Wrestling 1/27/04 -- North Dakota State 18, Augsburg 13


MINNEAPOLIS (1/27/04) -- Winning six of 10 individual matches, North Dakota State University scored an 18-13 victory over host Augsburg College in a matchup of two of the top small-college wrestling teams in the country on Tuesday night before 1,147 fans at Si Melby Hall.

North Dakota State, ranked No. 1 nationally in Division II, improved to 9-0 on the season, claiming six decisions. It is NDSU's final season in Division II before it moves to Division I next season. Augsburg, ranked No. 2 nationally in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll, is now 10-2 on the season. The all-time series between the two schools is now tied at 5-5.

NDSU claimed two key upset victories from unlikely sources in scoring the victory, its second straight dual-meet win over Augsburg.

In the opening match of the night, NDSU's Nick Magee (Jr., Hudson, Wis.) used a three-point near-fall with 51 seconds left in the third period to propel him to a 5-4 victory over Augsburg's Mark Matzek (Jr., Ellsworth, Wis.), the top-ranked Division III wrestler at 133 pounds. Magee would not allow Matzek to score after a reversal with 17 seconds left to claim the victory.

Another upset came at 184 pounds, as Matt Hermann (Fr., Burnsville, Minn.) scored a key takedown with 1:17 left in the third period, then allowed just an escape in claiming a 3-2 win over Augsburg's Clint Hodgdon * (Jr., Ostrander, Minn./LeRoy-Ostrander HS), ranked No. 8 nationally in Division III.

In the second battle of the season of the top-ranked wrestlers in Divisions II and III at 157 pounds, Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur * (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) built a 6-0 second-period lead and scored a 7-1 win over NDSU's Paul Carlson (Sr., St. Francis, Minn.). It's LeVesseur's third straight victory over Carlson, the defending national champion in Division II.

LeVesseur extended his school-record winning streak to 70 straight matches with the victory, as the defending NCAA Division III national champion at 157 improved to 26-0 on the year. LeVesseur has yet to lose a collegiate match in his two seasons.

In another battle of top wrestlers, Augsburg's Joe Moon * (Jr., Ellendale, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva HS), the No. 2-ranked wrestler nationally in Division III at 174, scored his second straight victory over NDSU's Thad Pike (Sr., Hayfield, Minn.), the top-ranked wrestler at 174 in Division II, with a 5-2 decision.

In the most exciting match of the evening, Moon maintained control for the entire second period on top to gain what would be a crucial bonus point for riding time later in the match. Moon took a 1-0 lead with an escape early in the third period, but Pike scored a takedown with 1:19 left. Moon escaped 19 seconds later to tie the match at 2-2, then claimed a takedown with 13 seconds left to clinch the victory, with 1:39 of riding time added for the bonus point.

NDSU's Brian Kraemer (Sr., Cold Spring, Minn.), ranked No. 1 in Division II at 197, improved to 20-5 on the season with an 8-5 win over Augsburg's Joe Cullen (Jr., Coon Rapids, Minn.), building a 7-2 third-period lead and holding on the final minute. NDSU's Zach Stevens (So., Erwinna, Pa.), ranked No. 2 in Division III at 149, dominated with four takedowns and 2:07 of riding time in a 10-3 win over Josh Erlandson (Jr., Ellsworth, Wis.).

In a battle of No. 3-ranked wrestlers in the two divisions, NDSU's Joe Bryce (Jr., Glenwood, Minn.) scored a 5-1 overtime victory over Augsburg's Mark Simmonds (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Edison HS). Tied 1-1 on two escapes entering the first one-minute, sudden-victory overtime, Bryce got leverage on Simmonds and scored a match-winning takedown with 39 seconds left, continuing the move for a two-point near-fall with 33 seconds left to provide the final margin.

Augsburg's Jamell Tidwell * (Jr., Burnsville, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked No. 3 nationally at 141, claimed a 7-2 win over NDSU's Mathias Bitz (So., Bismarck, N.D.), the No. 8-ranked wrestler in Division II, in the only other match of ranked wrestlers on the evening. Tidwell improved to 31-2 on the season and 108-10 on his career.

Augsburg's Matt Shankey (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.), the current top-ranked wrestler nationally at 125, scored a 24-9, technical-fall victory (no back points) over NDSU's Eric Sanders (Fr., Wabasha, Minn.) at 125 pounds, to improve to 15-1 on the season. Shankey used 10 takedowns and a reversal to score the win.

