CLEVELAND, Ohio (1/18/04) -- Each team claimed five victories in the dual, but Bart Mehlert's first-period pin at 149 pounds proved to be the deciding points, as No. 2-ranked Wartburg College (Iowa) edged No. 1-ranked Augsburg College 20-17 in the championship match of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals on Sunday afternoon at Cleveland State University.

Augsburg reached the final by going 3-0 on the first day of the National Duals on Saturday, beating No. 16 Ohio Northern 46-3, No. 8 Simpson (Iowa) 37-3 and No. 4 Wisconsin-La Crosse 20-13. Augsburg is now 7-1 in dual meets this season.

Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 184-11 since 1989-90, losing just six matches since the 1995-96 season. Against Division III opponents, Augsburg is now 206-16 since the 1979-80 season and 130-6 since 1989-90.

Of those six losses to Division III teams in the last 15 seasons, four have been to Wartburg, which has won its last three duals in a row over the Auggies. Augsburg is 8-4 all-time against Wartburg. The teams battle again in a dual meet on Jan. 30 in Waverly, Iowa.

Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur * (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) set a new school record for consecutive victories, going 4-0 on the weekend to improve to 66-0 as a collegiate wrestler. LeVesseur claimed a 15-5 major-decision win over Wartburg's Dustin Bliven, the No. 3-ranked wrestler at 157, in Sunday's dual.

The defending NCAA Division III national champion at 157 oounds and current top-ranked wrestler in the weight class, LeVesseur had a pin and two major decisions to improve to 22-0 on the year. LeVesseur has yet to lose a collegiate match. His 66-match streak is now the longest winning streak in school history, breaking Henry Gerten's 64-match streak from 1996-98. Nick Slack won 60 matches in a row from 2000-01.

Matt Shankey (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.), a transfer from the Division I University of Iowa, remained unbeaten at 12-0 on the season with four victories at 125 pounds, including winning all three matches on Saturday by major decision. Shankey, currently ranked No. 3 nationally at 125, outscored his four opponents 45-10 on the weekend.

Mark Matzek (Jr., Ellsworth, Wis.), currently ranked No. 3 nationally at 133 pounds, claimed a 5-3 victory over Wartburg's Ozzie Saxson, who entered the weekend as the top-ranked wrestler nationally in the weight class. Matzek, now 20-2 on the season, won all four of his matches, including one by pin.

Joe Moon * (Jr., Ellendale, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva HS), ranked second nationally at 174, went 4-0 in the tournament, including a 14-3, major-decision win over Wartburg's Nathan Specht in Sunday's dual.

Jamell Tidwell * (Jr., Burnsville, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 141 pounds, suffered his second loss of the season with a 2-0 loss to defending 141-pound national champion Wil Kelly of Wartburg. Tidwell, now 27-2 on the season, is now 104-10 in his three-year career at Augsburg.

Heavyweight Mark Simmonds (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Edison HS), ranked No. 4 nationally, went 3-1 over the weekend to improve to 22-6 on the season, including a 4-1 win over Wartburg's Blake Gillis, ranked No. 5. Simmonds faced three nationally-ranked wrestlers on the weekend, beating Simpson's Brett Christensen, ranked No. 8 nationally, 5-2; while losing to Wisconsin-La Crosse's Ryan Allen, the top-ranked heavyweight nationally, 7-3.

Among other divisions in Cleveland, top-ranked North Dakota State won the Division II National Duals title with a criteria victory over No. 2 Central Oklahoma; the teams tied 15-15, with NDSU winning on the seventh criteria category (most near-fall points). The University of Minnesota finished seventh in the Division I National Duals with a 22-15 victory over Penn on Sunday. Minnesota went 3-2 on the weekend in the Division I bracket.

Augsburg returns to action next Saturday (1/24) at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Team Duals at St. Olaf. Action begins at 10 a.m.

Augsburg (Minn.) 46, Ohio Northern 3
NWCA Division III National Duals First Round
January 17, 2004; Cleveland (Ohio) State University
125 -- Matt Shankey (AUG, 9-0) maj. dec. Ty Klofta (ONU) 12-2 (Augsburg 4-0).
133 -- Mark Matzek (AUG, 17-2) pinned Josh Klofta (ONU) 6:12 (Augsburg 10-0).
141 -- Jamell Tidwell * (AUG, 25-1) won by forfeit (Augsburg 16-0).
149 -- Nathan Shearer (ONU) dec. Adam Ketcher (AUG, 15-6) 7-5 (Augsburg 16-3).
157 -- Marcus LeVesseur * (AUG, 19-0) pinned John Manning (ONU) 3:26 (Augsburg 22-3).
165 -- Ryan Valek (AUG, 21-4) dec. Steve Mosley (ONU) 6-4 (Augsburg 25-3).
174 -- Joe Moon * (AUG, 22-1) won by forfeit (Augsburg 31-3).
184 -- Clint Hodgdon * (AUG, 19-6) maj. dec. Chris Bailey (ONU) 9-0 (Augsburg 34-3).
197 -- Justin Sorensen (AUG, 22-4) pinned Dustin Poore (ONU) 5:08 (Augsburg 40-3).
HWT -- Mark Simmonds (AUG, 20-5) pinned Shaun Wellert (ONU) 1:29 (Augsburg 46-3).

