Wrestling 3/8/08 -- Augsburg at NCAA Division III National Championships -- Session 4
NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS PAGE -- CLICK HERE
AUGSBURG'S NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS PAGE -- CLICK HERE
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (3/8/08) -- Turning a front headlock into a pin at the 2:07 mark of the first period, Augsburg College's Seth Flodeen * (JR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) claimed an individual national title at 125 pounds, as the Auggies scored a third-place finish as a team following the final session of the NCAA Division III National Championships on Saturday evening at the U.S. Cellular Center.
Flodeen, a national runner-up last season, fought back from a 5-0 deficit in the first minute of action to Clayton Rush of Coe (Iowa), after surrendering a front headlock, which lead to a takedown and three-point near-fall with 2:18 left in the first period. After claiming an escape eight seconds later, the two battled until Flodeen claimed a takedown with 1:20 left, and he converted his headlock into a cradle and pin.
"Obviously, you get a little scared, but I wasn't going to panic," said Flodeen of the early scare, which turned into triumph. "I tried to stay confident and stay within myself. I knew I had six or seven minutes to go, so I tried to stay in control. I caught him in a cradle from a front headlock and drilled over the top. I took my time, to make sure it was precise."
Flodeen, who was seeded fifth in his weight class, clinched a spot in the national finals for the second straight season after topping top-seed Christopher Heilman of Cornell (Iowa) in the semifinals 8-2 earlier on Saturday. Rush was the No. 2 seed in the field. Flodeen finished his junior season 25-7, and is 78-27 in his Auggie career.
Flodeen is the 43rd wrestling national champion in Augsburg program history -- a record 39 in NCAA competition. The Auggies also earned four NAIA individual titles in the 1970s and 80s.
He was one of five All-American placewinners for Augsburg, which finished third as a team with 87 points, placing in the top four in the team standings for the 20th straight year -- a record currently unmatched by any other NCAA wrestling program in any division.
Wartburg (Iowa) won the national title with 147 points and three national champions, while Wisconsin-La Crosse was second with 100 points and two national titlists. Coe (Iowa) was fourth with 78 points and a national titlist.
Augsburg claimed five All-Americans, marking the 20th straight season that Augsburg has had five or more All-Americans and 22nd time it has accomplished the feat in its 26 seasons of NCAA Division III competition.
"I thought it was a great total team effort," said Sam Barber, who completed his first season as Augsburg's head coach. "We had an individual champion, five All-Americans, and placed in the top three as a team. We maintained a focus of improving 'One Percent a Day,' from the beginning of the season to the National Duals to the Great Lakes Regional and the national tournament. The credit really belongs to the kids on the team. It's their sweat and blood that makes it happen."
At 141 pounds, unseeded Jason Adams (SO, Coon Rapids, Minn.) reached the championship match in his first trip to the national tournament, but fell 5-2 to top-seed Michael Bonora of Rhode Island College. Bonora connected on two takedowns and built 1:07 of riding time, fighting off two escapes by Adams.
Adams claimed an 8-4 victory over Niles Mercer of Coe (Iowa) in the semifinals to finish 31-9 on the season. He is 51-14 in his Auggie career.
Earlier on Saturday, two Auggies placed third in the field -- 149-pounder Willy Holst (SO, Prescott, Wis.) and 184-pounder Robbie Gotreau (SR, Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS). Gotreau became the 33rd wrestler in Augsburg history to earn three or more All-American honors, finishing the season with a 31-12 record and his career at 141-37. He finished fourth nationally at 174 pounds in 2006 and fifth at 174 in 2007.
Holst, a transfer from Division I Minnesota, finished this season 32-3 and is 46-8 in his collegiate career.
At 133, Augsburg's Travis Lang (JR, Bismarck, N.D.) completed his first season as an Auggie with a fifth-place national finish. A transfer from Division I Minnesota, Lang finished this season 38-4 and is 74-22 in his collegiate career.
Two other Minnesota college wrestlers earned All-American honors on Saturday -- 125-pounder Mogi Baatar of St. John's finished seventh, while Anthony Neumann of Concordia-Moorhead finished eighth at 197.
2007 NCAA Division III National Championships -- Final Top-15 Standings:
1. Wartburg (Iowa) 147; 2. Wisconsin-La Crosse 100; 3. Augsburg (Minn.) 87; 4. Coe (Iowa) 78; 5. Delaware Valley (Pa.) 64; 6. Luther (Iowa) 45.5; 7. Cornell (Iowa) 40.5; 8. Elmhurst (Ill.) 38; 9. North Central (Ill.) 37.5; 10. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 33; 11. Olivet (Mich.) 29.5; 12. New York Univ. 23.5; 13. Kings (Pa.) 21; 14. Rhode Island College 20; 15t. Lycoming (Pa.) 19; 15t. Massachusetts Institute of Tech. 19. Other Minnesota schools: 30. St. John's 8.5; 37t. Concordia-Moorhead 4.5.
Saturday's Augsburg/St. John's/Concordia-Moorhead individual results at NCAA Division III National Championships:
125 -- Seth Flodeen * (Augsburg) dec. Christopher Heilman (Cornell) 8-2; Jake Oster (Elmhurst) dec. Mogi Baatar (St. John's) 10-7. Seventh-place match: Baatar dec. Jon Gregory (Ithaca) 11-7. Championship match: Flodeen pinned Clayton Rush (Coe) 2:07.
133 -- Travis Lang (Augsburg) maj. dec. Jestin Hulegaard (Buena Vista) 14-2; Adam Johnson (North Central) dec. Lang 3-1. Fifth-place match: Lang pinned Nichalos Nothern (Cornell) 0:56.
141 -- Jason Adams (Augsburg) dec. Niles Mercer (Coe) 8-4. Championship match: Michael Bonora (Rhode Island) dec. Adams 5-2.
149 -- Elliott Spense (Mt. St. Joseph) dec. Willy Holst (Augsburg) 9-3; Holst dec. Matt Mauseth (Wis.-La Crosse) 2-0. Third-place match: Holst maj. dec. Aaron Cook (Buena Vista) 18-6.
184 -- Robbie Gotreau (Augsburg) maj. dec. Eric Fishel (Johns Hopkins) 9-0; Gotreau dec. Joshua Zabel (Wis.-La Crosse) 3-2. Third-place match: Gotreau dec. Gabe Youel (North Central) 6-1.
197 -- Rob Kramer (Coe) dec. Anthony Neumann (Concordia) 8-4. Seventh-place match: Ryan Fogliano (Heidelberg) maj. dec. Neumann 10-2.
