NWCA D-III NATIONAL DUALS BRACKETS/RESULTS

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- For the ninth time in school history, the Augsburg University men's wrestling team won the championship at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals tournament, topping the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 25-9 in the semifinals and perennial rival Wartburg College 17-16 in the title match on Saturday.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 25, Wisconsin-La Crosse 9; Augsburg 17, Wartburg (Iowa) 16
RECORD: Augsburg 12-0 overall
LOCATION: UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg, ranked No. 4 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III tournament national poll and No. 3 in the dual-meet poll, scored a 25-9 win over No. 2/2 Wisconsin-La Crosse in the semifinals, then edged No. 1/1 Wartburg (Iowa) 17-16 in the title match. 
• Against Wartburg, the two-time defending NCAA Division III national champion Auggies avenged a 21-19 loss in the 2024 National Duals title match and claimed their second straight victory over the Knights. Both teams won five bouts in the dual, but a run of four straight wins for the Auggies in the middle weights -- including a pair of major decisions -- gave the Auggies a lead they would not relinquish.
• No. 11-ranked 149-pounder Matthew Randolph (FY, Jordan, Minn./Jordan HS (Scott West)) started the Auggie rally with a 5-3 decision, and No. 7-ranked 157-pounder Karsen Otis (SO, Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly HS) scored a 12-1, major-decision win over Wartburg's No. 4-ranked Blaine Christie. The win was Otis' second on the day over a ranked foe; he scored a 6-4 triumph over UW-La Crosse's Tyler Goebel, the No. 2-ranked 165-pounder nationally, in the semifinals.
• No. 3-ranked 165-pounder Cooper Willis (JR, Kansasville, Wis./Union Grove HS) followed with an 11-2 major decision win to improve to 21-0 on the season, and No. 6-ranked 174-pounder Seth Goetzinger (SR, Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield HS) gave the Auggies a 17-6 lead with a 6-0 victory over former Auggie Matt Rogge, now ranked No. 14 nationally for Wartburg.
• Parker Venz (SR, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS), ranked No. 2 nationally at 197, scored an unusual win over UW-La Crosse's No. 3-ranked Ben Kawczynski, as Kawczynski was whistled five times for stalling in the opening 1:55 of the bout, resulting in a disqualification victory for Venz. Against Wartburg, Venz suffered his first loss after 15 victories, falling 8-6 to two-time NCAA Division III national titlist Massoma Endene, the No. 1-ranked 197-pounder. Venz took a 5-4 lead on a takedown with 1:29 left, but Endene scored an escape and takedown in the final five seconds to claim the win.
• Augsburg claimed seven victories in the semifinal triumph over UW-La Crosse, including an 11-1, major-decision victory by No. 15-ranked 133-pounder Chance Suddeth (SO, Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton HS). Cooper Willis, Goetzinger, Otis and Randolph all had two victories on Saturday.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Since the NWCA began the Division III National Duals in 2002, the trophy has rested at either Augsburg or Wartburg (Iowa) in all but one year (Wisconsin-La Crosse won the title in 2022, when Augsburg and Wartburg did not compete). Augsburg has now won the title nine times (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2025), while Wartburg has won the crown 13 times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2024). Augsburg has placed second seven times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2012, 2017, 2020, 2024), placed third twice (2008, 2011), placed fourth in 2014, sixth in 2015 and seventh in 2016.
• Augsburg is now 72-17 in NWCA Division III National Duals competition since 2002. Augsburg also appeared in five NWCA National Duals competitions prior to the 2002 season, when the defending Division III national champion was invited to compete with Division I squads. Augsburg is now 77-26 all-time in NWCA National Duals competition. 
• Against opponents from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 383-58-1 in dual meets since the 1989-90 season. Augsburg has lost just 54 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season.
• Against strictly NCAA Division III opponents, Augsburg is 368-57-1 since the 1979-80 season. Since 1989-90, Augsburg is 293-47-1 against Division III opponents.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg competes at the Cornell (Iowa) Mike Duroe Invitational next Saturday (1/18) at 9 a.m. in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

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No. 4/3 Augsburg (11-0) 25, No. 2/2 Wisconsin-La Crosse (8-1) 9
NWCA Division III National Duals Semifinals
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 - UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
125 -- No. 14 Quintin Wolbert (UWL, 10-5) dec. Wyatt Kaczrowski (AUG, 13-5) 9-8 (UW-La Crosse 3-0)
133 -- No. 15 Chance Suddeth (AUG, 19-5) maj. dec. Teague Holzer (UWL, 17-10) 11-1 (Augsburg 4-3)
141 -- No. 15 Sam Lorenz (UWL, 2-0) dec. Cade Willis (AUG, 12-10) 9-5 (UW-La Crosse 6-4)
149 -- No. 11 Matthew Randolph (AUG, 20-1) dec. Josh Cherba (UWL, 8-8) 5-3 (Augsburg 7-6)
157 -- No. 7 Karsen Otis (AUG, 16-3) dec. No. 2 (@165) Tyler Goebel (UWL, 13-1) 6-4 (Augsburg 10-6)
165 -- No. 3 Cooper Willis (AUG, 20-0) dec. Tate Flege (UWL, 20-6) 2-0 (Augsburg 13-6)
174 -- No. 6 Seth Goetzinger (AUG, 13-3) dec. Leo Draveling (UWL, 18-3) 9-6 (OT-SV1) (Augsburg 16-6)
184 -- No. 7 Marcus Orlandoni (UWL, 9-2) dec. No. 4 Brandt Bombard (AUG, 18-3) 4-2 (Augsburg 16-9)
197 -- No. 2 Parker Venz (AUG, 15-0) won by disqualification over No. 3 Ben Kawczynski (UWL, 11-4) 1:55 (Augsburg 22-9)
285 -- Jagger Schack (AUG, 11-6) dec. Gabe Carter (UWL, 16-9) 9-2 (Augsburg 25-9)
 
No. 4/3 Augsburg (12-0) 17, No. 1/1 Wartburg (9-1) 16
NWCA Division III National Duals Championship Match
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 - UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
125 -- Wyatt Kaczrowski (AUG, 14-5) dec. Brett Birchman (WAR) 4-0 (Augsburg 3-0)
133 -- No. 6 Josh Gervey (WAR) dec. No. 15 Chance Suddeth (AUG, 19-6) 4-1 (TIED 3-3)
141 -- Tommy Thongseg (WAR) dec. Cade Willis (AUG, 12-11) 7-2 (Wartburg 6-3)
149 -- No. 11 Matthew Randolph (AUG, 21-1) dec. Ian Crapp (WAR) 5-3 (TIED 6-6)
157 -- No. 7 Karsen Otis (AUG, 17-3) maj. dec. No. 4 Blaine Christie (WAR) 12-1 (Augsburg 10-6)
165 -- No. 3 Cooper Willis (AUG, 21-0) maj. dec. Carter Profitt (WAR) 11-2 (Augsburg 14-6)
174 -- No. 6 Seth Goetzinger (AUG, 14-3) dec. No. 14 Matt Rogge (WAR) 6-0 (Augsburg 17-6)
184 -- No. 3 Kasey Ross (WAR) dec. No. 4 Brandt Bombard (AUG, 18-4) 2-0 (Augsburg 17-9)
197 -- No. 1 Massoma Endene (WAR) dec. No. 2 Parker Venz (AUG, 15-1) 8-6 (Augsburg 17-12)
285 -- No. 5 Mitchell Williamson (WAR) maj. dec. Tyler Raway (AUG, 17-4) 11-3 (Augsburg 17-16)