TOURNAMENT RESULTS
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. --
Mike Fuenffinger (JR, Hibbing, Minn.) claimed the championship at 125 pounds, leading the Augsburg College wrestling team at the Saint John's University North Country Open on Saturday.
Fuenffinger won all four of his matches, including a first-period fall in the quarterfinals, to improve to 20-2 on the season and 63-19 in his Auggie career. The No. 4-ranked 125-pounder in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll, Fuenffinger scored a 6-4 win over Alfredo Rodriguez of Iowa Lakes Community College, ranked No. 8 in the latest NJCAA (junior college) national poll, in the finals.
Fuenffinger was one of eight placewinners for the Auggies at the North Country Open, which featured wrestlers from throughout the Midwest, including several Division I and II competitors.
Matt Hechsel (JR, Apple Valley, Minn.), who moved into the No. 1 spot in the 197-pound Division III national rankings for the first time in his career this week, finished third at the North Country Open, with his lone loss coming in a 11-5 decision to former Saint John's wrestler Matt Pfarr (2012), a two-time All-American. Hechsel claimed three pins and a 15-0 technical-fall win to finish 4-1 on the day, improving to 23-4 on the season and 77-33 in his career.
Marcus Hamer (FY, Kimball, Minn.) went 4-1 on the day to finish third at 141 pounds, improving to 17-8 on the season.
Justin Bowland (SR, Foley, Minn.) went 5-1 on the day, incluiding two pins, to finish third at 165.
Tyrell Martin (JR, Eagan, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) also went 5-1 on the day, finishing third at 174. He scored a 5-3 win over Brandon Sorenson of Iowa Lakes, the No. 9-ranked NJCAA wrestler at 174, in the third-place match.
Will Keeter (JR, Twin Falls, Idaho) placed fourth at 149 pounds, going 3-2 on the day, while
James Goman (FY, Lakeville, Minn./Trinity-River Ridge HS) went 4-2 to place fifth at 125, as did
Chad Bartschenfeld (JR, Amery, Wis.) at 133.
Augsburg returns to action on Thursday (2/6) with its annual "Battle of the Burgs" meet against Wartburg (Iowa). The No. 7-ranked Auggies will travel to Waverly, Iowa, to face the top-ranked Knights at 7 p.m.
AUGSBURG INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
125 -- Mike Fuenffinger 4-0, champion; James Goman 4-2, 5th place
133 -- Chad Bartschenfeld 4-2, 5th place; Roarke Langer 1-1
141 -- Marcus Hamer 4-1, 3rd place; Cameron Henning 3-2; Blake Miller 2-2; Ryan Cook 0-2; Sidney Rodriguez 0-2
149 -- Will Keeter 3-2, 4th place; Quade Zupko 3-2; Rashad Kennedy 0-2
157 -- Grant Parker 2-2; Drew Randall 0-2
165 -- Justin Bowland 5-1, 3rd place; Austin Boniface 1-2
174 -- Tyrell Martin 5-1, 3rd place; Kurt Knutsen 2-2
184 -- Miles Hammerlund 1-2; Gregory Skon 1-2; Avery Sweeney 0-2
197 -- Matt Hechsel 4-1, 3rd place; Justin Flores 2-2
HWT -- Logan Hortop 1-2
