"Seth's goal is to be a national champion again," Matzek said. "Seth won't be denied. Last year at the national tournament, it was his extreme competitiveness that won him the national title, that sheer drive and determination."
Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), who reached the national title match at 141 pounds last season and finished 31-9, will move up two weight classes to 157, where he will face a challenge from returning national tournament qualifier Beau Hansen (SO, Albert Lea, Minn.), who finished 28-9.
At 133, Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.), who finished fifth nationally last season in his first year as an Auggie after transferring from Division I Minnesota, returns to make a strong push toward a national title. Lang was 38-4 last year with a team-high 21 pins, and is 74-23 in his collegiate career.
"Travis is going to train as hard as he can and wants to take that next step. Last year, he was an All-American. This year, he wants to be a national champion," Matzek said.
Two other starters also return to the Auggie lineup in 165-pounder Brandon Klukow (SR, Albert Lea, Minn.) and heavyweight Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.). Klukow finished 23-16 last year, while Witzel was 26-15. Witzel just missed a berth in the national tournament with a third-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional last year.
"Brandon has three years of experience with the Augsburg program, and his goal this year is to make it through the Great Lakes Regional and to become an All-American. It's his last chance and he understands that, and he's doing everything in his power to make it happen," Matzek said. "Andy Witzel brings a lot of experience from last year to the lineup."
Newcomers will challenge for starting roles
There are several weight classes in the Augsburg lineup where there will be battles for starting roles, and both a strong class of returners and one of the deepest classes of newcomers in school history will make the task of making a starting role in the lineup a challenge.
"We have 21 first-years coming in this year, and that's a testament to the hard work of the coaching staff last spring," Matzek said. "It's both quality and quantity in that class. It's the best of two worlds."
Nowhere is that more evident than in the middle weights, where returners Lucas Murray (SO, Anoka, Minn.), Jake Saatzer (SO, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS), Zach Hansen (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.) and Johnny Brandtjen (SO, St. Paul, Minn./Simley HS) return at 141 and 149 pounds, and will face strong challenges from newcomers Torey Stewart (FY, Jackson, Minn./Jackson County Central HS), a two-time state champion and four-time state finalist; Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), a 2007 state champion and three-time state placewinner; Wisconsin high school standout Trevor Dyreson (FY, Deerfield, Wis.), Nathan Lexvold (FY, Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) a 2007 Minnesota state titlist and three-time state placewinner; and Minnesota state tourney qualifiers Travis Anderson (FY, White Bear Lake, Minn.) and Justin Koob (FY, New Ulm, Minn.).
At 165, Klukow will face a big challenge from a large group of returners and newcomers. Spencer Flodeen (SO, Cannon Falls, Minn.), Jake Grygelko (JR, Loretto, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS), Krey Cory (SO, New Richland, Minn./NHREG HS), Matt Curtis (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) and John MacCormick (JR, Minnetonka, Minn.) all return, along with newcomers Trenton Larrieu (FY, Spring Valley, Wis.), Zach Enrico (FY, Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins HS) and Joe Meyer (FY, Lakeville, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS). And at 157, Adams and Beau Hansen will be joined by returner and Brett Landrum (SO, Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS), a transfer from Division I Nebraska.
Newcomers will also contend for the upper weights. At 174, returner Garrett Long (JR, Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS) and 165-pounder Curtis will challenge for the spot, along with newcomers Brandon Bahr (FY, Bemidji, Minn.), Josh Kohler (FY, Monticello, Minn.) and Jackson Mboma (FY, Maple Grove, Minn.), all of whom enter the program with state tournament experience. At 184, newcomers Brad Baus (FY, Mukwonago, Wis.), a two-time state placewinner, and Alex Krautkremer (FY, Jordan, Minn./Scott West) will battle for the open spot.
At 197, Jared Massey (SO, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS), a two-time state champion and four-time state tournament qualifier, joins the Augsburg roster after a four-year absence from collegiate wrestling. He competed his first year (2003-04) at Division I Wisconsin, but Matzek noted that Massey still "has all the physical attributes of a national champion. He's a great athlete. You name it -- he's quick, he's strong, he's fast and he's very experienced."
Massey will face a strong challenge from returners Kris Krier (JR, Woodbury, Minn.) and Andy Peterson (JR, Grand Marais, Minn./Milaca HS), along with newcomers Nick Creamier (FY, Coon Rapids, Minn.) and Mitch Gerold (FY, Braham, Minn.), both of whom have state tournament experience. Returner Tyson Barrett (JR, Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka HS) and newcomer Alex Diaz (FY, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Eagan HS) will provide a challenge for Witzel at heavyweight.
At 125, Flodeen will be joined by returners Ky Olsen (SO, Kansasville, Wis./Westosha Central HS) and Freddy Vigil (JR, Bakersfield, Calif.), along with newcomer Minh Huynh (FY, Eagan, Minn./Eastview HS), a three-time state tournament qualifier. And at 133, Lang and returner Paul Bjorkstrand (SR, Burnsville, Minn.) will face challenges from Alex Johnson (FY, Foxhome, Minn./Breckenridge HS), Josh Roberts (FY, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) and Ben Thone (FY, Fond du Lac, Wis.). Roberts was a North Dakota state champion and four-time state placewinner, Johnson was a two-time state qualifier, and Thone was a two-time Wisconsin state tournament placewinner.
Academic excellence
Augsburg has a tradition of academic excellence in wrestling that is just as strong as the team's accomplishments on the mat. Last season, the Auggies finished 22nd in the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Scholar All-American team race with a 3.2001 team grade-point average.
Over the last 26 seasons, 103 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, the most of any college in any division in the nation. Augsburg has had at least three Scholar All-Americans every year since 1993, and has had 80 athletes honored since 1997. Augsburg has finished among the top 25 wrestling teams in the Scholar All-American team program every season since it was started in 1998, and has had a team GPA of 3.2 or better every season during the 11 years of the program. Augsburg had the top GPA in the country in the 1999 season (3.480) and finished second three times (1998, 2000, 2006).
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