Augsburg Auggies

Augsburg wins title at Cornell (Iowa) Invite

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa — Claiming seven individual and co-individual titles, the Augsburg University men’s wrestling team won the nine-team Cornell College Cliff Keen/Mike Duroe Invitational, held on Saturday.

Augsburg, ranked No. 4 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III tournament national rankings and No. 8 in the dual team rankings, won titles in six weight classes and had 16 of its 19 wrestlers finish in the top eight in their brackets. The Auggies combined for a 52-21 record with 23 pins, three technical falls and five major decisions.

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NWCA Division III Poll – January 14, 2022

Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released their fourth set of regular-season rankings following last week’s NWCA/USMC National Multi-Division Dual Championships in Louisville, KY. Wartburg remains at the top of the Top 25 Tournament poll while UW-La Crosse moves to the top of the Top 30 Dual poll following their National Duals Championship. North Central (#4/#2) and Wabash (#5/#3) are the only two schools that find themselves ranked in the top five of both polls.

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Augsburg men not competing at NWCA National Duals

MINNEAPOLIS — The Augsburg University men’s wrestling team will not be competing at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Multi-Division National Duals this week in Louisville, Ky., due to COVID-19 protocols, the team’s coaching staff has announced.

Augsburg’s women’s wrestling team is still planning to compete in the women’s NCAA division of the event, which will be held Thursday and Friday (1/6-7) at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville.

Augsburg’s men’s wrestling team will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 15, with competition at the Cornell (Iowa) Mike Duroe Invitational.

Augsburg claims team title at Citrus Invitational

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Claiming five individual titles and 17 top-eight finishes, the Augsburg University men’s wrestling team dominated in winning the Citrus Invitational tournament, held on Wednesday and Thursday at the Broward County Convention Center.

Augsburg, ranked No. 9 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III tournament national rankings and No. 7 in the dual team rankings, had five weight-class titlists, three runners-up, and one third-place finisher in the tournament. Augsburg finished ahead of Castleton (Vt.), Cornell (Iowa), and No. 6-ranked John Carroll (Ohio) in the 12-team field. Twenty Auggies competed in the tournament, combining for an 82-28 record with 30 pins, 15 technical falls, and seven major decisions.

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NWCA Division III Poll – December 29, 2021

Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released their third set set of individual and tournament team rankings as well as their first set of dual team rankings in advance of next week’s NWCA/USMC National Multi-Division Dual Championships in Louisville, KY.

Wartburg sits atop the Tournament Poll with 55 points while Coe, with a 4-0 record, takes the top spot in the Dual Poll.

The next round of rankings will surely be impacted over the next few weeks as many of the top Division III teams will be in action at the Citrus Invitational and the NWCA National Duals.

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Donny and Nick – Writing a Legacy

By Brian Jerzak

Former Augsburg wrestler and Auggies’ assistant coach Donny Wichmann touched countless lives – in and out of the sport of wrestling. Legacy Training Center founder Nick Slack is one of those he profoundly influenced, first as a coach and then as a co-worker. When Wichmann passed away in 2019 after a long battle with cancer, Slack wanted to do something to keep his friend’s legacy alive. Slack’s vision is becoming a reality. He is honoring the legacy of Wichmann by helping kids write their own legacy.

Wichmann’s wrestling career would end with him winning three conference titles and becoming a Division III All-American for Augsburg. Shortly after his competitive wrestling career ended, he joined Augsburg head coach Jeff Swenson’s staff and was an assistant coach for 19 years. One of the wrestlers he would coach and then coach with – was Slack.

“Donny was a sporting goods sales guy,” Slack said. “He would go to a town a night, do an open house and bring all his shoes. When he came down to Belle Plaine in 1995, I bought my first pair of wrestling shoes from Donny. That was the first time I met him. He had a glowing personality, a big smile, and was super nice. He was the guy I would buy my shoes from every year. He would be at some tournaments, so I would see him two or three times a year.”

Slack and Wichmann’s relationship would grow along with Slack’s wrestling career.

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