MOORHEAD, Minn. — Pins by Matt Hechsel (SO, Apple Valley, Minn.) and Chad Johnson (JR, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS) proved to be the difference in the match, as the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed a 21-16 victory over host Minnesota State University Moorhead in a dual meet on Tuesday evening at Alex Nemzek Hall.
Johnson, the defending NCAA Division III national champion and top-ranked heavyweight nationally, improved to 12-1 on the season with a 4:48 pin of Gerad Fugleberg, following Hechsel’s 2:27 pin of Lucas Moderow at 197 pounds. Johnson claimed his sixth pin in his 12th victory of the season, improving to 12-1 overall. Hechsel claimed his fourth pin of the year in improving to 9-3 overall.
The two pins lifted Augsburg (2-0 overall), the No. 2-ranked team in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national polls, to a lead it would not relinquish over MSU Moorhead (2-1 overall), a squad that received votes in the latest Division II national polls. Augsburg leads the all-time series against MSU Moorhead 16-0, a series dating to the 1991-92 season.
Against opponents from NCAA Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 267-28-1 in dual meets since the 1989-90 season. Augsburg has lost just 24 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season.
No. 2-ranked 149-pounder Will Keeter (JR, Twin Falls, Idaho) closed the dual meet with an 8-2 victory over MSU Moorhead’s Mariano Portillo, improving to 7-2 on the season.
Two of Augsburg’s other ranked wrestlers also scored victories, as No. 4-ranked 125-pounder Mike Fuenffinger (SO, Hibbing, Minn.) improved to 11-2 on the season with a 7-3 win over Mitch Dunlap, and No. 6-ranked 174-pounder Josh Kohler (SR, Monticello, Minn.) scored a 5-3 win over Jesse Puncochar, improving to 8-3 on the year in the process.
The Dragons claimed five wins on the evening, including three of the first four bouts of the night.
Augsburg is now idle until Dec. 29-30, when it competes at the Citrus Invitational in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The Dragons are off until Jan. 5, 2013 when they compete at the Grand Canyon Duals in Phoenix, Ariz. MSUM will compete in four duals against California Baptist, Colorado School of Mines, Simon Fraser and Grand Canyon at the event.
Dec. 11, 2012 — Alex Nemzek Hall, Moorhead, Minn.
Augsburg 21, MSU-Moorhead 16
157-Casey Williams (MSUM) dec. Kurt Knutsen (AC), 6-4
165-Kerron Williams (MSUM) dec. Andrew Powers (AC), 7-2
174-Josh Kohler (AC) dec. Jesse Puncochar (MSUM), 5-3
184-Matt Lewellen (MSUM) maj. dec. Quinten Strand (AC), 8-0
197-Matt Hechsel (AC) pinned Lucas Moderow (MSUM), 2:27
285-Chad Johnson (AC) pinned Gerad Fugleberg (MSUM), 4:48
125-Mike Fuenffinger (AC) dec. Mitch Dunlap (MSUM), 7-3
133-Philippe Walker (MSUM) dec. Tossaporn Suparat (AC), 9-4
141-Angel Vega (MSUM) dec. Tom Kuehn (AC), 11-9
149-Will Keeter (AC) dec. Mariano Portillo (MSUM, 8-2
Note: Match started at 157 pounds.