Tag: Augsburg Auggies

Seven Minutes with Emily Shilson presented by College Wrestler Recruiting

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Seven Minutes is a series of interviews with top wrestling coaches and athletes. Most of the question-and-answer sessions last roughly seven minutes. Hence the name. Minnesota’s Emily Shilson is the top recruit in the nation who will attend the newly formed Augsburg University women’s wrestling program. She was a Cadet World silver medalist in 2017, a Cadet World champion in 2018, and a six-time Fargo national champion. You can listen to the entire interview above or read the transcript below. Continue reading at www.trackwrestling.com

Augsburg wrestling legend Donny Wichmann ’89 passes away

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MINNEAPOLIS — Donny Wichmann, a 1989 alumnus of Augsburg University and a legend in men’s wrestling, both as a competitor and as a longtime assistant coach for the Auggies, died on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 53 years old.

A three-time Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion, a national tournament All-American and a longtime assistant coach who was a part of 10 NCAA Division III national championship teams with the Auggies, Wichmann was recognized for his excellence by being inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010, and by the recent announcement of his induction into the 2019 class of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame. He will be inducted posthumously during a ceremony on Aug. 3 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

A memorial service and celebration of Wichmann’s life will be held on Saturday, Aug. 17 at Si Melby Hall on the Augsburg campus. More details on the service will be released later.

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Augsburg’s Donny Wichmann ’89 to be inducted into NWCA D-III Hall of Fame

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MINNEAPOLIS — Augsburg University men’s wrestling alumnus Donny Wichmann ’89, a three-time Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion, a national tournament All-American and a longtime assistant coach who was a part of 10 NCAA Division III national championship teams with the Auggies, will be inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame during a ceremony in August in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. (Eastern time) at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The ceremony is taking place during the NWCA’s annual convention in Fort Lauderdale.

In addition to the formal celebration in Florida, a local celebration for Wichmann will be held on Saturday, July 13 from 4-8 p.m. at Finnegans Brew Co. in Minneapolis (817 5th Avenue South, Minneapolis 55404). There will be a cash bar and food trucks will be on-site.

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Auggie men’s wrestling team honored at Twins game

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Augsburg University men’s wrestling team was honored for its 2019 NCAA Division III national championship by the Minnesota Twins before Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Target Field, with co-head coach Jim Moulsoff throwing out a ceremonial first pitch.

Each member of the team, along with co-head coaches Moulsoff and Tony Valek, assistant coaches and two special alumni guests — two-time national champion John Beatty ’91 and former assistant coach Donny Wichmann ’89 — were introduced on the diamond before the fans at Target Field. Moulsoff then threw a strike for his ceremonial first pitch.

The Auggies were treated to great seats by the Twins to watch the home team’s 4-3, 17-inning victory over the Red Sox. In addition to the national championship team members, more than 300 participants in this week’s Augsburg wrestling camp were also in attendance at the game. Continue reading at athletics.augsburg.edu

Fuenffinger to compete for U.S. World Team spot at Final X on Saturday

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LINCOLN, Neb. — Augsburg University men’s wrestling alumnus Leslie (Mike) Fuenffinger ’15, a two-time NCAA Division III national titlist and three-time All-American, will compete for a spot on the U.S. Senior Greco-Roman National Team during the Final X series this Saturday (6/15) at the University of Nebraska’s Bob Devaney Center.

Fuenffinger, a specialist in the United States Army, competes for the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), based in Colorado Springs, Colo. He joined the Army in April 2015. Fuenffinger qualified for the Final X competition after winning the U.S. Open title in the 60 kg (132 pounds) weight class in Las Vegas, Nev., in April.

Final X features a best-of-three series in each weight class, with the winners earning spots on the U.S. Senior National Teams that will compete at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in Nursultan, Kazakhstan on Sept. 14-22. Competition will be held in men’s Freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions, along with women’s Freestyle. The first half of the national team was determined during the opening weekend of Final X in Piscataway, N.J., last Saturday.

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