CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (1/14/07) -- For the third time in the six-year history of the event, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed the championship at the National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals, winning 15 of 20 individual matches in claiming two dual-meet victories on Sunday afternoon at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome.

Augsburg, the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division III national rankings, won eight of 10 matches in a 30-6 win over No. 6-ranked Johnson and Wales (R.I.) in the semifinals. In the championship match, Augsburg won the first seven individual bouts in beating No. 2-ranked and defending national champion Wartburg (Iowa) 22-10.

The Auggies are now 7-0 on the season, having won 60 of 70 individual matches in its seven team victories this season. Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 214-16 since the 1989-90 season, losing just 11 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against teams from Division III, Augsburg is now 228-19 since the 1979-80 season and 152-9 since 1989-90. Augsburg has won nine Division III national titles in the last 16 seasons.

Augsburg and Wartburg, the two dominant teams in small-college wrestling, have met in each of the six NWCA Division III National Duals championship matches in its current format (16-team bracket), Each team has now won three times, with Augsburg winning in 2002, 2005 and 2007, and Wartburg winning in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

The Auggies and Knights will meet again in a dual meet on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis.

Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked No. 1 nationally at 165 pounds, won both his matches on Sunday, improving his collegiate winning streak to 135 straight matches. LeVesseur, who won Division III national titles at 157 pounds three times (2003, 2004, 2005), has 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 and is 11-0 this season. LeVesseur claimed a major-decision win in the match against Johnson and Wales, then scored a 5-1 win in the victory over Wartburg.

Augsburg built a 22-0 lead against Wartburg in the championship match, winning the first seven individual matches before Wartburg won the final three. The Auggies won four of the six meetings of ranked wrestlers in the meet.

Top-ranked Jeremy Anderson (Jr., Thief River Falls, Minn.) claimed a 5-4 win over No. 4-ranked Aaron Wernimont of Wartburg at 157 pounds, while Augsburg's Jafari Vanier (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), the top-ranked wrestler at 133, scored a 5-2 win over No. 3-ranked Jacob Helvey. Seth Flodeen (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 3 at 125, scored a 6-3 win over No. 7-ranked Robert Struthers, and Robbie Gotreau (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), ranked No. 3 at 174, claimed a 5-2 decision over No. 4-ranked Jason Zastrow.

Quincy Osborn (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 141, improved to 26-1 with a major-decision win, and Jared Evans (Sr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 4 at 149, improved to 22-1 with a victory.

Wartburg won the final three matches of the dual, with No. 2-ranked Romeo Djournessi claiming an 8-5 win over George Lynaugh (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) of Augsburg at 184, top-ranked T.J. Miller won at 197 and top-ranked Blake Gillis scored an 11-2 major-decision win over Augsburg's Andrew Neumann (Sr., Somerset, Wis.), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight.

In the match against Johnson and Wales, Augsburg won eight of 10 matches, highlighted by a 1:14 pin victory by Osborn at 141. Anderson, LeVesseur and Lynaugh all scored major-decision victories for the Auggies, with LeVesseur scoring an 8-0 win over JWU's Steve Martell, ranked No. 3 at 165.

Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (1/20), as the varsity competes at the Northwestern-Iowa Red Raider Invitational in Orange City, Iowa, and the White Team (JV) competes at the Minnesota West Community College Open in Worthington, Minn. Both events begin at 9 a.m.

College Wrestling -- No. 1 Augsburg (Minn., 6-0) 30, No. 6 Johnson & Wales (R.I., 10-1) 6
Sunday, January 14, 2007 -- UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Action begins at 125 pounds.

125 -- No. 4 Brandon McDonough (JWU) dec. No. 3 Seth Flodeen (AUG, 7-3) 5-3 (OT) (Johnson & Wales 3-0).
133 -- No. 1 Jafari Vanier (AUG, 8-0) dec. Michael Bastante (JWU) 9-3 (TIED 3-3).
141 -- No. 2 Quincy Osborn (AUG, 25-1) pinned Stephen Eberle (JWU) 1:14 (Augsburg 9-3).
149 -- No. 4 Jared Evans (AUG, 21-1) dec. Chris Wells (JWU) 7-3 (Augsburg 12-3).
157 -- No. 1 Jeremy Anderson (AUG, 20-0) maj. dec. Pete Reilly (JWU) 11-2 (Augsburg 16-3).
165 -- No. 1 Marcus LeVesseur (AUG, 10-0) maj. dec. No. 3 Steve Martell 8-0 (Augsburg 20-3).
174 -- No. 3 Robbie Gotreau (AUG, 23-2) dec. Jerome Owens (JWU) 10-7 (Augsburg 23-3).
184 -- George Lynaugh (AUG, 17-3) maj. dec. William Esposito (JWU) 9-1 (Augsburg 27-3).
197 -- Diego Crespo (JWU) dec. Wally O'Connor (AUG, 10-8) 4-3 (Augsburg 27-6).
HWT -- No. 6 Andrew Neumann (AUG, 20-2) dec. Marquise Johnson (JWU) 7-0 (Augsburg 30-6).

College Wrestling -- No. 1 Augsburg (Minn., 7-0) 22, No. 2 Wartburg (Iowa, 12-1) 10
Sunday, January 14, 2007 -- UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Action begins at 125 pounds.

125 -- No. 3 Seth Flodeen (AUG, 8-3) dec. No. 7 Rob Struthers (WAR) 6-3 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- No. 1 Jafari Vanier (AUG, 9-0) dec. No. 3 Jacob Helvey (WAR) 5-2 (Augsburg 6-0).
141 -- No. 2 Quincy Osborn (AUG, 26-1) maj. dec. Zach McKray (WAR) 11-2 (Augsburg 10-0).
149 -- No. 4 Jared Evans (AUG, 22-1) dec. Adam Weber (WAR) 3-1 (Augsburg 13-0).
157 -- No. 1 Jeremy Anderson (AUG, 21-0) dec. No. 4 Aaron Wernimont (WAR) 5-4 (Augsburg 16-0).
165 -- No. 1 Marcus LeVesseur (AUG, 11-0) dec. Jason Knipp (WAR) 5-1 (Augsburg 19-0).
174 -- No. 3 Robbie Gotreau (AUG, 24-2) dec. No. 4 Jason Zastrow (WAR) 5-2 (Augsburg 22-0).
184 -- No. 2 Romeo Djournessi (WAR) dec. George Lynaugh (AUG, 17-4) 8-5 (Augsburg 22-3).
197 -- No. 1 T.J. Miller (WAR) dec. Wally O'Connor (AUG, 10-9) 4-0 (Augsburg 22-6).
HWT -- No. 1 Blake Gillis (WAR) maj. dec. No. 6 Andrew Neumann (AUG, 20-3) 11-2 (Augsburg 22-10).