No. 2 Augustana outlasts No. 3 St. Cloud State
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 2 Augustana jumped out to a 12-0 lead and won six matches by decision to defeat No. 3 St. Cloud State 18-13 Thursday evening in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference dual in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Augustana, which defeated the Huskies 18-15 in non-conference action earlier this month, moves to 10-1 (4-0 NSIC). SCSU is now 14-2 (1-1 NSIC).
The Vikings are now one of two teams in the NSIC with 4-0 conference marks; the other, Minnesota State, visits the Elmen Center tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Mavericks are ranked No. 7 in Division II.
Augustana wasted little time in front of a crowd of more than 1,000, winning the dual’s first four matches.
Al Meger began with a 6-0 victory over Zach Stewart at 125 pounds, and Jason Jeremiason added to the Viking lead with a 6-4 win against Westy Hanson.
At 141 pounds, Jay Sherer, ranked No. 4 nationally, used a takedown with six seconds left in the overtime period to edge Gabe Suarez 3-1.
No. 8 Nate Herda also picked up a win by sudden victory at 149 pounds. The sophomore knocked off Jacob D. Horn, who is ranked No. 4, with a takedown at the 31-second mark of the overtime period.
The Huskies dispatched No. 5-ranked John Sundgren at 157 pounds to pick up their first victory of the evening. Sundgren used a big first period to notch a 10-3 win over No. 2-ranked Marcus Edgington.
The 165-pound match also featured a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 2 Tad Merritt picked up a 7-4 victory over Augustana’s Gavin Nelson, ranked No. 6 in the country.
Carl Serck answered for the Vikings at 174 pounds, using two takedowns and a three-point nearfall in the first period to knock off No. 8 Shamus O’Grady 9-2.
Trailing 15-6, SCSU had a chance to significantly close the gap at 184 pounds. The Huskies’ Mic Berg nearly pinned Tom Davies in the first period. Davies, though, fought off the near-pin and worked Berg for the next two periods before dropping the 6-4 decision.
Ty Copsey’s ensuing win at 197 pounds sealed the victory for the Vikings. No. 2-ranked Copsey recorded a 4-0 win by decision over Luke Munkelwitz to put his squad ahead 18-9.
No. 1-ranked Jacob Kahnke closed the dual with a win for SCSU in the heavyweight tilt, beating Lance Peters 16-5.
Head coach Jason Reitmeier said he expected a close contest with the Huskies, whose two losses this season have been to his Vikings.
“It’s going to be tight every time,” said Reitmeier. “We need to find a way to finish matches a little better; we need to distance ourselves. (Our wins) are never going to be major decisions or pins–it’s always going to be dog fight.”
Augustana has now won four straight duals.
Augustana 18, St. Cloud State 13
125: Al Meger (Augie) dec. Zach Stewart (SCSU), 6-0
133: Jason Jeremiason (Augie) dec. Westy Hanson (SCSU), 6-4
141: Jay Sherer (Augie) dec. Gabe Suarez (SCSU), 3-1 (SV1)
149: Nate Herda (Augie) dec. Jacob D. Horn (SCSU), 3-1 (SV1)
157: John Sundgren (SCSU) dec. Marcus Edgington (Augie), 10-3
165: Tad Merritt (SCSU) dec. Gavin Nelson (Augie), 7-4
174: Carl Serck (Augie) dec. Shamus O’Grady (SCSU), 9-2
184: Mic Berg (SCSU) dec. Tom Davies (Augie), 6-4
197: Ty Copsey (Augie) dec. Luke Munkelwitz (SCSU), 4-0
285: Jacob Kahnke (SCSU) major dec. Lance Peters (Augie), 16-5