ST. CLOUD, Minn. (12/10/05) -- Claiming two individual titlists, the Augsburg College wrestling team scored a second-place finish at the St. Cloud State University Invitational on Saturday afternoon at the Halenbeck South Fieldhouse.

The Auggie White Team (JV) competed at the Wartburg College Dick Walker Invitational on Saturday in Waverly, Iowa, and claimed an eighth-place finish with 44.5 points.

Minnesota State University, Mankato, the No. 2-ranked team in the NCAA Division II national polls, won the 12-team St. Cloud State meet with 160.0 points, claiming five individual champions. Augsburg, the No. 1-ranked team in the Division III national polls, was second with 133.5 points, and St. John's, the No. 20-ranked squad in Division III, was third with 110.5 points.

Jeremy Anderson (So., Thief River Falls, Minn.) improved to 14-0 on the season with three victories and the individual championship at 157 pounds at the St. Cloud State meet. He scored a major decision victory in his first match and topped St. John's Jacob Malone, an NCAA Division III national meet qualifier last year, 5-1 in the finals.

At 165, Ryan Valek * (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) claimed the championship with four victories, including two pins, to improve to 12-2 on the season. He claimed a 4-3 overtime victory over Andy Pickar of Minnesota State-Mankato in the finals.

Augsburg placed six wrestlers in the finals, with four claiming second-place finishes. Heavyweight Andrew Neumann (Jr., Somerset, Wis.) reached the finals with two victories, including one pin, but fell 6-4 to Minnesota State-Mankato's Tim Kraemer in the finals. Neumann suffered his first loss of the season to fall to 11-1.

At 149, Jared Evans (Jr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 4 nationally, reached the finals after two victories, including one by pin, but fell 13-8 to Minnesota State-Mankato's Brandon Girtz in the finals. Evans is 10-2 on the season.

Robbie Gotreau (So., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) reached the finals at 184 pounds with two major decisions among his three victories, but fell 6-5 to St. John's Dan Willaert in the finals for his first loss of the season. Gotreau is now 14-1.

Paul Bjorkstrand (Fr., Burnsville, Minn.) went 2-1 at 133 pounds to place second, moving to 7-5 on the season.

Josh Hansen (Jr., Albert Lea, Minn.) placed third for Augsburg at 141 pounds, while Seth Flodeen (Fr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) placed fourth at 125, as did Kirk Rall (Sr., West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) at 174. Wally O'Connor (So., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) placed sixth at 197.

Augsburg sent 12 wrestlers to the Dick Walker Invitational at Wartburg (Iowa) and had three placewinners. Jacob Roberts (Fr., Jordan, Minn./Scott West) placed third at 149 pounds, going 5-1. Rich Taylor (Sr., St. Paul, Minn./Como Park HS) placed fifth at 141, and Tim Matzek (So., Ellsworth, Wis.) placed sixth at 157.

Augsburg will return to action on Dec. 28-29, with competition at the Sunshine Open Tournament in Lakeland, Fla.

Wrestling -- Augsburg at St. Cloud State Invitational
December 10, 2005 -- Halenbeck South Fieldhouse, St. Cloud, Minn.

Team standings: 1. Minnesota State-Mankato 160.0; 2. Augsburg 133.5; 3. St. John's 110.5; 4. Dickinson State (N.D.) 94.0; 5. Southwest Minnesota State 82.0; 6. Northern State (S.D.) 64.0; 7. Ridgewater CC (Minn.) 56.0; 8. St. Cloud State 47.0; 9. Jamestown (N.D.) 32.5; 10. Rochester CC (Minn.) 28.5; 11. Itasca CC (Minn.) 19.0; 12. Dakota County CC (Minn.) 13.5.

Augsburg Individual Results:
125 -- Seth Flodeen 2-2, 4th place.
133 -- Paul Bjorkstrand 2-1, 2nd place.
141 -- Josh Hansen 2-1, 3rd place.
149 -- Jared Evans 2-1, 2nd place.
157 -- Jeremy Anderson 3-0, champion.
165 -- Ryan Valek * 4-0, champion.
174 -- Kirk Rall 3-2, 4th place.
184 -- Robbie Gotreau 3-1, 2nd place.
197 -- Wally O'Connor 1-3, 6th place.
HWT -- Andrew Neumann 2-1, 2nd place.

Wrestling -- Augsburg White Team at Wartburg (Iowa) Dick Walker Invitational
December 10, 2005 -- Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa

Team standings: 1. Wartburg (Iowa) 161.5; 2. Loras (Iowa) 114.0; 3. Iowa Central CC 94.0; 4. Central Missouri 82.0; 5. Coe (Iowa) 76.5; 6. Cornell (Iowa) 71.5; 7. Ellsworth CC (Iowa) 65.5; 8. Augsburg White Team 44.5; 9. Wisconsin-Whitewater 26.0; 10. Augustana (Ill.) 21.0.

Augsburg Individual Results:
125 -- Zach Hansen 0-2.
133 -- CJ Domingues 0-2, David Elson 0-2.
141 -- Rich Taylor 5-2, 5th place.
149 -- Jacob Roberts 5-1, 3rd place.
157 -- Tim Matzek 3-3, 6th place, Noel Sweeney 3-2, Mitch Collins 1-2.
165 -- Brandon Klukow 2-2.
174 -- No wrestlers.
184 -- No wrestlers.
197 -- Bill Boeschenstein 0-2, Danny Manley 0-2.
HWT -- Dylan Soberg 0-2