SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Augsburg College wrestling team finished in second place at the National Wresting Coaches Association/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals, presented by Hibclens and The Marines, on Sunday at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill.
Results on TrackWrestling.com: Division III
The Auggies, ranked No. 2 in the latest NWCA Division III national poll, reached the finals for the ninth time in the 11-year history of the Division III National Duals with a 32-12 semifinal win over No. 3-ranked Ithaca (N.Y.). In the championship match, top-ranked Wartburg (Iowa) scored a 29-6 win over the Auggies. Augsburg is now 4-1 in dual meets on the season.
Augsburg has finished in the top three in all 11 years of the NWCA Division III National Duals. Augsburg has won the title five times (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010), while Wartburg has now won the crown six times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012). Augsburg has placed second at the National Duals four times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2012) and placed third twice (2008, 2011).
Augsburg 165-pounder Orlando Ponce (SR, Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah-Miami Lakes HS) claimed four wins on the weekend, with three wins coming over ranked opponents. His four wins improved his record to 102-31 on his career.
Ranked No. 2 nationally at 165 pounds, Ponce won both his matches on Sunday — a 3-1 win over Ithaca’s No. 10-ranked Nick Sanko, and a 9-4 decision over Wartburg’s No. 7-ranked Landon Williams. A two-time Division III national runner-up, Ponce is now 10-0 this season. On Saturday, Ponce scored a 42-second pin of Rhode Island College’s Rob Soleto, then topped No. 6-ranked James Myers of Olivet (Mich.) 5-2.
Augsburg’s Chad Johnson (SO, Ferryville, Wis./DeSoto HS), the top-ranked heavyweight in Division III, improved to 20-1 on the season with two victories on Sunday. He scored a 12-2, major-decision win over Ithaca’s No. 7-ranked Matthew Mahon in the semifinals, then claimed a 6-3 win over Wartburg’s Ryan Fank.
Johnson also won all four of his matches on the weekend, with a forfeit win in the opening match and a 14-0, major-decision win over Olivet’s Jake Ceslick on Saturday. An All-American who finished seventh nationally last year, Johnson is now 52-12 in his Auggie career.
Against Ithaca, the Auggies won eight of the 10 bouts, incouding two pins and two major-decision victories. Brad Baus (JR, Mukwonago, Wis.) scored his third pin of the weekend with a 3:36 victory at 197, while Zach Enrico (SR, Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins HS) claimed a 4:02 pin at 157. In addition to Johnson’s major-decision win, Matt Hechsel (FY, Apple Valley, Minn.) scored a 10-2, major-decision win at 184.
Augsburg also gained wins against Ithaca from 125-pounder Mike Fuenffinger (FY, Hibbing, Minn.), No. 10-ranked 133-pounder Tom Kuehn (FY, Fargo, N.D./West Fargo HS), 149-pounder Jake Saatzer (SR, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) and Ponce.
Fuenffinger competed in his first collegiate matches as an Auggie after spending the fall half of 2011 at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan, where he was ranked No. 9 nationally by USA Wrestling in the 55-kilogram Greco-Roman weight class. He went 2-1 on the weekend.
Baus went 3-1 on the weekend, while Hechsel won all three of his matches. Kuehn went 2-0 on the weekend, including Sunday’s 12-10 overtime victory over Ithaca’s Alex Gomez.
Augsburg is now 38-6 in NWCA Division III National Duals competition since 2002. Augsburg also appeared in five NWCA National Duals competitions prior to the 2002 season, when the defending Division III national champion was invited to compete with Division I squads. Augsburg is 43-15 all-time in NWCA National Duals competition.
Augsburg returns to action next Saturday (1/14) at 9 a.m. with action at two meets. The Auggie varsity will compete at the Cornell (Iowa) Matman Open, while the Auggie White Team (junior varsity) will compete at the Central (Iowa) Invitational.
Championship
No. 1 Wartburg (11-1) 29, No. 2 Augsburg (4-1) 6
125 – No. 3 Kenny Anderson (WAR) maj. dec. Mike Fuenffinger (AUG, 2-1) 11-0 (Wartburg 4-0)
133 — No. 5 Thomas Mirocha (WAR) dec. Boyd Suparat (AUG, 14-7) 6-0 (Wartburg 7-0)
141 — No. 7 Kodie Silvestri (WAR) dec. No. 5 Will Keeter (AUG, 14-3) 6-0 (Wartburg 10-0)
149 — Drew Wagenhoffer (WAR) pinned Jake Saatzer (AUG, 13-8) 1:58 (Wartburg 16-0)
157 — No. 10 Cole Welter (WAR) dec. Zach Enrico (AUG, 14-9) 4-3 (Wartburg 19-0)
165 — No. 2 Orlando Ponce (AUG, 10-0) dec. No. 7 Landon WIlliams (WAR) 9-4 (Wartburg 19-3)
174 — No. 5 Bradley Banks (WAR) dec. Josh Kohler (AUG, 14-9) 5-2 (Wartburg 22-3)
184 — No. 5 Dylan Azinger (WAR) dec. Jackson Mboma (AUG, 0-2) 4-3 (Wartburg 25-3)
197 — No. 1 Byron Tate (WAR) maj. dec. No. 5 Brad Baus (AUG, 15-5) 13-4 (Wartburg 29-3)
HWT — No. 1 Chad Johnson (AUG, 20-1) dec. Ryan Fank (WAR) 6-3 (Wartburg 29-6)
Semifinals
No. 2 Augsburg (4-0) 32, No 3 Ithaca (N.Y., 8-1) 12
125 – Mike Fuenffinger (AUG, 2-0) dec. Dominick Giacolone (IC, 12-7) 8-4 (Augsburg 3-0)
133 – No. 10 Tom Kuehn (AUG, 13-5) dec. Alex Gomez (IC, 11-6) 12-10 (OT-SV1) (Augsburg 6-0)
141 – No. 3 Seth Ecker (IC, 18-3) pinned No. 5 Will Keeter (AUG, 14-2) 5:50 (TIED 6-6)
149 – Jake Saatzer (AUG, 13-7) dec. Rick Gomez (IC, 11-7) 5-2 (Augsburg 9-6)
157 – Zach Enrico (AUG, 14-8) pinned No. 6 Derek Brenon (IC, 9-4) 4:02 (Augsburg 15-6)
165 – No. 2 Orlando Ponce (AUG, 9-0) dec. No. 10 Nick Sanko (IC, 7-2) 3-1 (Augsburg 18-6)
174 – No. 3 Jules Doliscar (IC, 21-2) pinned Justin Bowland (AUG, 6-6) 2:14 (Augsburg 18-12)
184 – Matt Hechsel (AUG, 12-8) maj. dec. Kyle McKeighan (IC, 1-10) 10-2 (Augsburg 22-12)
197 – No. 5 Brad Baus (AUG, 15-4) pinned Shane Bartrum (IC, 6-4) 3:36 (Augsburg 28-12)
HWT – No. 1 Chad Johnson (AUG, 19-1) maj. dec. No. 7 Matthew Mahon (IC, 13-5) 12-2 (Augsburg 32-12)