Joining the second-ranked Knights will be No. 9-ranked North Central College of Naperville, Ill., No. 10-ranked Coe College of Cedar Rapids, No. 17-ranked Loras College of Dubuque, No. 20-ranked Buena Vista University of Storm Lake, and No. 21-ranked Elmhurst College of Illinois as the top NCAA Division III squads entered and No. 9-ranked Great Falls University of Montana and No. 12-ranked Menlo College of California among the top National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' Division I schools entered.
Complete information on the 2006 tourney, including a round-by-round schedule, is available at http://www.go-knights.net/wrestling/dduals/index.html. Fans can follow the site throughout the day Tuesday for round-by-round results, recaps, photos and more.
KNIGHTS DESERT DUALS NOTES: The host school sports a 12-0 record at the Desert Duals. Wartburg's dominance at the tourney goes even farther as they've given up 10 points just three times, as Elmhurst has compiled the total in each of their previous meetings with the Orange and Black in Las Vegas and Menlo did so last year…Wartburg's closest call came against the Bluejays by a 26-13 count in the 2004 tournament…Head coach Jim Miller's crew, sporting a 29-dual win streak that dates back to the 2004-05 campaign, has six individuals ranked in the National Wrestling Coaches Division III poll, released Dec. 11. Senior heavyweight Blake Gillis of Spencer, at 9-0, is ranked number one, while junior 197-pounder T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls, with a 5-0 record, is ranked second as is sophomore 184-pounder Romeo Djoumessi of Waverly with a 10-1 record. Senior 174-pounder Jason Zastrow of Coon Rapids, Minn., with a 13-2 record, is ranked No. 4, while sophomore 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas, sporting an 18-2 record and 14 consecutive victories, is ranked No. 6 along with junior 133-pounder Jake Helvey of Mitchellville who has a 13-3 record…Wernimont earned special mention for the second consecutive week in the Iowa Conference's Athlete of the Week announcement Dec. 11. He ran the table at his weight in the 34th Dick Walker Invitational last weekend, rolling up three majors and a technical fall en route to Outstanding Wrestler honors…Two other participating schools have strong Wartburg ties. Former All-American Kevin Bratland and his brother, Karl, both alums, are bringing their No. 9-ranked North Central College team to the tourney, while former three-time NCAA Division III national champion Dustin Hinschberger and former All-American Dustin Bliven are on the coaching staff at Coe.
NEXT UP: Wartburg breaks from competition until January 5 and 6 when they split their squad for competition at the Cornell College of Mount Vernon Matman Invitational and Ursinus College of Collegeville, Penn.'s North-South Duals.
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