DICKINSON, N.D. (1/10/04) -- Joe Moon * (Jr., Ellendale, Minn./NR-H-E-G HS) and Ryan Valek (So., Belle Plaine, Minn.) won their weight classes, leading Augsburg College to a second-place team finish at the Dickinson State University Classic wrestling tournament on Saturday.

Moon, ranked second in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings at 174 pounds, won all four of his matches on Saturday, including two by major decision and one with a second-period pin. In the championship match, Moon defeated Jesse Juarez of Montana State-Northern, ranked fourth in the NAIA national rankings, by a 6-0 count. Moon is now 21-1 on the season.

As a team, Augsburg, the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division III national rankings, finished second with 134.5 points. Montana State-Northern, the top-ranked team in the NAIA national rankings, won the 11-team meet with 139 points and five individual champions. Menlo (Calif.), ranked fourth in the NAIA national rankings, was third with 90 points and claimed two titlists.

Valek improved to 20-4 on the season with three victories to claim the championship at 165 pounds. He scored a pin and major-decision win before dispatching Menlo's Eddie Lucatero, ranked sixth in the NAIA at 165, by a 12-7 decision in the championship match.

Jamell Tidwell * (Jr., Burnsville, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), who reached the top spot in the Division III national rankings at 141 pounds for the first time in his career this week, suffered his first loss of the season in finishing second at Dickinson. After winning his first two matches by a 16-1 technical fall and 2:20 pin, he beat Menlo's Fernando Flanagan, ranked eighth in the NAIA, 6-2 to advance to the championship match against Menlo's James Guizar, the top-ranked 141-pounder in the NAIA. Guizar prevailed 10-3, sending Tidwell to 24-1 on the season.

Mark Matzek (Jr., Ellsworth, Wis.), ranked third nationally at 133 pounds, finished second at Dickinson. He won his first two matches by major decision before claiming a 16-0 technical-fall win over Micah Mathieson of Dickinson State, ranked eighth in the NAIA at 133, in the semifinal match. Facing the top-ranked 133-pounder in the NAIA, Caleb Schaeffer of Montana State-Northern, in the championship match, Matzek suffered an 8-3 defeat.

Ben Moss (Fr., Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central HS) went 3-1 to earn third-place honors at 125 pounds, as did Clint Hodgdon * (Jr., Ostrander, Minn./LeRoy-Ostrander HS) at 184. Kirk Rall (So., West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) went 4-1 to take third at 165. Justin Sorensen (So., Owatonna, Minn.) and Joe Cullen (Jr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) shared third-place honors at 197.

Brad Tupa (Jr., Dundas, Minn./Faribault HS) placed fourth at 184, Mark Simmonds (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Edison HS) placed fifth at heavyweight, Chris Sogge (Fr., Paynesville, Minn.) placed fifth at 197 and Josh Hansen (Fr., Albert Lea, Minn.) placed sixth at 125.

Augsburg will compete at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals next Saturday and Sunday (1/17-18) at Cleveland (Ohio) State University.

Augsburg at Dickinson State University (N.D.) Classic
January 10, 2004 at Dickinson, N.D.
Team Results: 1. Montana State-Northern 139; 2. Augsburg 134.5; 3. Menlo (Calif.) 90; 4. Mary (N.D.) 73.5; 5. Dickinson State (N.D.) 67; 6. Itasca CC (Minn.) 21; 7. North Dakota State 15 8. Northwest CC (N.D.) 14; 9. Jamestown (N.D.) 11.5; 10. Rochester CC (Minn.) 6; 11. Dakota Tech (Minn.) 4.5.
Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler: James Guizar (Menlo, 141).

Augsburg Individual Results:
125 -- Ben Moss 3rd, 3-1; Josh Hanson 6th, 1-3; Adam Schlepp 0-2.
133 -- Mark Matzek 2nd, 3-1; Clint Strom 2-2.
141 -- Jamell Tidwell * 2nd, 3-1; Rich Taylor 2-2.
149 -- Jared Evans 0-2, Dustin Dahlblom 0-2.
157 -- No Augsburg wrestlers.
165 -- Ryan Valek 1st, 3-0; Kirk Rall 3rd, 4-1; Tyler Marr 1-2.
174 -- Joe Moon * 1st, 4-0.
184 -- Clint Hodgdon * 3rd, 3-1; Brad Tupa 4th, 3-2.
197 -- Justin Sorensen 3rd (tie), 3-1; Joe Cullen 3rd (tie), 2-1; Chris Sogge 5th, 3-2; Andrew Neumann 1-2.
HWT -- Mark Simmonds 5th, 3-2; Lucas Johnson 0-2; Dylan Soberg 0-2.