DICKINSON, N.D. (1/7/06) -- Claiming six individual champions, the Augsburg College wrestling team earned the team championship in a competitive field at the Dickinson State University Blue Hawk Classic tournament, held Saturday at Dickinson State.

The Auggies, ranked No. 3 in the latest NCAA Division III national polls, had 15 placewinners and finished with 169 team points. Host Dickinson State, ranked No. 3 in the latest NAIA national polls, finished second with 134 points, while Division II school Chadron State (Neb.) was third with 104.5 and Great Falls (Mont.), the No. 2-ranked team in the NAIA, was fourth with 99 points.

Jeremy Anderson (So., Thief River Falls, Minn.) improved to 23-0 on the season with four victories, three by pin and another by an 11-1 major-decision, to share the title at 157 pounds with teammate Tim Matzek (So., Ellsworth, Wis.), who also went 4-0 in the tournament. Matzek had a second-period pin and 10-2, major-decision win in his run. Anderson is ranked No. 6 nationally in Division III at 157.

Ryan Valek * (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), the top-ranked wrestler nationally in Division III at 165 pounds, went 4-0 to win his weight class and improve to 21-2 on the year. He had a 3-1 win over Great Falls' Ryan Smith, the No. 4-ranked wrestler in the NAIA, in the semifinals and a 6-4 win over Brett Hunter of Chadron State in the finals.

At 149, Jared Evans (Jr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 3 nationally, improved to 17-3 on the season with four wins to claim his weight class. He had a 1-0 win over Great Falls' Jon Muri, the No. 7-ranked NAIA wrestler, in the semifinals and a 3-1, overtime win over Chadron State's Mark Pfeifer in the finals.

Brad Tupa * (Sr., Dundas, Minn./Faribault HS) improved to 12-0 with his championship at 184 pounds. He claimed a first-period pin, second-period technical fall and a 9-1, major-decision win to reach the finals, then topped Elijah Simburger of Dickinson State, the No. 3-ranked NAIA wrestler, 9-3 in the finals.

Josh Hansen (Jr., Albert Lea, Minn.) improved to 18-2 on the season with four victories and the title at 141 pounds. He claimed two first-period pins in his run to the finals, then topped Spencer Griffiths of Great Falls, the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the NAIA, 4-2 in the finals.

Robbie Gotreau (So., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) reached the finals at 174 with a 12-4, major-decision win and a first-period technical-fall, but lost 7-4 to Dickinson State's Gabe Harry, the No. 6-ranked wrestler in the NAIA, in the finals. Gotreau is now 22-2 on the season and currently ranked No. 8 at 184.

Paul Bjorkstrand (Fr., Burnsville, Minn.) went 5-1 on the day to take third at 133 pounds. He dropped a 2-0 decision to Shane Hase of Jamestown (N.D.), the No. 4-ranked wrestler in the NAIA, in the semifinals, but bounced back with a third-period pin of Cory Johnston of Dickinson State, currently ranked No. 6 in the NAIA at 125, in the third-place match. Bjorkstrand is now 17-7 on the season.

Wally O'Connor (So., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS), ranked No. 3 nationally at 197, finished third in his weight class, going 4-1 on the day with a major decision and second-period pin. Jacob Roberts (Fr., Jordan, Minn./Scott West) and Rich Taylor (Sr., St. Paul, Minn./Como Park HS) each went 5-1 on the day to finish third in their weight classes, Roberts at 149 and Taylor at 141.

Placing fourth for Augsburg was Seth Flodeen (Fr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) at 125, Noel Sweeney (Fr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) at 157 and Andrew Neumann (Jr., Somerset, Wis.) at heavyweight. Danny Manley (So., Kearny, N.J.) placed fifth at 197.

Augsburg will compete at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals this Saturday (1/14) and Sunday (1/15) at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Wrestling -- Augsburg at Dickinson State Blue Hawk Classic
January 7, 2006 -- Dickinson, N.D.

Team standings: 1. Augsburg 169; 2. Dickinson State (N.D.) 134; 3. Chadron State (Neb.) 104.5; 4. Univ. of Great Falls (Mont.) 99; 5. Concordia-Moorhead 38; 6. Montana State-Northern 32.5; 7. Jamestown (N.D.) 21.5; 8. Mary (N.D.) 5.5; 9. Regina (Sask.) 1.

Augsburg Individual Results:
125 -- Seth Flodeen 3-2, 4th place; Brian Barbiaux 1-2.
133 -- Paul Bjorkstrand 5-1, 3rd place; CJ Domingues 0-2.
141 -- Josh Hansen 4-0, champion; Rich Taylor 5-1, 3rd place; Greg Brendemuehl 0-2.
149 -- Jared Evans 4-0, champion; Jacob Roberts 5-1, 3rd place; Dominic Dvorak 1-2.
157 -- Jeremy Anderson 4-0, co-champion; Tim Matzek 4-0, co-champion; Noel Sweeney 3-2, 4th place; Jake Grygelko 0-2.
165 -- Ryan Valek * 4-0, champion; Brandon Klukow 2-2.
174 -- Robbie Gotreau 3-1, 2nd place; Kirk Rall 2-2.
184 -- Brad Tupa * 4-0, champion.
197 -- Wally O'Connor 4-1, 3rd place; Danny Manley 3-2, 5th place; Bill Boeschenstein 0-2.
HWT -- Andrew Neumann 3-2, 4th place; Dylan Soberg 2-2.