Wrestling 1/6/04 -- Augsburg (Minn.) 33, Augustana (S.D.) 4
MINNEAPOLIS (1/6/04) -- Augsburg College's Marcus LeVesseur * (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) claimed a second-period pin to score his 62nd straight victory as a collegiate wrestler, leading the Auggies to a 33-4 victory over Augustana College (S.D.) in a nonconference wrestling dual meet on Tuesday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.

Augsburg won nine of 10 individual matches -- one by pin and three by major decision -- to improve to 4-0 in dual meets this season. Augsburg, last year's NCAA Division III national runner-up, is currently ranked No. 1 in the Division III national rankings, while Augustana, now 2-1 in dual meets, is ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Division II national poll.

The Auggies claimed their fifth straight victory over Augustana in dual-meet competition. Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 181-10 since 1989-90, losing just five matches since the 1995-96 season.

LeVesseur has yet to lose a collegiate match; he is now 62-0 in his first two seasons in an Auggie singlet and 18-0 this year. His 62-match streak is now the second-longest winning streak in school history, behind Henry Gerten's 64 (1996-98). Nick Slack won 60 matches in a row from 2000-01.

The defending NCAA Division III national champion at 157 and current top-ranked wrestler in the weight class, LeVesseur built an 8-1 period before converting the pin midway through the second period over Matt McDougall (So., Volga, S.D./Sioux Valley HS).

Jamell Tidwell * (Jr., Burnsville, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked second nationally at 141 pounds, remained unbeaten at 21-0 on the year with a 10-9 win over Andre VanderVelde (So., Council Bluffs, Iowa/Abraham Lincoln HS). Tidwell built an 8-4 lead in the second period, but had to hold on as the Augustana wrestler rallied to tie the match at 9-9 with 48 seconds left. But five seconds later, Tidwell scored an escape to provide the winning margin.

Augustana's lone victory came from its top-ranked individual, Tom Meester (Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa/Central Lyon HS), who scored a 13-5, major-decision win over Augsburg's Clint Hodgdon * (Jr., Ostrander, Minn./LeRoy-Ostrander HS) at 184 pounds. Meester is ranked No. 1 in Division II while Hodgdon is ranked No. 8 in Division III; it was the only meeting of ranked wrestlers on Tuesday.

Matt Shankey (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.), a transfer from the Division I University of Iowa, improved to 8-0 on the season with a 12-8 win over Augustana's Aaron Graumann (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Roosevelt HS), ranked eighth in Division II. Shankey built an 8-2 lead before Graumann attempted a late rally, outscoring Shankey 5-4 in the third period.

Augsburg's Joe Moon * (Jr., Ellendale, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva HS), ranked second nationally at 174 pounds, moved to 17-1 on the season with a 17-7 major-decision victory, while Justin Sorensen (So., Owatonna, Minn.), ranked fourth at 197; and Mark Simmonds (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Edison HS), a transfer from Southwest Minnesota State currently ranked sixth in Division III at heavyweight, also scored major-decision wins.

Scoring decision wins for Augsburg were Mark Matzek (Jr., Ellsworth, Wis.), currently ranked No. 3 nationally at 133 pounds; Dustin Dahlblom (Fr., Stillwater, Minn.), ranked eighth nationally at 149; and Ryan Valek (So., Belle Plaine, Minn.) at 165.

Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (1/10) competing at the Dickinson State (N.D.) Classic. Augustana has a week off before returning to action Jan. 17-18, at the NWCA Division II National Duals in Cleveland, Ohio. Augsburg will also be competing in the National Duals in Cleveland, in the Division III bracket.

Augsburg (Minn.) 33, Augustana (S.D.) 4
January 6, 2004; Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Action begins at 125 pounds. Time of match 1:40
Official: Bryan Kelvington. Attendance: 264.

125 -- Matt Shankey (Augsburg, 8-0) dec. Aaron Graumann (Augustana, 9-5) 12-8 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- Mark Matzek (Augsburg, 14-1) dec. Chris Trampe (Augustana, 14-7) 12-5 (Augsburg 6-0).
141 -- Jamell Tidwell * (Augsburg, 21-0) dec. Andre VanderVelde (Augustana, 16-5) 10-9 (Augsburg 9-0).
149 -- Dustin Dahlblom (Augsburg, 18-5) dec. Ryan King (Augustana, 16-5) 7-5 (Augsburg 12-0).
157 -- Marcus LeVesseur * (Augsburg, 18-0) pinned Matt McDougall (Augustana, 4-5) 3:58 (Augsburg 18-0).
165 -- Ryan Valek (Augsburg, 17-4) dec. Cody Henriksen (Augustana, 4-4) 7-0 (Augsburg 21-0).
174 -- Joe Moon * (Augsburg, 17-1) maj. dec. Dusty Wilking (Augustana, 14-6) 17-7 (Augsburg 25-0).
184 -- Tom Meester (Augustana, 13-2) maj. dec. Clint Hodgdon * (Augsburg, 16-5) 13-5 (Augsburg 25-4).
197 -- Justin Sorensen (Augsburg, 18-3) maj. dec. Tyler Bullerman (Augustana, 1-3) 13-0 (Augsburg 29-4).
HWT -- Mark Simmonds (Augsburg, 16-3) maj. dec. Ray O¹Connor (Augustana, 8-6) 13-2 (Augsburg 33-4).