2020-21 NWCA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICANS

MINNEAPOLIS -- Eight Augsburg University men's wrestlers earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Scholar All-America recognition, it was announced recently.

A total of 413 student-athletes from 84 institutions earned Division III Scholar All-America honors. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recognition also included student-athletes who were unable to compete this season, and no team grade-point average awards were given. Over the past 36 seasons, Augsburg has produced 176 NWCA Scholar All-Americans. Augsburg has had 153 student-athletes honored since 1997.

Eight Auggie men's wrestlers earned NWCA Division III Scholar All-America honors -- Brady Gross (SO, Rosemount, Minn./Apple Valley HS), Tyler Kim (SO, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS), Tanner Kroells (SO, Delano, Minn./Delano HS), Charlie Pickell (FY, Mankato, Minn./Mankato West HS), Nick Rogge (JR, Eastman, Wis./Prairie du Chien HS), Justin Stauffacher (SO, Belle Plaine, Minn./Belle Plaine HS (Scott West)), Charlie Stuhl (FY, Ellsworth, Wis./Ellsworth HS) and Connor Thorsten (FY, Foley, Minn./Foley HS). It's the second Scholar All-America honor for Gross, Rogge and Stauffacher, and the first for the remaining five Auggies.

An accounting major with a 4.00 grade-point average, Gross qualified for his first national tournament in 2021, competing at the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships at 141 pounds. Gross finished the 2020-21 season with a 6-2 record, with two pins and a major decision, and was ranked as high as No. 8 nationally during the season. In his career, Gross is 29-10 with 13 pins, a technical fall and three major decisions.

A chemistry major with a 3.49 GPA, Kim finished as national runner-up at 285 pounds at the 2021 NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships, earning All-America honors for the first time. He finished his sophomore season with a 7-3 record, including two pins and a technical fall. In his career, Kim is now 31-12, with 12 pins, a technical fall and three major decisions.

A finance major with a 3.75 GPA, Kroells went 4-1 with a pair of pins and a major decision in the 2020-21 campaign at 149 pounds, after suffering a season-ending injury in his first bout of last season. He is now 4-2 in his collegiate career.

An undecided major with a 3.28 GPA, Pickell went 7-2 in his collegiate debut season, with two technical falls and two major decisions at 133 pounds. He qualified for the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships, and was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally during the season.

A biology major with a 3.58 GPA, Rogge earned his first collegiate All-America honor with a fifth-place finish at 184 pounds at the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships, going 4-2 with three pins and a technical fall at the meet. On the season, Rogge finished 11-2 with five pins, four technical falls and a major decision, and was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally during the year. In his three seasons as an Auggie, Rogge is now 65-16 with 19 pins, 11 technical falls and 12 major decisions.

A finance major with a 3.80 GPA, Stauffacher finished his sophomore season with his first national tournament berth, competing at 125 pounds at the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships. He finished 5-2 in 2020-21 with two pins, and was ranked as high as No. 6 nationally during the year. In his two seasons as an Auggie, Stauffacher is 22-13 with seven pins and two major decisions.

An undecided major with a 4.00 GPA, Stuhl qualified for the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships at 149 pounds in 2021. He went 6-2 in his first college campaign, with a pin, technical fall and three major decisions, and was ranked as high as No. 9 nationally during the year.

An undecided major with a 4.00 GPA, Thorsten qualified for the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships at 165 pounds in 2021. He went 7-3 in his first collegiate season, with three pins, a technical fall and a major decision, and was ranked as high as No. 11 nationally during the season.