EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (2/4/06) -- Winning three individual titles and placing 11 wrestlers among the top four places, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed the team title at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational on Saturday at the McPhee Phy Ed Center.

Augsburg, ranked No. 2 in the latest NCAA Division III national rankings, won the title in the 10-team meet with 138.5 points. North Central (Ill.), ranked No. 8 in Division III , was second with 122 points. Wisconsin-Stevens Point, ranked No. 17, was third with 109 points.

Jared Evans (Jr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 3 nationally at 149 points, claimed a pin and major decision to reach the finals, where he topped North Central's Noah Fitzenreider, ranked No. 8 nationally, 5-3 in overtime to claim his weight-class title.

At 125, Augsburg's Seth Flodeen (Fr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) went 3-0, with a technical fall and major decision, to win the weight-class title. At 197, Wally O'Connor (So., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) also went 3-0 to claim his weight-class crown.

Ryan Valek * (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), ranked No. 1 nationally at 165, lost 3-1 in overtime by Derek Sikora of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the No. 2-ranked wrestler nationally, in the weight-class final. Valek saw a 28-match winning streak snapped with the loss, falling to 35-3 on the season. Valek had a techincal fall and a pin among his three wins on Saturday.

Jeremy Anderson (So., Thief River Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 5 nationally at 157, suffered just his second loss of the season in his weight-class finals, falling 7-3 to Bobby Gingerich of North Central, ranked No. 4 nationally. Anderson had two technical falls and a pin in his three wins before reaching the finals.

Robbie Gotreau (So., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), ranked No. 5 nationally at 174, placed third in his weight class with a 4-1 day. Ben Moss (Jr., Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central HS) placed third for Augsburg at 133 pounds, rallying from a first-round loss to win three matches in a row, one by pin and one by a major decision.

Jake Grygelko (Fr., Loretto, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) placed third at 157 pounds, with a pin and technical fall among his wins. Andrew Neumann (Jr., Somerset, Wis.) went 3-1 on the day, with only a two-overtime loss against him, to finish third at heavyweight.

Placing fourth for Augsburg were Josh Hansen (Jr., Albert Lea, Minn.) at 141 pounds and Kirk Rall (Sr., West St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) at 184 pounds.

Augsburg's White Team (JV) has a dual meet against Ridgewater Community College on Thursday (2/9) at 7:30 p.m. in Prior Lake, Minn. Augsburg's varsity has its last dual meet of the season on Friday (2/10) at 7 p.m., hosting Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Si Melby Hall.

Wrestling -- Augsburg at Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational
February 4, 2006 -- McPhee Phy Ed Center, Eau Claire, Wis.

Team standings: 1. Augsburg 138.5; 2. North Central (Ill.) 122; 3. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 109; 4. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 63; 5t. Wisconsin-La Crosse 41; 5t. Wartburg (Iowa) 41; 7. Luther (Iowa) 32.5; 8. Wisconsin-Oshkosh 24; 9. St. Olaf 18; 10. Wisconsin-Whitewater 17.

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