WINONA STATE INVITATIONAL RESULTS

MINNEAPOLIS -- Building a 26-0 lead after the first five bouts and winning seven bouts in the dual, the Augsburg University men's wrestling team closed its dual-meet season with a 35-9 win over Minnesota State University-Moorhead on Saturday evening at Si Melby Hall.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 35, Minnesota State-Moorhead 9
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 8-2 overall, MSU-Moorhead 1-9 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The defending NCAA Division III national champion Auggies, ranked No. 2 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings, used two pins and a second-period technical fall, along with a forfeit, to build a nearly insurmountable 26-0 lead after the first five bouts of the dual. The Division II Dragons won three of the final five bouts, while surrendering a major decision and third-period technical fall to the Auggies.
• Justin Stauffacher (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Belle Plaine HS (Scott West)) opened the dual with his fourth pin of the season at 125 pounds, ending his bout with Cameron Williams in 1:42. Stauffacher is now 15-8 on the season.
• Defending 141-pound national champion David Flynn (SR, Jordan, Minn./Jordan HS (Scott West)), ranked No. 5 nationally at 141, was in control throughout his bout with Mason Schulz, scoring a takedown, four-point near-fall and a reversal before gaining a pin in 4:46. Flynn is now 13-3 with 10 bonus-point wins (five pins, two technical falls, three major decisions). The pin was his 33rd in his three seasons at Augsburg, and the 40th of his collegiate career.
•  Two-time defending NCAA Division III national champion Ryan Epps (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls HS), ranked No. 2 at 157, claimed his second bonus-point win of the weekend with a 16-0, second-period technical fall win over Tell Ward. Epps collected three 4-point near-falls, along with a pair of takedowns, to end the match early, improving to 25-1 on the season and 138-12 in his career.
• Top-ranked 184-pounder Tanner Vassar (SR, Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) remained unbeaten at 27-0 on the season with his 20th bonus-point victory, an 18-2, third-period technical fall win over Steven Abbott. Vassar built a 14-0 lead before allowing a reversal late in the second period, which he quickly reversed back. Vassar claimed a reversal 12 seconds into the third period to end the match early. He now has 15 pins, three technical falls and two major decisions this season, and is now 120-29 in his career with 71 bonus-point victories.
• At 174, Augsburg's No. 6-ranked Solomon Nielsen (JR, Luverne, Minn./Luverne HS) improved to 19-2 with his second bonus-point win of the weekend, a 12-3 major decision over Evan Foster. Nielsen used four takedowns, a two-point near-fall, and 3:19 of riding time to claim the victory.
• No. 3-ranked 149-pounder Aaron Wilson (SR, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS) improved to 25-1 on the season, receiving a strong challenge from Zach Scott in a 10-8 victory. Wilson overcame an early 4-0 deficit with nine straight points, including a four-point near-fall, scoring 1:27 of riding time in the process.
• The Augsburg White Team (junior varsity) competed at the Winona State Invitational on Saturday (link for results).

FOR THE FOES 
• MSU-Moorhead's biggest win came at 165, as Braydon Ortloff claimed a takedown with 54 seconds left in the third period and converted a four-point near-fall to upset Augsburg's No. 2-ranked Lucas Jeske (SR, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS), a two-time defending Division III national champion.
• The Dragons closed the dual with a pair of wins, as Logan Rhode beat Lorenzo Hernandez (SR, New Ulm, Minn./New Ulm HS) 197, and Jordan Magnuson rallied from a 5-3 deficit to claim a 10-5 win over Auggie heavweight Tyler Kim (FY, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS).

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Augsburg claimed its 20th straight dual-meet victory over MSU-Moorhead and is now 21-1 in the all-time series against the Dragons, dating to the 1984-85 season.
• Against opponents from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 346-54-1 in dual meets since the 1989-90 season. Augsburg has lost just 50 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg hosts the NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional on Feb. 28-29 at Si Melby Hall.

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No. 2 (D-III) Augsburg (7-2) 35, Minnesota State-Moorhead (1-9) 9
Saturday, February 15, 2020 -- Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Action begins at 125 pounds.
Time of match: 1:12.  Attendance: 137.
Official: Bill Benson.
125 -- Justin Stauffacher (AUG, 15-8) pinned Cameron Williams (MSUM, 5-18) 1:42 (Augsburg 6-0)
133 -- No. 2 Victor Gliva (AUG, 21-4) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 12-0)
141 -- No. 5 David Flynn (AUG, 13-3) pinned Mason Schulz (MSUM, 17-14) 4:46 (Augsburg 18-0)
149 -- No. 3 Aaron Wilson (AUG, 25-1) dec. Zach Scott (MSUM, 18-12) 10-8 (Augsburg 21-0)
157 -- No. 2 Ryan Epps (AUG, 25-1) tech. fall Tell Ward (MSUM, 1-8) 16-0 at 4:44 (Augsburg 26-0)
165 -- Braydon Ortloff (MSUM, 8-7) dec. No. 2 Lucas Jeske (AUG, 5-2) 6-3 (Augsburg 26-3)
174 -- No. 6 Solomon Nielsen (AUG, 19-2) maj. dec. Evan Foster (MSUM, 17-13) 12-3 (Augsburg 30-3)
184 -- No. 1 Tanner Vassar (AUG, 27-0) tech. fall Steven Abbott (MSUM, 2-6) 18-2 at 5:12 (Augsburg 35-3)
197 -- Logan Rhode (MSUM, 2-7) dec. Lorenzo Hernandez (AUG, 10-7) 6-3 (Augsburg 35-6)
HWT -- Jordan Magnuson (MSUM, 10-5) dec. Tyler Kim (AUG, 20-7) 10-5 (Augsburg 35-9)