Wrestling 1/19/08 -- Augsburg at Northwestern (Iowa) Red Raider/Paul Bartlett Invitational
TEAM RESULTS -- CLICK HERE
INDIVIDUAL BRACKETS/RESULTS -- CLICK HERE
ORANGE CITY, Iowa (1/19/08) -- Claiming three individual champions and 10 placewinners among its 12 wrestlers in competition, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed the championship at the Northwestern College (Iowa) Red Raider/Paul Bartlett Invitational on Saturday.
Augsburg, defending national champions and current No. 3-ranked team in the latest NCAA Division III national poll, finished with 122.5 points, ahead of second-place Missouri Valley (Mo.), ranked No. 10 in the NAIA national rankings, with 95.0. Host Northwestern (Iowa), ranked No. 8 in the NAIA, finished third with 61.5 points, and Dana (Neb.), ranked No. 6 in the NAIA, was fourth with 45.0 points.
Travis Lang (JR, Bismarck, N.D.), ranked No. 4 nationally at 133 pounds, improved to 22-1 on the season with three victories to win his weight class, as did Brandon Klukow (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.) at 165 pounds. Klukow, now 21-7 on the year, scored a 3-1 win over Dana's Ryan "Bulla" Tuzon, ranked No. 3 in the NAIA, in the finals.
Robbie Gotreau (SR, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), ranked No. 8 nationally in Division III at 184, won his weight class with a major-decision win in his opening match and an 11-6 triumph over Missouri Valley's Daniel Price, ranked No. 6 in the NAIA, in the finals. Gotreau is now 17-8 on the year.
Five Auggies finished second in their weight classes. At 149, Willy Holst (SO, Prescott, Wis.), ranked No. 2 in Division III, claimed two technical-fall victories in his opening matches before being pinned in 3:57 in the finals by Brian Graham of Missouri Valley, ranked No. 4 in the NAIA. Holst is now 20-2 on the year.
Lucas Murray (FY, Anoka, Minn.) went 3-1 at 141 pounds, including a major-decision win, to place second and improve to 19-3 on the year. Beau Hansen (FY, Albert Lea, Minn.) scored a pin among his 2-1 record at 157 to place second, with his lone loss a first-period pin by Jason Bilinski of Dana, ranked No. 4 in the NAIA. Hansen is now 21-5 on the season.
Heavyweight Andy Witzel (SO, Fulda, Minn.) scored a second-period pin in his opening match and scored a 4-1 win over Dana's Wade Jordan, ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, in the semifinals before falling 7-1 to Jordan Wall of William Penn (Iowa), ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, in the finals. Witzel is now 17-9 on the year. Wallace O'Connor (SR, Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) went 2-1 at 197 to place second for the Auggies.
Seth Flodeen * (JR, Cannon Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 4 nationally at 125 pounds, went 3-1 with a major decision, technical fall and pin to finish third in his weight class, as did George Lynaugh (SR, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) at 174. Lynaugh also had a technical fall and major decision among his victories. Flodeen is now 12-5 on the year, while Lynaugh is 13-6.
Augsburg returns to action on Tuesday (1/22) with a dual meet at St. John's (Minn.), with the White Team (JV) match at 5 p.m. and varsity match at 7 p.m.
Northwestern (Iowa) Red Raider/Paul Bartlett Invitational team results:
1. Augsburg (Minn.) 122.5; 2. Missouri Valley (Mo.) 95.0; 3. Northwestern-Orange City (Iowa) 61.5; 4. Dana (Neb.) 45.0; 5. Wartburg (Iowa) 43.0; 6. Morningside (Iowa) 38.5; 7. William Penn (Iowa) 38.0; 8. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 11.0; 9. Bacone (Okla.) 10.5.
Augsburg individual results:
125 -- Seth Flodeen * 3-1, third place.
133 -- Travis Lang 3-0, champion; Paul Bjorkstrand 0-2.
141 -- Lucas Murray 3-1, second place; Jason Adams 2-2.
149 -- Willy Holst 2-1, second place.
157 -- Beau Hansen 2-1, second place.
165 -- Brandon Klukow 3-0, champion.
174 -- George Lynaugh 3-1, third place.
184 -- Robbie Gotreau 2-0, champion.
197 -- Wallace O'Connor 2-1, second place.
HWT -- Andy Witzel 2-1, second place.