NDSU's Mike Fiedler (Sr., Sauk Centre, Minn.), ranked third nationally in Division II at 165, built a 4-1 first-period lead and notched crucial takedowns in the final two periods to score a 10-4 win over Augsburg's Ryan Valek (So., Belle Plaine, Minn.).

In the other match of the evening, Ridgewater Community College rallied from a 19-6 deficit after five matches with five straight victories to claim a 24-19 triumph over Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity).

Augsburg returns to action on Friday (1/30) with its second matchup against a No. 1-ranked team in a week, as the Auggies travel to Wartburg (Iowa), the top-ranked Division III team, in a 7 p.m. dual in Waverly, Iowa. Wartburg scored a 20-17 win over Augsburg in the finals of the NWCA Division III National Duals on Jan. 18 to vault over the Auggies into the top spot in the Division III rankings.

North Dakota State returns to action on Sunday (2/1) with a 2 p.m. home match against Augustana (S.D.), the No. 10-ranked team in the Division II national rankings.

North Dakota State (9-0) 18, Augsburg (Minn., 10-2) 13.
January 27, 2004 -- Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Officials ­ Tim Shiels, Jerry Reker.
Time of match: 2:02. Attendance: 1,147.
Action begins at 133 pounds.
133 -- Nick Magee (NDSU, 11-4) dec. Mark Matzek (AUG, 23-3) 5-4 (NDSU 3-0).
141 -- Jamell Tidwell * (AUG, 31-2) dec. Mathias Bitz (NDSU, 17-10) 7-2 (TIED 3-3).
149 -- Zach Stevens (NDSU, 21-5) dec. Josh Erlandson (AUG, 6-5) 10-3 (NDSU 6-3).
157 -- Marcus LeVesseur * (AUG, 26-0) dec. Paul Carlson (NDSU, 19-6) 7-1 (TIED 6-6).
165 -- Mike Fiedler (NDSU, 18-6) dec. Ryan Valek (AUG, 26-6) 10-4 (NDSU 9-6).
174 -- Joe Moon * (AUG, 29-1) dec. Thad Pike (NDSU, 18-4) 5-2 (TIED 9-9).
184 -- Matt Hermann (NDSU, 15-10) dec. Clint Hodgdon * (AUG, 21-7) 3-2 (NDSU 12-9).
197 -- Brian Kraemer (NDSU, 20-5) dec. Joe Cullen (AUG, 23-6) 8-5 (NDSU 15-9).
HWT -- Joe Bryce (NDSU, 19-6) dec. Mark Simmonds (AUG, 25-5) 5-1 (1OT) (NDSU 18-9).
125 -- Matt Shankey (AUG, 15-1) tech. fall (no back points) Eric Sanders (NDSU, 7-9) 24-9 at 7:00 (NDSU 18-13).

Ridgewater Community College 24, Augsburg White (junior varsity) 19
January 27, 2004 -- Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Officials ­Jerry Reker, Tim Shiels
Time of match: 1:00.
Action begins at 125 pounds.
125 -- Ben Moss (AUG, 24-6) dec. Andy Petrick (RCC, 14-11) 7-6 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- Greg Brendemuehl (AUG, 12-3) maj. dec. Jason Cazett (RCC, 9-17) 13-0 (Augsburg 7-0).
141 -- Adam Ketcher (AUG, 18-6) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 13-0).
149 -- Rich Taylor (AUG, 11-9) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 19-0).
157 -- Dan Taylor (RCC, 21-11) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 19-6).
165 -- Matt Houtsma (RCC, 21-13) dec. Kirk Rall (AUG, 9-7) 6-0 (Augsburg 19-9).
174 -- Travis Birhanzl (RCC, 24-6) dec. Tyler Marr (AUG, 12-9) 6-1 (Augsburg 19-12).
184 -- John Koons (RCC, 20-6) dec. Brad Tupa (AUG, 10-6) 10-5 (Augsburg 19-15).
197 -- Corey Feltmann (RCC, 23-10) dec. Andrew Neumann (AUG, 10-11) 7-5 (Augsburg 19-18).
HWT -- Tim Johnson (RCC, 10-4) pinned Dylan Soberg (AUG, 10-16) 3:17 (Ridgewater 24-19).