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Augustana lands two high school standouts
April 16, 2004
SIOUX FALLS - Two high school wrestling standouts have singed national letters of intent to attend Augustana College and participate on the wrestling team, Viking head coach Jason Reitmeier announced today.
Those signing with the Vikings are Brandon Kruger of Ames, Neb., and Adam Schlee of Grand Meadow, Minn. They join a recruiting class that already includes Joe Walloch, who signed with the Viking football team in February and plans to wrestle as well.
Kruger is a senior at Fremont High School in Fremont, Neb. He was 20-2 as a senior and posted a 112-17 career record, establishing a school record for career wins. He was the Heartland Athletic Conference runner-up, district champion and state runner-up at the Class A state championships. A four-time state meet qualifier, Kruger placed second as a junior, third as a sophomore and fifth as a freshman. He is also a two-time conference champion, winning titles as a freshman and sophomore. He was the first Fremont wrestler to place at the state meet or win a conference or district title.
Schlee is a three-time All-Three Rivers Conference performer at Green Meadow High School. A three-time Section 1 champion, he posted a 116-30 career record while qualifying for three Class A state championships. He placed third at state as a senior, capping a 38-2 season, after finishing sixth during his junior season. He is also a three-time academic all-conference selection.
"One of our needs was to add some depth in the lower weights, and Brandon and Adam do that," Reitmeier said. "Both are accomplished high school wrestlers with outstanding backgrounds. Adam will compete at 125 and 133 pounds, while Brandon will most likely wrestle at 141 pounds and eventually grow into a 149 pounder. Adam is an accomplished top wrestler while Brandon is exceptional on his feet. We are very excited about these two, along with Joe Walloch, a heavyweight signee."
The Vikings return all 10 starters, including five national qualifiers and four All-Americans, from this past year's team that placed sixth at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.