4).
HWT -- Derrick Schumacher (BVU) dec. Scott Revier (AUG, 16-12) 4-3 (Augsburg 31-7).

Augsburg (8-0) 36, King's (Pa., 15-1) 6
125 -- Darin Bertram * (AUG, 18-1) dec. Mitch Marcks (KC) 4-0 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- John Marchette (AUG, 19-1) tech. fall Mike Griffith (KC) unknown time/score (Augsburg 8-0).
141 -- Brad Fisher * (AUG, 26-1) maj. dec. Tim Martinez (KC) unknown score (Augsburg 12-0).
149 -- Jim Morgan (KC) dec. Jamell Tidwell (AUG, 20-3) 3-2 (Augsburg 12-3).
157 -- David Shafer (KC) dec. Jeremy Jirele (AUG, 19-5) 8-4 (Augsburg 12-6).
165 -- Tony Abbott * (AUG, 23-3) pinned Jesse Martinez (KC) 4:10 (Augsburg 18-6).
174 -- Nick Slack * (AUG, 24-1) pinned Joe Amone (KC) 0:31 (Augsburg 24-6).
184 -- Ricky Crone (AUG, 21-1) dec. Jason Schlingman (KC) 6-4 (Augsburg 27-6).
197 -- Kevin Rasmussen (AUG, 21-3) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 33-6).
HWT -- Scott Revier (AUG, 17-12) dec. Lee Vodofsky (KC) 4-0 (Augsburg 36-6).