Augsburg (Minn.) 37, Simpson (Iowa) 3
NWCA Division III National Duals Quarterfinals
January 17, 2004; Cleveland (Ohio) State University
125 -- Matt Shankey (AUG, 10-0) maj. dec. Dustin Brewer (SIM) 11-0 (Augsburg 4-0).
133 -- Mark Matzek (AUG, 18-2) dec. Quent Christensen (SIM) 7-1 (Augsburg 7-0).
141 -- Jamell Tidwell * (AUG, 26-1) dec. Kelan Delaney (SIM) 10-3 (Augsburg 10-0).
149 -- Clint Manny (SIM) dec. Josh Erlandson (AUG, 3-5) 9-2 (Augsburg 10-3).
157 -- Marcus LeVesseur * (AUG, 20-0) won by forfeit (Augsburg 16-3).
165 -- Ryan Valek (AUG, 22-4) dec. Nathan Broghammer (SIM) 5-2 (Augsburg 19-3).
174 -- Joe Moon * (AUG, 23-1) pinned Wade Samo (SIM) 6:36 (Augsburg 25-3).
184 -- Brad Tupa (AUG, 10-5) pinned Cody Downing (SIM) 2:24 (Augsburg 31-3).
197 -- Joe Cullen (AUG, 18-6) dec. Bart George (SIM) 7-2 (Augsburg 34-3).
HWT -- Mark Simmonds (AUG, 21-5) dec. Brett Christensen (SIM) 5-2 (Augsburg 37-3).

Augsburg (Minn.) 20, Wisconsin-La Crosse 13
NWCA Division III National Duals Semifinals
January 17, 2004; Cleveland (Ohio) State University
125 -- Matt Shankey (AUG, 11-0) maj. dec. Tom Tribon (UWL) 16-6 (Augsburg 4-0).
133 -- Mark Matzek (AUG, 19-2) dec. Nick Mueller (UWL) 4-1 (Augsburg 7-0).
141 -- Jamell Tidwell * (AUG, 27-1) dec. Adam Kuchnia (UWL) 7-1 (Augsburg 10-0).
149 -- Troy Fabry (UWL) dec. Josh Erlandson (AUG, 3-6) 3-2 (Augsburg 10-3).
157 -- Marcus LeVesseur * (AUG, 21-0) maj. dec. Ross Needham (UWL) 15-3 (Augsburg 14-3).
165 -- Ryan Valek (AUG, 23-4) dec. Derek Hebrink (UWL) 5-3 (Augsburg 17-3).
174 -- Joe Moon * (AUG, 24-1) dec. Nick Patenaude (UWL) 6-0 (Augsburg 20-3).
184 -- Jason Lulloff (UWL) dec. Clint Hodgdon * (AUG, 19-7) 3-1 (Augsburg 20-6).
197 -- Jim Swanson (UWL) maj. dec. Justin Sorensen (AUG, 22-5) 11-2 (Augsburg 20-10).
HWT -- Ryan Allen (UWL) dec. Mark Simmonds (AUG, 21-6) 7-3 (Augsburg 20-13).

Wartburg (Iowa) 20, Augsburg (Minn.) 17
NWCA Division III National Duals Championship Match
January 18, 2004; Cleveland (Ohio) State University
125 -- Matt Shankey (AUG, 12-0) dec. Justin McClintock (WAR) 6-2 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- Mark Matzek (AUG, 20-2) dec. Ozzie Saxon (WAR) 5-3 (Augsburg 6-0).
141 -- Wil Kelly (WAR) dec. Jamell Tidwell * (AUG, 27-2) 2-0 (Augsburg 6-3).
149 -- Bart Mehlert (WAR) pinned Josh Erlandson (AUG, 3-7) 2:10 (Wartburg 9-6).
157 -- Marcus LeVesseur * (AUG, 22-0) maj. dec. Dustin Bliven (UWL) 15-5 (Augsburg 10-9).
165 -- Cory Connell (WAR) dec. Ryan Valek (AUG, 23-5) 4-2 (Wartburg 12-10).
174 -- Joe Moon * (AUG, 25-1) maj. dec. Nathan Specht (WAR) 14-3 (Augsburg 14-12).
184 -- Ryan Storm (WAR) maj. dec. Brad Tupa (AUG, 10-6) 16-5 (Wartburg 16-14).
197 -- Akeem Carter (WAR) maj. dec. Justin Sorensen (AUG, 22-6) 10-2 (Wartburg 20-14).
HWT -- Mark Simmonds (AUG, 22-6) dec. Blake Gillis (WAR) 4-1 (Wartburg 20-17).