No. 2-ranked Augsburg attempts to claim National Duals title
January 9, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS (1/12-13/08) -- Augsburg College
will attempt to win its fourth championship at the National Wrestling
Coaches Association/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals, this
weekend as the No. 2 seed at the tournament, held at the University of
Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
The Auggies, winners of 10 of the last 18 national championships, are
currently the No. 2-ranked team in the latest Division III national
poll (Jan. 6). Wartburg (Iowa), the defending Division III national
champion, is the current top-ranked team nationally. The top four teams
in the latest national rankings, and 12 of the top 25, are competing in
the 16-team Division III bracket at the National Duals.
The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals is in the eighth year of its current
format, where teams from all three NCAA divisions compete in separate
tournaments at one site, along with separate tournaments for junior
colleges, NAIA schools and women's wrestling teams. In the old format,
the defending Division II, Division III and NAIA national champions
were invited to compete in the 16-team Division I National Duals.
This is the fourth year for the multi-division National Duals at
Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome; the tournament was held in 2002 and 2003 at
Ohio State University and in 2004 and 2005 at Cleveland State
University. Augsburg's first match is against Buena Vista (Iowa)
(unranked in the latest Division III national poll) on Saturday at 11
a.m. The second round will be held at 1 and 3 p.m., with semifinals set
for Sunday at 11 a.m. Championship match is at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Augsburg is currently 1-1 in dual meets this season. Augsburg is 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.
Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is 235-23 since the
1979-80 season and 159-13 since the 1989-90 season.
Augsburg and Wartburg have been the powers of small-college wrestling
over the past decade. Either Augsburg or Wartburg, or both teams, have
finished among the top two in the NCAA Division III national
championship race every year since 1990. Augsburg has won 10 of the
last 18 Division III national titles (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998,
2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007), while Wartburg won national titles in
1996, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008, finishing second seven times.
Augsburg and Wartburg have dominated the Division III National Duals
since the current format was introduced. The two teams have met in six
of the last seven championship matches, with Augsburg winning in 2002
(29-12), 2005 (18-15) and 2007 (22-10) and Wartburg winning in 2003
(19-13), 2004 (20-17) and 2006 (29-6). Wartburg won the National Duals
crown last season with a 25-8 triumph over Wisconsin-La Crosse in the
finals; Augsburg finished third in the 2008 tournament. Augsburg and
Wartburg will also meet in a dual meet on Jan. 30 at Si Melby Hall in
Minneapolis.
Entering this weekend’s action, Augsburg has seven individuals ranked
in the top 10 in their individual weight classes, including top-ranked
wrestlers Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) at 125 pounds and
Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) at 133. Willy Holst (SR, Prescott,
Wis.) is ranked No. 2 at 149 and Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines,
Minn./Centennial HS) is ranked No. 2 at 197. Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda,
Minn.) is ranked No. 3 at heavyweight, Lucas Murray (SO, Anoka, Minn.)
is ranked No. 4 at 141 and Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) is
ranked No. 5 at 157.
Augsburg notes for NWCA Division III National Duals (pdf)
