Augsburg, ranked No. 1 nationally in the NCAA Division III national poll, built a 17-3 lead after the first six matches to claim the win over the Mavericks, ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II national poll and the three-time defending Division II national champions.
The Auggies are now 9-0 in dual meets on the season, having won 75 of 90 individual matches in its nine team victories this season. Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 216-16 since the 1989-90 season, losing just 11 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Augsburg has won nine Division III national titles in the last 16 seasons.
Augsburg now has a 2-1 edge in the series against the Mavericks. The teams have battled the last three seasons, with each victory coming by the visiting team. Nebraska-Omaha is now 4-2 in duals this season.
Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked No. 1 nationally at 165 pounds, maintained his unbeaten collegiate record with his second straight victory over a top-ranked Division II wrestler, scoring a 4-1 win over Ross Taplin of Nebraska-Omaha. After topping Minnesota State Moorhead's Nate Baker, who was ranked No. 1 at the time, 3-2 in a dual on Tuesday, LeVesseur scored a decision win over Taplin, who moved into the top spot in the national rankings on Wednesday.
LeVesseur, who won Division III national titles at 157 pounds three times (2003, 2004, 2005), improved to 17-0 on the season and improved his collegiate career record to 141-0, the second-longest winning streak in college wrestling history, behind the 159 of Cael Sanderson at Iowa State (1998-2002). LeVesseur has yet to lose a college wrestling match.
George Lynaugh (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) claimed the lone pin of the evening, a second-period match ender over Austin Boehm at 184 pounds, a 4:37 pin that clinched the team victory for the Auggies. Lynaugh is now 22-4 on the season.
Augsburg's four top-ranked wrestlers all claimed victories. In addition to LeVesseur, Quincy Osborn (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn.), who moved into the top ranking at 141 pounds this week, improved to 30-2 on the season with an 11-1, major-decision win over Sam Bribieseca, ranked No. 8 in Division II.
Jeremy Anderson (Jr., Thief River Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 1 at 157, improved to 26-1 with an 8-5 win over UNO's Henry Wahle. Augsburg's Jafari Vanier (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked No. 1 at 133, needed overtime to score a 9-7 win over Jeff Rau, claiming a reversal in the final tiebreaker session. Vanier is now 14-0 on the season.
Seth Flodeen (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 3 at 125, claimed an 11-3, major-decision win in the match opener against Jimmy Ball. Flodeen gave up an early takedown, but rallied back with consecutive near-falls to take an 8-3 lead after one period, eventually claiming the 11-3 win.
Two of Nebraska-Omaha's three top-ranked wrestlers scored victories. At 149, Todd Meneely scored a 11-4 decision over Augsburg's Jared Evans (Sr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 4 in Division III. J.D. Naig, top-ranked at 174, scored a 10-2, major-decision win over Augsburg's Robbie Gotreau (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), ranked No. 3 in Division III.
At 197, UNO's Jacob Marrs, ranked No. 2 nationally, claimed an 8-5 win over Augsburg's Wally O'Connor (Jr., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS), and at heavyweight, in a battle of No. 7-ranked wrestlers in their respective divisions, UNO's Tony Lewis scored a 7-3 win over Augsburg's Andrew Neumann (Sr., Somerset, Wis.).
Augsburg returns to action with its third straight match against a Division II opponent, hosting St. Cloud State on Sunday (1/28) at 2 p.m. at Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis. UNO returns to action on Saturday (1/27) at 7 p.m. with a match at Dana (Neb.), ranked No. 5 in the NAIA national poll.
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