Augsburg's young lineup, including three sophomores and three first-year wrestlers, collected three major decisions, two pins and a technical fall -- in addition to an opening-bout forfeit -- to improve to 1-1 on the season. Division II Southwest Minnesota State dropped to 1-1 on the year with the loss. Augsburg now leads the all-time series against Southwest Minnesota State by a 22-3 margin, dating to the 1984-85 season. Augsburg has now won 21 straight matches between the two schools, dating to the 1988-89 season.
The Auggies, ranked No. 2 in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings and winners of 10 of the last 18 Division III national titles, is now 229-20 against Divisions II and III teams since the 1989-90 season, losing just 15 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season.
Jake Saatzer (SO, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) and Brandon Bahr (FY, Bemidji, Minn.) both claimed first-period pins for the Auggies, Saatzer with a 2:54 match-ender at 157 pounds and Bahr with a 44-second pin at 184.
Top-ranked Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) collected his second-straight bonus-point win over SMSU's Michal Barrie (SR, Westbrook, Minn./Adrian HS) at 133 pounds, using three takedowns and three 3-point near-falls to score a 16-1, second-period technical fall. Lang, now 9-0 on the year, had beaten Barrie by a 15-6, major-decision win in the finals of the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragon Open on Saturday. Of Lang's nine wins, eight are bonus-point triumphs (six pins, one major decision, one technical fall).
Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 3 nationally at 157, moved up a weight class to 165 and scored an 8-0, major-decision victory for the Auggies, while Andy Peterson (SO, Grand Marais, Minn./Milaca HS) collected an 11-0, major-decision win at 197 and Brett Landrum (SO, Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) scored a 15-5, major-decision win at 174.
At heavyweight, No. 5-ranked Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.) improved to 9-0 on the season with a 6-0 win over SMSU's Carter Ash (FY, Milaca, Minn.). Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West HS) scored a 9-2 decision over Brandan Schunk (JR, Wabasso, Minn.) at 141.
SMSU's lone victory came from Garrett Rozeboom (FY, Mason, Mich.), who improved to 11-5 on the season with a 9-4 win over Augsburg's Torey Stewart (FY, Jackson, Minn./Jackson County Central HS) at 149.
Both teams will compete at the St. Cloud State Open on Saturday (12/13). Augsburg's varsity will compete at St. Cloud State, with its White Team (junior varsity) traveling to compete at the Wartburg (Iowa) Dick Walker Invitational, also on Saturday.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now