LAKELAND, Fla. (12/28-29/06) -- Augsburg College claimed 10 individual titlists and 21 placewinners in action during the holiday break at the Sunshine Open wrestling tournament on Thursday and Friday at the Lakeland Civic Center.
No team results were kept at the open meet, which featured three teams ranked in the top 10 in the latest NCAA Division III national rankings -- Augsburg, ranked No. 1 nationally; Heidelberg (Ohio), ranked No. 4; and the College of New Jersey, ranked No. 8. Division III squad Augustana (Ill.) and Division I program Central Florida were also among the teams at the open meet.
Three-time national champion
Marcus LeVesseur (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) claimed the Most Falls in Least Time award at the tournament, winning all three of his matches to claim the 165-pound crown. He won three of his four matches with first-period pins, in a total time of 5:05.
LeVesseur, who won Division III national titles at 157 pounds three times (2003, 2004, 2005), extended his collegiate unbeaten streak to 128, the second-longest winning streak in college wrestling history, behind the 159 of Cael Sanderson at Iowa State (1998-2002). LeVesseur has yet to lose a college wrestling match.
Defending national runner-up
Jafari Vanier (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS) shared the 133-pound title with teammate
Paul Bjorkstrand (So., Burnsville, Minn.), currently ranked No. 8 nationally at 133. Both went 3-0 at the meet.
At 149,
Jared Evans (Sr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), the No. 4-ranked wrestler nationally, went 4-0 to claim the weight-class title.
Andrew Neumann (Sr., Somerset, Wis.), ranked No. 4 nationally at heavyweight, also went 4-0 to earn his weight-class championship.
At 141,
Quincy Osborn (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 2 in Division III, went 3-0 and shared the title with teammate
Jason Adams (Fr., Coon Rapids, Minn.), who went 2-0.
George Lynaugh (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) won the title at 184 pounds by going 4-0, while
Seth Flodeen (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.) and Jaime Rocha (Jr., Santa Maria, Calif./Righetti HS) shared the crown at 125 pounds.
Robbie Gotreau (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), ranked No. 6 nationally at 184, moved down to 174 and went 4-1 in finishing second at the meet.
Brandon Klukow (So., Albert Lea, Minn.) and
Matt Curtis (Fr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) shared third-place honors at 165, while
Josh Hansen (Sr., Albert Lea, Minn.) placed third at 157 and
Kris Krier (Fr., Woodbury, Minn.) placed third at 184.
Augsburg returns to action on Tuesday (Jan. 2) at 7 p.m., with a dual meet at Division II Augustana (S.D.).
Augsburg individual results at Sunshine Open:
125 -- Seth Flodeen, 2-0, co-champion; Jamie Rocha, 2-0, co-champion; Freddie Vigil 0-2.
133 -- Jafari Vanier, 3-0, co-champion; Paul Bjorkstrand, 3-0, co-champion.
141 -- Quincy Osborn 3-0, co-champion; Jason Adams 2-0, co-champion; Chase Nordby 2-2; David Elson 1-2; Kevin Moczo 0-2.
149 -- Jared Evans 4-0, champion; Johnny Brandtjen 3-2, fourth place; Dominic Dvorak 2-2; Zach Hansen 1-2.
157 -- Josh Hansen 3-1, co-third place; Jeremy Anderson 2-1, sixth place.
165 -- Marcus LeVesseur 4-0, champion; Brandon Klukow 4-1, co-third place; Matt Curtis 3-1, co-third place; Dustin Monte 3-2, fifth place; John MacCormick 0-2.
174 -- Robbie Gotreau 4-1, second place.
184 -- George Lynaugh 4-0, champion; Kris Krier 4-1, third place; Andy Peterson 2-2, sixth place; Garrett Long 1-2.
197 -- Andy Robinson 2-3, sixth place.
HWT -- Andrew Neumann 4-0, champion; Andy Witzel 4-2, fifth place; Tyson Barrett 2-2; Evan Osterhoudt 1-2.
