MINNEAPOLIS — Winning eight of 10 individual bouts, the Augsburg College wrestling team dominated in a 33-7 dual-meet victory over Concordia College-Moorhead on Friday evening at Si Melby Hall.
Augsburg, ranked No. 2 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll, used a pin and three major-decision victories to claim the victory over Concordia, ranked No. 22 in the nation.
In the only battle of ranked wrestlers on the evening, No. 3-ranked heavyweight Donny Longendyke (SR, Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) improved to 12-1 on the season, turning a takedown into a 59-second pin over Concordia’s No. 7-ranked Justice Davis. Longendyke has won all five meetings with Davis over the past three seasons. Claiming his eighth pin of the season, Longendyke improved to 136-27 in his college career with 77 pins, and 95-6 in his three seasons at Augsburg with 54 pins.
In one of the most exciting matches of the evening, Augsburg’s Logan Hortop (SR, Faribault, Minn.) rallied from an 8-1 first-period deficit to score a 10-8 victory over Concordia’s Kody Van Den Eykel at 197 pounds. Hortop claimed a reversal just before the end of the first period, then cut the lead to 8-5 with a second-period takedown. Choosing the top position to start the third period, Hortop used a cradle to score a four-point near-fall with 1:35 left, then got a penalty point on a Concordia illegal hold to claim the 10-8 win.
No. 2-ranked 184 pounder Owen Webster (FY, Shakopee, Minn.) improved to 20-1 on the season with his 17th straight victory, a 12-0 major-decision victory over Ricky Briggs. Webster used three takedowns, a two-point near-fall and 3:44 of riding time to collect his 15th bonus-point victory of the season (five pins, four technical falls, six major decisions).
Sam Bennyhoff (SO, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS), ranked No. 6 nationally at 133, used six takedowns and 3:55 riding time to score a 16-6, major-decision win, improving to 17-6 on the season with his seventh major decision and 11th bonus-point win.
Ryan Epps (FY, Cannon Falls, Minn.) improved to 21-3 on the season with an 8-0, major-decision win at 149 pounds, collecting two takedowns, two stalling bonus points and 2:13 riding time. Epps now has nine bonus-point wins on the season (three pins, two technical falls, four major decisions).
David Flynn (FY, Jordan, Minn./Scott West) had to go to overtime to collect his 19th win of the season and 11th at Augsburg (11-2), scoring the winning takedown with 23 seconds left in the first sudden-victory overtime period for a 3-1 win over Concordia’s Adam Presler. Flynn is now 19-3 on the season.
Lucas Jeske (FY, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) scored his 10th win of the year, improving to 10-4 with a 5-0 win over Concordia’s Joe Heinz at 165.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
Against opponents from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 312-48-1 in dual meets since the 1989-90 season. Augsburg has lost just 44 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against strictly NCAA Division III opponents, Augsburg is 303-47-1 since the 1979-80 season. Since the 1989-90 season, Augsburg is 228-37-1 against Division III opponents.
FOR THE FOES
Concordia’s Cole Sladek improved to 12-0 with a 12-3, major-decision win over Augsburg’s Tone Fuenffinger (JR, Hibbing, Minn.).
Jacob Johnson claimed the other victory for the Cobbers with a 5-3 win over Austin Boniface (SR, Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake HS).
UP NEXT
Augsburg returns to action on Sunday (1/22) at 1 p.m., hosting Saint John’s in a dual meet at Si Melby Hall.
Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 — Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis.
Time of match: 1:22. Attendance: 133.
Action begins at 125 pounds.
Official: Bill Benson
No. 2 Augsburg (9-1) 33, No. 22 Concordia-Moorhead (7-7) 7
125 — 125 — No. 5 Victor Gliva (AUG, 21-4) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 6-0)
133 — No. 6 Sam Bennyhoff (AUG, 17-6) maj. dec. Aaron Dick (8-13) 16-6 (Augsburg 10-0)
141 — David Flynn (AUG, 20-5) dec. Adam Presler (CON, 19-13) 3-1 (OT-SV1) (Augsburg 13-0)
149 — Ryan Epps (AUG, 21-3) maj. dec. Blaine Tschida (CON, 13-9) 8-0 (Augsburg 17-0)
157 — Cole Sladek (CON, 12-0) maj. dec. Tone Fuenffinger (AUG, 15-8) 12-3 (Augsburg 17-3)
165 — Lucas Jeske (AUG, 10-4) dec. Joe Heinz (CON, 15-12) 5-0 (Augsburg 20-4)
174 — Jacob Johnson (CON, 16-10) dec. Austin Boniface (AUG, 13-7) 5-3 (OT-SV1) (Augsburg 20-7)
184 — No. 2 Owen Webster (AUG, 20-1) maj. dec. Ricky Briggs (CON, 6-12) 12-0 (Augsburg 24-7)
197 — Logan Hortop (AUG, 7-10) dec. Kody Van Den Eykel (CON, 10-12) 10-8 (Augsburg 27-7)
HWT — No. 2 Donny Longendyke (AUG, 12-1) pinned No. 7 Justice Davis (CON, 18-6) 0:59 (Augsburg 33-7)