LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the eighth time in school history and third time in the last five tournaments, the Augsburg University men’s wrestling team claimed the Division III title at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals title, scoring wins over the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Johnson & Wales University on Saturday.
Augsburg, the No. 3-ranked team in the latest NWCA Division III tournament rankings and No. 2 in the dual-meet rankings, rallied from a 13-10 deficit with wins in its final three bouts to top No. 6/3 UW-La Crosse in the semifinals, then won eight of 10 bouts, with pins in three of its last four weight classes, to dominate No. 2/4 Johnson & Wales 35-8 in the championship match.
The Auggies fell behind on a technical fall in the first bout of the championship match against Johnson & Wales, but scored three straight wins, including a technical fall, to take the lead for good at 11-5 after four weight classes. Augsburg won the final five bouts, with three pins, to secure the 35-8 win and the championship.
The highlight of the title match came at 174 pounds, when Augsburg’s No. 15-ranked Seth Goetzinger (SO, Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield HS) scored an incredible defensive pin of JWU’s top-ranked Mike Ross with 1:26 left in the third period, giving the Auggies a 20-8 advantage. No. 6-ranked 184-pounder Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann (JR, Loyal, Wis./Marshfield HS) scored his second win of the day with a 6-2 win over No. 13-ranked Ryan DeVivo, clinching the team victory for the Auggies. Augsburg then put the capper on its impressive Saturday with a pair of first-period pins by No. 14-ranked 197-pounder Parker Venz (SO, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS) and No. 5-ranked heavyweight Tyler Kim (JR, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS).
The Auggies’ semifinal victory over UW-La Crosse was a much tighter affair. The Auggies opened with three wins to take a 10-0 lead, but UW-La Crosse ranked wrestlers then scored four straight wins to take a 13-10 advantage. The Auggies’ upper weights grabbed the lead back and propelled the team into the finals, with Schwanebeck-Ostermann scoring a 12-4, major decision win at 184 pounds, Venz scoring a 3:21 pin at 197 and Kim scoring a 5-2 win over No. 11-ranked Michael Douglas at 285.
Venz scored pins in all four of his matches on the weekend, giving him a team-leading 16 falls on the season. He is now 21-4 this season with 16 pins and two technical falls, and has 29 pins among his 37-15 career record.
Kim, who also went 4-0 on the weekend at 285, is now 26-1 on the season and 95-21 in his college career.
No. 5-ranked 141-pounder Sam Stuhl (JR, Ellsworth, Wis./Ellsworth HS) went 4-0 on the weekend and had two bonus-point wins on Saturday — a 9-1 major decison over UW-La Crosse’s Sam Lorenz and an 18-2 technical fall of JWU’s No. 8-ranked Gabriel Leo. Stuhl is now 27-2 this season, with eight pins, six technical falls and six major decisions.
Cade Willis (SO, Kansasville, Wis./Union Grove HS), ranked No. 11 at 133 pounds, scored two victories on Saturday to improve to 11-7 on the season.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
Augsburg has now won eight NWCA Division III National Duals titles since the tournament began in the 2001-02 season (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2018, 2019), second among all Division III schools to the 11 titles won by perennial rival Wartburg (Iowa). The Knights, who entered the weekend ranked No. 1 in both the NWCA’s tournament and dual national polls, finished third in this year’s competition. UW-La Crosse is the only other school to break the “Burgs” hold on the Division III National Duals titles since 2002, winning the 2022 event (Augsburg and Wartburg did not compete).
Augsburg is now 65-16 all-time in Division III National Duals competition since it started in the 2001-02 season. Including five other appearances in NWCA Division I National Duals competition prior to 2002, when the Division II, Division III and NAIA defending national champions were invited to participate, Augsburg is now 70-25.
In its 81 Division III National Duals meets, Augsburg has outscored its opponents by a 2,241-to-872 margin, an average score of 27.7 to 12.0.
UP NEXT
Augsburg returns to action next Saturday (1/14) at 9 a.m., competing at the Cornell College (Iowa) Invitational in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
No. 3/2 Augsburg 23, No. 6/3 Wisconsin-La Crosse 13
125 — Derek Steele (AUG, 12-5) dec, Remington Bontreger (UWL) 5-0 (AUGSBURG 3-0)
133 — No. 11 Cade Willis (AUG, 10-7) dec. Carl Weinzweig (UWL) 5-3 (OT-SV1) (AUGSBURG 6-0)
141 — No. 5 Sam Stuhl (AUG, 26-2) maj. dec. Sam Lorenz (UWL) 9-1 (AUGSBURG 10-0)
149 — No. 8 Tyler Goebel (UWL) dec. No. 14 Charlie Stuhl (AUG, 23-3) 9-8 (AUGSBURG 10-3)
157 — No. 3 Nolan Hertel (UWL) maj. dec. No. 2 Tyler Shilson (AUG, 19-2) 13-0 (AUGSBURG 10-7)
165 — No. 8 Noah Leisgang (UWL) dec. No. 5 Cooper Willis (AUG, 20-5) 2-0 (TIED 10-10)
174 — No. 3 Seth Brossard (UWL) dec. No. 15 Seth Goetzinger (AUG, 18-4) 9-5 (UW-LA CROSSE 13-10)
184 — No. 6 Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann (AUG, 20-5) maj. dec. Kalyn Jahn (UWL) 12-4 (AUGSBURG 14-13)
197 — No. 14 Parker Venz (AUG, 20-4) pinned Marcus Orlandoni (UWL) 3:21 (AUGSBURG 20-13)
285 — No. 5 Tyler Kim (AUG, 25-1) dec. No. 11 Michael Douglas (UWL) 5-2 (AUGSBURG 23-13)
No. 3/2 Augsburg 35, No. 2/4 Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 8
125 — No. 1 Joziah Fry (JWU) tech. fall Derek Steele (AUG, 12-6) 22-5 (JWU 5-0)
133 — No. 11 Cade Willis (AUG, 11-7) dec. Christian Rivas (JWU) 7-2 (JWU 5-3)
141 — No. 5 Sam Stuhl (AUG, 27-2) tech. fall No. 8 Gabriel Leo (JWU) 18-2 (AUGSBURG 8-5)
149 — No. 14 Charlie Stuhl (AUG, 24-3) dec. Gabriel McDaniel (JWU) 7-1 (AUGSBURG 11-5)
157 — No. 5 Hayden Brown (JWU) dec. No. 2 Tyler Shilson (AUG, 19-3) 5-4 (AUGSBURG 11-8)
165 — No. 5 Cooper Willis (AUG, 21-5) dec. Patrick Wisniewski (JWU) 5-2 (AUGSBURG 14-8)
174 — No. 15 Seth Goetzinger (AUG, 19-4) pinned No. 1 Mike Ross (JWU) 5:34 (AUGSBURG 20-8)
184 — No. 6 Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann (AUG, 21-5) dec. No. 13 Ryan DeVivo (JWU) 6-2 (AUGSBURG 23-8)
197 — No. 14 Parker Venz (AUG, 21-4) pinned Dylan Harr (JWU) 0:46 (AUGSBURG 29-8)
285 — No. 5 Tyler Kim (AUG, 26-1) pinned Aldofo Betancur (JWU) 1:45 (AUGSBURG 35-8)
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