The third-ranked Augustana wrestling team (11-6, 6-1 NSIC) will send seven wrestlers to this week’s NCAA Division II National Championships, scheduled for Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, in Omaha, Neb. Scheduled to compete are Al Meger (125 pounds), Laramie Shaffer (133 pounds), Jay Sherer (141 pounds), Nate Herda (149 pounds), Marcus Edgington (157 pounds), Gavin Neslon (165 pounds) and Ty Copsey (197 pounds).

Friday’s action begins at 11 a.m. with first round matches. The second session of the day begins at 6 p.m. with the second round of the championship matches, in addition to the first two rounds of consolation matches. Wrestlers who are still alive following Friday’s action earn All-America honors.

On Saturday, the morning session begins at 10 a.m. with championship semifinals and all remaining consolation matches, including the third, fifth and seventh-place matches. The championship finals are scheduled for 8 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEB SITE:  The University of Nebraska-Omaha, the host school, has established an NCAA Champioships web site containing links for tickets, parking, schedules, brackets, updated results, live web streaming and much more. The link is:
http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-wrestl/champpage/m-wrestl-div2-index.html

TICKETS: Ticket prices for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships are:
All Session Pass - Reserved Seating: $ 50.00
All Session Pass - Adult General Admission: $ 45.00
All Session Pass - Student / Senior Citizen (age 60) General Admission: $ 35.00
Single Session - Adult General Admission: $ 12.00 each session
Single Session - Student / Senior Citizen General Admission: $ 10.00 each session
Championship Session - Adult General Admission: $ 15.00
Championship Session - Student/Senior GA: $ 13.00 

The arena will be cleared following each session. A session ticket must be purchased for each session. Children age two and under will be admitted free in accordance with NCAA guidelines.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS: Augustana won its second regional championship since 2005 when the Vikings claimed the Super Region 3 team title on February 28 in Aberdeen, S.D. The Vikings crowned four champions in racking up 120.5 points. As a result, head coach Jason Reitmeier was named the region’s Coach of the Year.

After their victory, the Vikings climbed to its highest national ranking of the season. Augustana enters the national championships ranked No. 3 in the country.