Wrestling 1/4/02 -- Augsburg 32, Augustana (S.D.) 8
MINNEAPOLIS (1/4/02) -- Augsburg College won eight of 10 matches to claim a strong 32-8 victory over Augustana College (S.D.) in a nonconference wrestling match Friday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.
The Auggies, the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division III national poll, improved to 3-0 in dual meets this season in an important tune-up match for Sunday's dual meet at national No. 2 Wartburg (Iowa). Augsburg is the two-time defending Division III national champions and winners of seven of the last 11 Division III national crowns.
Augustana, a Division II team, drops to 1-2 in dual meets. The Vikings entered the match ranked ninth in the latest NCAA Division II national poll.
Augsburg improved to 3-0 all-time against Augustana in a series that is three years old. Against Divisions II and III opponents, Augsburg is now 152-7 since the 1989-90 season, and has lost just two matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season.
Augsburg earned major-decision wins from
Brad Fisher * (Sr., Austin, Minn.) at 141 pounds and from
Jamell Tidwell (Fr., Richfield, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) at 149, along with four decisions and two forfeits, to claim the victory.
Fisher, ranked third in the nation at 141, cruised to a 9-1 win over Augustana's Ryan Carlson (Sr., Lakefield, Minn./Worthington HS), while Tidwell, wrestling in the first varsity dual meet of his career, dominated in an 11-1 win over Justin Nieber (Fr., Sioux Falls, Minn./Lincoln HS) at 149.
Augsburg's two top-ranked wrestlers won their matches by decisions, but faced surprisingly strong opponents to claim their wins.
Nick Slack * (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn.), ranked No. 1 in the nation at 174, fell behind 5-0 quickly to Augustana's Tom Meester (Fr., Rock Rapids, Iowa/Central Lyon HS), but rallied with two takedowns in the final 1:20 to score a 10-7 win. Defending national champion
Darin Bertram * (Sr., Herman, Minn./Herman-Norcross HS), ranked No. 1 at 125, led most of the way against Augustana's Aaron Graumann (Fr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Roosevelt HS), and claimed a hard-fought 5-1 victory.
Other Auggie wins came from
Tony Abbott * (Sr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS), ranked second in the nation at 165 pounds, and
Ricky Crone (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.). Abbott topped Augustana's Todd Kirkpatrick (Sr., Anoka, Minn.), ranked sixth in the Division II national poll at 165, with a third-period takedown to claim a 5-2 win, while Crone scored a 6-3 win over Augustana's Sam Kenton (Jr., Rapid City, S.D./Stevens HS) at 184.
Augustana's Seth Webster (Sr., Custer, S.D.) claimed an impressive 21-6, technical-fall win over Augsburg's
Jeremy Jirele (Sr., Owatonna, Minn.) in a battle of ranked wrestlers at 157 pounds. Both wrestlers entered the match ranked seventh in the nation in their respective divisions.
The Vikings' other win came from heavyweight James Garvey (Sr., Fargo, N.D./North HS), ranked third in the nation in Division II. He cruised to a 12-5 win over Augsburg's
Scott Revier (So., Olivia, Minn./BOLD HS).
Augsburg returns to action on Sunday (1/6) with a dual meet at national No. 2 Wartburg (Iowa). The meet begins at 2 p.m. Augustana returns to action next Friday (1/11) at 7 p.m. with a home dual meet against Northern State (S.D.).
Augsburg College Wrestling
Augsburg College vs. Augustana College (S.D.)
January 4, 2002 -- Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Action begins at 133, time of match 1:32.
Attendance: 200.
Augsburg 32, Augustana (S.D.) 8
133 -- John Marchette (Augsburg, 12-0) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 6-0).
141 -- Brad Fisher * (Augsburg, 18-0) maj. dec. Ryan Carlson (Augustana, 6-4) 9-1 (Augsburg 10-0).
149 -- Jamell Tidwell (Augsburg, 14-2) maj. dec. Justin Nieber (Augustana, 3-7) 11-1 (Augsburg 14-0).
157 -- Seth Webster (Augustana, 13-6) tech. fall Jeremy Jirele (Augsburg, 18-2) 21-6 at 7:00 (Augsburg 14-5).
165 -- Tony Abbott * (Augsburg, 16-2) dec. Todd Kirkpatrick (Augustana, 7-8) 5-2 (Augsburg 17-5).
174 -- Nick Slack * (Augsburg, 16-1) dec. Tom Meester (Augustana, 18-6) 10-7 (Augsburg 20-5).
184 -- Ricky Crone (Augsburg, 12-0) dec. Sam Kenton (Augustana, 7-8) 6-3 (Augsburg 23-5).
197 -- Kevin Rasmussen (Augsburg, 14-2) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 29-5).
HWT -- James Garvey (Augustana, 11-5) dec. Scott Revier (Augsburg, 12-8) 12-5 (Augsburg 29-8).
125 -- Darin Bertram * (Augsburg, 11-0) dec. Aaron Graumann (Augustana, 12-6) 5-1 (Augsburg 32-8
