MINNEAPOLIS -- Improving to 15-0 on the season in dual meets, the Augsburg University men's wrestling team won seven of 10 bouts in a 22-9 victory over Augustana University (S.D.) on Friday evening at Si Melby Hall.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 22, Augustana (S.D.) 9
RECORD: Augsburg 15-0 overall, Augustana 7-8 overall
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The first half of Friday's match was a close affair between Augsburg, ranked No. 3 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III tournament national poll and No. 1 in the dual-meet poll, and Augustana (S.D.), ranked No. 8 in the latest NWCA Division II national poll. Augsburg won three of the five bouts in the first half to take a 9-6 lead into intermission. But the Auggies won four of the last five bouts, with a major decision, to pull away for the team victory.
• No. 2-ranked 165-pounder Cooper Willis (JR, Kansasville, Wis./Union Grove HS) improved to 24-0 on the season with a 12-4, major decision win over the Vikings' Payton Handevidt. Willis used two takedowns, a reversal and a two-point near-fall to pull away, accumulating three minutes of riding time in claiming his 17th bonus-point win of the season (eight major decisions, five technical falls, four pins).
• No. 6-ranked 174-pounder Seth Goetzinger (SR, Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield HS) improved to 17-3 on the season with a 4-3 victory over Josh Wagener, scoring a second-period takedown and a third-period escape to hold off a Wagener takedown in the closing seconds of the bout.
• Chance Suddeth (SO, Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton HS), ranked No. 15 at 133 pounds, rallied from a 4-0 deficit with a reversal and two-point near-fall to close the second period, then took the lead in the third period with a reversal to score a 6-4 ictory over Owen Hansen, improving to 22-6 on the season.
• No. 4-ranked 184-pounder Brandt Bombard (JR, North Branch, Minn./North Branch HS) dominated in his 7-0 victory over Galvin Gulbranson, scoring a two-point near-fall, an escape and takedown to improve to 16-4 on the season.
• Karsen Otis (SO, Combined Locks, Wis./Kimberly HS), ranked No. 6 at 157, improved to 18-5 with a 4-2 win over Kyle Boeke, Austin Gabbert (SR, Lester Prairie, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) claimed a 4-1 win over Alex Mentzer at 141 to improve to 21-9, and Tyler Raway (JR, Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake HS) closed the match with an impressive 8-1 win over Max Balow, moving to 18-6 overall. 

FOR THE FOES
• Augustana won the three meetings of ranked wrestlers on the evening. No. 3-ranked 125-pounder Jaxson Rohman used 1:46 of riding time to gain the bonus point in a 7-6 win over Augsburg's No. 12-ranked Wyatt Kaczrowski (SR, Seymour, Wis./Seymour HS).
• At 149, Augustana's No. 2-ranked Cael Larson edged Augsburg's No. 11-ranked Matthew Randolph (FY, Jordan, Minn./Jordan HS (Scott West)) 3-2, and at 197, No. 4-ranked Max Ramberg scored a takedown early in sudden-victory overtime to top No. 2-ranked Parker Venz (SR, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS) 13-10.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• Augsburg is now 11-3 in the all-time series with Augustana (S.D.) and has won four dual meets in a row against the Vikings.
• Against opponents from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 386-58-1 in dual meets since the 1989-90 season. Augsburg has lost just 54 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season.

UP NEXT
• Augsburg travels to compete at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Don Parker Open on Saturday (2/8) at 10 a.m.
 

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No. 3/1 (D-III) Augsburg (15-0) 22, No. 8 (D-II) Augustana (S.D., 7-8) 9
Friday, February 7, 2025 - Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn. - Attendance: 600
Official: Ron Schneider
125 -- No. 3 Jaxson Rohman (AUGIE, 12-5) dec. No. 12 Wyatt Kaczrowski (AUGS, 16-6) 7-6 (Augustana 3-0)
133 -- No. 15 Chance Suddeth (AUG, 22-6) dec. Owen Hansen (AUGIE, 2-4) 6-4 (TIED 3-3)
141 -- Austin Gabbert (AUG, 21-9) dec. Alex Mentzer (AUGIE, 12-11) 4-1 (Augsburg 6-3)
149 -- No. 2 Cael Larson (AUGIE, 13-5) dec. No. 6 Matthew Randolph (AUG, 23-2) 3-2 (TIED 6-6)
157 -- No. 6 Karsen Otis (AUG, 18-5) dec. Kyle Boeke (AUGIE, 4-4) 4-2 (Augsburg 9-6)
165 -- No. 2 Cooper Willis (AUG, 24-0) maj. dec. Payton Handevidt (AUGIE, 14-12) 12-4 (Augsburg 13-6)
174 -- No. 6 Seth Goetzinger (AUG, 17-3) dec. Josh Wagener (AUGIE, 7-5) 4-3 (Augsburg 16-6)
184 -- No. 4 Brandt Bombard (AUG, 16-4) dec. Gavin Gulbranson (AUGIE, 4-9) 7-0  (Augsburg 19-6)
197 -- No. 4 Max Ramberg (AUGIE, 25-4) dec. No. 3 Parker Venz (AUG, 15-4) 13-10 (OT-SV1) (Augsburg 19-9)
285 -- Tyler Raway (AUG, 18-6) dec. Max Balow (AUGIE, 3-17) 8-1 (Augsburg 22-9)