PUEBLO, Colo. – Three Augustana wrestlers went 2-0 Friday at the NCAA Championships and are still alive for a national championship. The Vikings are tied for sixth with 30 points.
Nebraska-Kearney leads the team standings with 56.5 points.
Cody Lensing (125), Jason Jeremiason (133) and Chism Fink (141) won their opening-two matches and have secured at least a top-five finish and All-America honors.
Augustana’s four other wrestlers–Nate Herda (149), Carl Serck (174), Jayd Docken (184) and Sean Derry (197)–were all eliminated Friday.
Tomorrow, Lensing will wrestle Joshua Kieffer of Indianapolis, Jeremiason has St. Cloud State’s Andrew Pokorny and Fink will face off with Dalton Jenson of Nebraska-Kearney in the championship bracket. A win in those matches would place each wrestler in the title tilt.
Herda, Serck and Docken all went 1-2. Derry lost both of his matches.
Brackets/Results on trackwrestling.com
Augustana match-by-match
Cody Lensing (125)
defeated Garrett Evans (Ouachita Baptist) by decision, 9-2
defeated Kenny Trumbetta (Seton Hill) by fall, 4:07
Jason Jeremiason (133)
defeated Julian Perez (San Francisco State) by major decision, 12-4
defeated Dustin Reed (Central Oklahoma) by decision, 10-4
Chism Fink (141)
defeated Aaron Smith (American International) by decision, 2-0
defeated Tywan Claxton (King) by decision, 4-1
Nate Herda (149)
defeated Jeremy Espinoza (Findlay) by major decision, 13-0
lost to Raufeon Stots (Nebraska-Kearney) by decision, 8-5
lost to Eathan Swope (Gannon) by fall, 8:30
Carl Serck (174)
defeated Kelly Henderson (Central Oklahoma) by decision, 5-1
lost to Travis Sheehy (Newberry) by decision, 6-4
lost to Travis McKillop (Pittsburgh-Johnstown) by decision, 5-3
Jayd Docken (184)
defeated Nick Peterson (Central Missouri) by decision, 6-4 (OT)
lost to Tanner Keck (Central Oklahoma) by decision, 7-6
lost to Mitch Schultz (Upper Iowa) by decision, 9-3
Sean Derry (197)
lost to Shane Nolan (North Carolina-Pembroke) by decision, 8-6
lost to Celic Bell (Grand Canyon) by major decision, 15-3