The open tournament featured wrestlers from four teams ranked in the top 30 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings -- No. 2-ranked Augsburg, No. 6 College of New Jersey, No. 12 Delaware Valley (Pa.) and No. 21 Heidelberg (Ohio). Dickinson State (N.D.), ranked No. 10 in the NAIA national poll, also competed at the tournament.
Augsburg claimed titles in five of the 10 weight classes at the tournament, led by 149-pounder Tony Valek (SO, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West). Valek, ranked No. 3 nationally, scored two pins among his five victories, including a 5-4 win over No. 7-ranked Tyler Branham of the College of New Jersey in the championship match.
At heavyweight, No. 4-ranked Andy Witzel (SR, Fulda, Minn.) swept his weight class with three of his four wins coming by pin, including two first-period match-enders. At 125, Freddie Vigil (SR, Bakersfield, Calif./South HS) had a technical fall and a major decision among his four victories to win his title.
Orlando Ponce (JR, Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah-Miami Lakes HS), a national qualifier last season, dominated in winning his weight class, with three pins and a major decision among his five victories. In the title match, he scored a 4:23 pin of Justin Bonitatis of the College of New Jersey, ranked No. 6 nationally.
Paul Bjorkstrand (SR, Burnsville, Minn.) and Dusty Holmes (SO, West Fargo, N.D.) shared the crown at 125 pounds, with Bjorkstrand going 3-0 and Holmes going 2-0.
Augsburg's two top-ranked wrestlers -- 197-pounder Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) and 157-pounder Jason Adams (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) -- were unable to capture titles at the meet. Adams opened his tournament with three pins, but was upset 8-6 by No. 6-ranked Jesse Harrington of Delaware Valley in the semifinals, then suffered a third-period pin in a wrestleback match before rallying to win the fifth-place bout. Massey also collected pins in his first three matches before a forfeit in the final.
Cody Hansen (FY, Albert Lea, Minn.) had a solid performance at 141, with a pin and technical fall en route to a second-place finish. Teammates Nathan Lexvold (SO, Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) and Jake Saatzer (JR, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) shared third place at 141.
Augsburg returns to action on Sunday (1/3) at 2 p.m., hosting Wisconsin-Eau Claire in a dual meet at Si Melby Hall.
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