Augsburg builds early lead, holds on for 18-15 win over Wartburg to win Division III National Duals title
1/22/2005
John Fuller/TheMat.com
Cleveland, Ohio – Augsburg and Wartburg, two heated Division III rivals, split the matches in their Cliff Keen/NWCA Division III National Duals final five to five, but it was Augsburg that came away with an 18-15 dual win on the strength of Marcus LeVesseur’s pin at 157 lbs.
LeVesseur was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Augsburg won five of the first six matches of the dual meet, and held off a late rally from the Knights for the win.
Defending national champions Matt Shankey (125 lbs.), Mark Matzek (133) and LeVesseur all came away with victories for the Auggies.
Shankey defeated All-American Justin McClintock 6-1 to start the dual meet off right for Augsburg.
Matzek followed Shankey’s win with a 2-2 tiebreaker victory against Tyler Hubbard. The match went to three tiebreakers before Matzek eventually piled up enough riding time to earn a victory.
Defending NCAA champion Dustin Hinschberger of Wartburg then got the Knights on the scoreboard, posting a 4-2 overtime victory at 141 lbs. over Jamell Tidwell, the wrestler Hinschberger defeated in last year’s NCAA finals.
Augsburg then gained control of the dual as LeVesseur’s pin was preceded by a win from Jared Evans at 149 lbs., and followed by a 5-0 win from 165-pound All-American Ryan Valek.
Wartburg closed the dual out with four straight victories, but all were by regular decision, giving Augsburg the win.
One of those wins was from defending NCAA champion Akeem Carter at 197 lbs., as he recorded a 6-1 victory over fourth-ranked Justin Sorenson.
Blake Gillis of Wartburg, last year’s NCAA runner-up, ended the dual meet with a 5-0 victory over All-American Mark Simmonds.
In other placement duals, Wisconsin-LaCrosse downed Luther 25-17 for third place and Ithaca placed seventh after a 29-9 win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Delaware Valley College and The College of New Jersey shared fifth-place honors, as both teams went home with the arrival of a heavy snowstorm to the Midwest region.
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