Wrestling 2/15/08 -- No. 2 Augsburg (Minn.) 29, No. 7 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 16

MINNEAPOLIS (2/15/08) -- Rallying from a 13-0 deficit with wins in six straight matches, including three pins in a row, the No. 2-ranked Augsburg College wrestling team claimed a 29-16 dual-meet victory over the No. 7-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.

Starting with a 3-2 win by heavyweight Andy Witzel (SO, Fulda, Minn.), Augsburg claimed six straight victories to take control of the match. Three straight pins followed Witzel's win -- a 4:40 pin by No. 6-ranked Seth Flodeen * (JR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) at 125, a 2:20 triumph by top-ranked Travis Lang (JR, Bismarck, N.D.) at 133 and a 4:37 pin by Jason Adams (So., Coon Rapids, Minn.) at 141.

Flodeen rallied from a 6-5 first-period deficit to score a pin off a reversal in the second period. Lang built a 10-0 lead with a takedown and three near-falls before ending his bout late in the first period, and Adams scored a reversal and three-point near-fall to build a 7-0 lead before scoring his pin.

No. 2-ranked Willy Holst (SO, Prescott, Wis.) scored a third-period, 17-2 technical fall at 149, collecting four takedowns and two near-falls along the way, and Beau Hansen (FY, Albert Lea, Minn.) claimed a 10-4 win at 157 to complete the comeback for Augsburg, which finished its dual-meet season 10-2.

Augsburg is the defending NCAA Division III national champion and winners of 10 of the last 17 national titles. Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 228-19 since the 1989-90 season, losing just 14 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is 235-22 since the 1979-80 season and 159-12 since the 1989-90 season. Augsburg leads the all-time series with Wisconsin-Stevens Point 15-1, in a series that dates to the 1992-93 season.

No. 2-ranked Eric Bath (SR, Pulaski, Wis.) opened the match with a 2:35 pin at 174 pounds for Wisconsin-Stevens Point, now 14-6-1 on the season. Ben Engelland (FY, Neenah, Wis.), ranked No. 6 at 184, claimed a 13-0, major-decision victory, and Craig Bollig (SR, Verona, Wis.), ranked No. 4 at 197, scored a 7-3 win over Augsburg's Wallace O'Connor (SR, Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) to give the Pointers a 13-0 lead after the first three bouts of the dual.

Jake Wozniak (SO, Stanley, Wis.), ranked No. 9 at 165, completed the match with a 7-5 win over Augsburg's Brandon Klukow (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.).

Augsburg is idle until next Saturday (2/23) at 9 a.m., when it competes at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn. Wisconsin-Stevens Point completes its dual-meet season this Saturday (2/16) at 1 p.m., with a match at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

College Wrestling -- No. 2 Augsburg (Minn., 10-2) 29, No. 7 Wisconsin-Stevens Point (14-6-1) 16
Friday, February 15, 2008 -- Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Attendance: 127.  Official: Jerry Reker.
Match begins at 174 pounds.

174 -- No. 2 Eric Bath (UWSP, 14-6) pinned Jake Grygelko (AUG, 11-12) 2:35 (UWSP 6-0).
184 -- No. 6 Ben Engelland (UWSP, 13-2) maj. dec. Garrett Long (AUG, 15-11) 13-0 (UWSP 10-0).
197 -- No. 4 Craig Bollig (UWSP, 28-1) dec. Wallace O'Connor (AUG, 7-9) 7-3 (UWSP 13-0).
HWT -- Andy Witzel (AUG, 23-14) dec. Chad Gregory (UWSP, 14-7) 3-2 (UWSP 13-3).
125 -- No. 6 Seth Flodeen * (AUG, 19-6) pinned Jake Calhoun (UWSP, 14-4) 4:40 (UWSP 13-9).
133 -- No. 1 Travis Lang (AUG, 32-1) pinned Jered Kern (UWSP, 15-10) 2:20 (Augsburg 15-13).
141 -- Jason Adams (AUG, 23-8) pinned Chase DeCleene (UWSP, 14-9) 4:37 (Augsburg 21-13).
149 -- No. 2 Willy Holst (AUG, 24-2) tech. fall Kyle Mueller (UWSP, 11-13) 17-2 at 6:48 (Augsburg 26-13).
157 -- Beau Hansen (AUG, 25-6) dec. Chris Brown (UWSP, 15-16) 10-4 (Augsburg 29-13).
165 -- No. 9 Jake Wozniak (UWSP, 22-8) dec. Brandon Klukow (AUG, 22-14) 7-5 (Augsburg 29-16).