COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (2/7/04) -- Marcus LeVesseur * (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) extended his school-record winning streak to 75 straight matches, winning the 157-pound weight class in dominating fashion, leading Augsburg College to the team title at the North Country Invitational wrestling tournament, held Saturday at St. John's University.

Augsburg, the current No. 2-ranked team in the latest NCAA Division III national polls, won the North Country title with 176.0 points, claiming five individual champions and placing 17 wrestlers in the top six of their weight classes.

LeVesseur cruised to victory with two first-period pins and a major decision win. In the championship match, he claimed a 17-second pin over St. John's Jacob Malone.

LeVesseur, the defending national champion and current top-ranked wrestler at 157, has yet to lose a collegiate match in his two seasons at Augsburg. He is now 31-0 on the year.

Jamell Tidwell * (Jr., Burnsville, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), currently ranked No. 2 nationally at 141, scored two technical falls and two major decisions, including an 11-1 win over Reese Boehm of Mary (N.D.) in the championship match. Tidwell is now 36-3 on the season and 113-11 on his career.

Matt Shankey (Jr., Apple Valley, Minn.), currently ranked second nationally at 125 pounds, used a third-period technical fall and major decision to win his weight class. He is now 20-1 on the year.

Dustin Dahlblom (Fr., Stillwater, Minn.) improved to 22-6 on the season with four victories to win the 149-pound class, claiming a technical fall and major decision along the way.

Joe Cullen (Jr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) continued his late-season surge at 197 pounds, going 4-0 to win the weight class title. He is now 27-8 on the season.

Mark Matzek (Jr., Ellsworth, Wis.), currently the top-ranked wrestler nationally at 133 pounds, lost 6-4 in overtime to Wartburg's Ozzie Saxon, the No. 2-ranked wrestler nationally, in the championship match at 133 pounds. Matzek had beaten Saxon earlier this year at the NWCA National Duals. Matzek is now 26-4 on the season.

Mark Simmonds (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Edison HS), currently ranked third nationally at heavyweight, suffered his second straight loss to Wartburg's Blake Gillis, ranked second nationally, with a 4-1 decision in the championship match. Simmonds, now 28-7 overall, is 1-2 against Gillis this season.

Clint Hodgdon * (Jr., Ostrander, Minn./LeRoy-Ostrander HS) placed second for the Auggies at 184 pounds, as did Justin Sorensen (So., Owatonna, Minn.) at 197.

Placing third for Augsburg was Ben Moss (Fr., Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central HS) at 125, Ryan Valek (So., Belle Plaine, Minn.) at 165 and Kirk Rall (So., West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) at 174.

Chris Sogge (Fr., Paynesville, Minn.) placed fourth for Augsburg at 197. Josh Hansen (Fr., Albert Lea, Minn.) placed fifth at 125, as did David Whipps (Fr., Jordan, Minn.) at 165 and Andrew Neumann (Fr., Somerset, Wis.) at 197. Dylan Soberg (So., Elbow Lake, Minn./West Central Area HS) placed sixth at heavyweight.

Augsburg returns to action on Friday (2/13) with its final home meet of the season, facing Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 7 p.m. at Si Melby Hall. The Pointers are currently ranked fourth nationally in Division III.

Augsburg at North Country Invitational
February 7, 2004 at St. John's University, Collegeville, Minn.
Team Results: 1. Augsburg 176.0; 2. Dickinson State (N.D.) 90.0; 3. Ridgewater CC (Minn.) 77.5; 4. St. Cloud State 72.5; 5. St. John's 59.5; 6. Wartburg (Iowa) 55.0; 7. Mary (N.D.) 44.5; 8. Luther (Iowa) 33.5; 9. Rochester CC (Minn.) 32.5; 10. Concordia-Moorhead 31.0; 11. Minnesota State-Moorhead 29.0; 12. Regina (Canada) 15.5; 13. Southwest Minnesota State 12.0; 14t. Dakota County Tech 3.5; 14t. St. Olaf 3.5.
Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler: Ozzie Saxson, Wartburg (Iowa), 133.

Augsburg Individual Results:
125 -- Matt Shankey 1st, 3-0; Ben Moss 3rd, 3-1; Josh Hansen 5th, 2-2; Adam Schlepp 0-2.
133 -- Mark Matzek 2nd, 3-1; Clint Strom 1-2.
141 -- Jamell Tidwell * 1st, 4-0; Adam Ketcher 2-2.
149 -- Dustin Dahlblom 1st, 4-0.
157 -- Marcus LeVesseur * 1st, 3-0
165 -- Ryan Valek 3rd, 4-1; David Whipps 5th, 4-2.
174 -- Kirk Rall 3rd, 3-1.
184 -- Clint Hodgdon * 2nd, 3-1.
197 -- Joe Cullen 1st, 4-0; Justin Sorensen 2nd, 3-1; Chris Sogge 4th, 2-2; Andrew Neumann 5th, 4-2.
HWT -- Mark Simmonds 2nd, 2-1; Dylan Soberg 6th, 3-3.