Wrestling 1/28/03 -- North Dakota State 21, Augsburg 12
STORY COURTESY OF NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FARGO, N.D. (1/28/03) -- Bison heavyweight Joe Bryce (So., Glenwood, Minn.) got a 3-1 overtime win and 125-pounder Matt Strawser (Sr., Wadena, Minn.) followed with a pin in the final bout to lift North Dakota State University, ranked seventh in Division II, to a 21-12 non-conference wrestling win over Augsburg College, ranked second in Division III, on Tuesday before a crowd of 810 at the Bison Sports Arena.

Bryce broke a 1-1 tie in the sudden-victory period with a takedown of Augsburg's Mike Flanagan (Sr., St. Paul, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS), the fifth-ranked heavyweight in Division III. That win put the Bison ahead in the match for the first time at 15-12.

Strawser followed with a pin of Greg Brendemuehl (Fr., Medford, Minn.) at 125 in the final bout to post six points and seal NDSU's 10th straight home dual meet win.

North Dakota State is now 7-2 this season, while Augsburg drops to 9-3. Both of the Auggies' previous losses were at the hands of top-ranked Wartburg (Iowa). It is the first time Augsburg has lost three dual meets in a season since the 1995-96 campaign, when the Auggies finished 10-3 in dual meets.

North Dakota State would not have been in such position to win without a dramatic late victory at 174 pounds by Thad Pike (Jr., Hayfield, Minn.). After a scoreless overtime with Augsburg's Joe Moon * (So., Ellendale, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva HS), Pike earned an escape with one second remaining in the tiebreaker period to steal a 2-1 decision over Moon.

Pike's win knotted the match score at 9-9, and Augsburg's second-ranked Ricky Crone * (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.) answered with a 6-0 win at 184 over NDSU's Nate Pesta (Sr., Long Prairie, Minn.). Bison 197-pounder Brian Kraemer (Jr., Cold Spring, Minn.) staved off Justin Sorensen (Fr., Owatonna, Minn.) for a 5-3 win to knot the score again at 12-12 and set up Bryce and Strawser's wins.

NDSU picked a good night to win a pair of overtime bouts. The Bison dropped a pair of overtime decisions on Friday night while rolling to a 26-13 win over South Dakota State. This time, the Bison got a pair of timely wins to keep victory hopes alive.

Four of Augsburg's seven ranked wrestlers in action picked up wins on Tuesday.

Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur (Fr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) improved to 28-0 on the season in a meeting of the top-ranked wrestlers in Divisions II and III at 157 pounds. LeVesseur picked up three takedowns and a near-fall to demolish NDSU's Paul Carlson (Jr., St. Francis, Minn.) 10-3.

Mark Matzek (So., Ellsworth, Wis.), ranked eighth at 133, picked up a 4-3 win over Nick Magee (So., Hudson, Wis.), and Jamell Tidwell (So., Burnsville, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked fourth nationally at 141, scored a 3-1 win over Mathias Bitz (Fr., Bismarck, N.D.) in the first two matches of the evening.

In the other meeting of ranked wrestlers, both ranked sixth at 165, NDSU's Mike Fiedler (Jr., Sauk Centre, Minn.) scored a 9-2 win over Augsburg's Billy Morgan (So., Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central Area HS).

North Dakota State now embarks on a three-match road trip that begins Thursday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa. NDSU will face Northern Iowa, the 14th-ranked team in Division I. Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (2/1) at 9 a.m. at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational in Eau Claire, Wis.

College Wrestling -- North Dakota State 21, Augsburg 12
January 28, 2003 at Bison Sports Arena, Fargo, N.D.
Action begins at 133 pounds.
133 –- #8 Mark Matzek (AUG, 26-5) dec. Nick Magee (NDSU, 16-8) 4-3 (Augsburg 3-0).
141 –- #4 Jamell Tidwell (AUG, 33-2) dec. Mathias Bitz (NDSU, 14-10) 3-1 (Augsburg 6-0).
149 –- Zach Stevens (NDSU, 12-10) dec. Ryan Stroud (AUG, 19-9) 6-1 (Augsburg 6-3).
157 –- #1 Marcus LeVesseur (AUG, 28-0) dec. #1 Paul Carlson (NDSU, 16-3) 10-3 (Augsburg 9-3).
165 –- #6 Mike Fiedler (NDSU, 18-7) dec. #6 Billy Morgan (AUG, 18-8) 9-2 (Augsburg 9-6).
174 –- Thad Pike (NDSU, 14-9) dec. #5 Joe Moon * (AUG, 25-5) 2-1 (1OT) (TIED 9-9).
184 –- #2 Ricky Crone * (AUG, 27-4) dec. Nate Pesta (NDSU, 3-8) 6-0 (Augsburg 12-9).
197 –- Brian Kraemer (NDSU, 18-9) dec. Justin Sorensen (AUG, 22-18) 5-3 (TIED 12-12).
HWT -– Joe Bryce (NDSU, 16-10) dec. #5 Mike Flanagan (AUG, 29-7) 3-1 (2OT) (NDSU 15-12).
125 –- #4 Matt Strawser (NDSU, 22-4) pinned Greg Brendemuehl (AUG, 19-6) 2:06 (NDSU 21-12).