THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Wartburg 25, Augsburg 7
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Wartburg 17-1 overall, Augsburg 10-4 overall
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Wartburg, the top-ranked team in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll, claimed eight straight victories, including one major decision, to clinch the dual win over Augsburg, ranked No. 5 nationally.
• Top-ranked Augsburg 125-pounder Mike Fuenffinger (SR, Hibbing, Minn.) opened the match with a 6-4 decision over Wartburg's No. 6-ranked Jake Agnitsch, and Auggie heavyweight Donny Longendyke (SO, Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS), ranked No. 7, closed the match with a 12-4, major-decision win over Wartburg's No. 5-ranked Ben Nagle.
• Fuenffinger built a 4-1 lead after the first period, then fought off a takedown with an escape with 45 seconds left to preserve the victory, improving to 24-1 on the season and 101-21 in his career. The defending Division III national champion at 125, Fuenffinger has now won 21 matches in a row.
• Tied 2-2 with Nagle, Longendyke took the lead with a takedown with 28 seconds left in the second period, then used three takedowns in the third period, building 2:43 riding time, to score the major-decision victory in the final bout of the evening, improving to 30-2 on the season. Of Longendyke's 30 victories, 21 are bonus-point wins (seven major decisions, one technical fall, 13 pins).
• At 133, No. 6-ranked Connor Campo of Wartburg scored a reversal of No. 9-ranked Chad Bartschenfeld (SR, Amery, Wis.) with 24 seconds left in the third period, claiming a 6-5 victory. Campo is now 21-4 overall, while Bartschenfeld saw his 11-match winning streak snapped in falling to 21-8.
• Augsburg's Tyrell Martin (SR, Eagan, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) nearly pulled off an upset of Wartburg's No. 5-ranked Brandon Welter at 174, taking a 7-6 lead on an escape early in the third period. But Welter earned a takedown with 32 seconds left, and his 1:25 riding time gave him a 9-7 victory.
• In a meeting of ranked wrestlers at 149, Wartburg's No. 2-ranked Kenny Martin used two takedowns in the third period to claim a 7-4 win over Augsburg's No. 10-ranked Will Keeter (SR, Twin Falls, Idaho). Martin is now 21-3 on the year, while Keeter drops to 23-9.
• At 165, Wartburg's Nick Michael scored a 6-2 win over Augsburg's Eric Hensel (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS), ralling from a 1-0 second-period deficit with two takedowns in the third period, along with an escape and penalty point.
• Wartburg's Drew Wagenhoffer, ranked No. 7 nationally at 157, scored an 11-0, major-decision win over Augsburg's Gable Frandsen (FY, Ellsworth, Wis.).
• Devin Peterson, ranked No. 8 at 184, scored a 9-3 win over Augsburg's Tommy Teigen (SR, Ham Lake, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian HS) at 184; Kaz Onoo scored an 8-2 win over Marcus Hamer (SO, Kimball, Minn.) at 141, and in the other meeting of ranked wrestlers on the evening, Wartburg's No. 6-ranked Bryan Levsen scored a 7-0 win over Augsburg's No. 7-ranked Matt Hechsel (SR, Apple Valley, Minn.) at 197.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• In the 30th meeting between the two small-college wrestling powers, the all-time series is now tied at 15 wins each.
• Wartburg claimed the inaugural "Swens/Milboy Belt," a new traveling trophy in the series between the two schools. The trophy is named for the two coaches who built their programs to national prominence -- Augsburg's Jeff Swenson (1980-84, 1986-2007) and Wartburg's Jim Miller (1991-2013). Both coaches led their teams to 10 NCAA Division III national titles during their careers.
• Thursday's dual also featured Augsburg's "Reunion of 5s" event, a reunion of four outstanding teams from Augsburg's history -- the 1974-75 NAIA national runner-up squad, the 1984-85 MIAC title squad, the 1994-95 NCAA Division III national championship squad and the 2004-05 NCAA Division III national championship squad.
UP NEXT
• Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (2/7) at 9 a.m., at the Saint John's North Country Open.
• Wartburg competes at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Open on Saturday at 9 a.m.No. 1 Wartburg (Iowa, 17-1) 25, No. 5 Augsburg (Minn., 10-4) 7
Thursday, February 5, 2015 – Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Action begins at 125 pounds. Time of match: 1:58. Attendance: 629.
Officials: Tim Shiels, Brian Graham.
125 – No. 1 Mike Fuenffinger (AUG, 24-1) dec. No. 6 Jake Agnitsch (WAR, 19-5) 6-4 (Augsburg 3-0)
133 – No. 6 Connor Campo (WAR, 21-4) dec. No. 9 Chad Bartschenfeld (AUG, 21-8) 6-5 (TIED 3-3)
141 – Kaz Onoo (WAR, 19-7) dec. Marcus Hamer (AUG, 22-14) 8-2 (Wartburg 6-3).
149 – No. 2 Kenny Martin (WAR, 21-3) dec. No. 10 Will Keeter (AUG, 23-9) 7-4 (Wartburg 9-3)
157 – No. 7 Drew Wagenhoffer (WAR, 20-2) maj. dec. Gable Frandsen (AUG, 10-8) 11-0 (Wartburg 13-3)
165 – Nick Michael (WAR, 14-4) dec. Eric Hensel (AUG, 14-7) 6-2 (Wartburg 16-3)
174 – No. 5 Brandon Welter (WAR, 17-6) dec. Tyrell Martin (AUG, 9-4) 9-7 (Wartburg 19-3)
184 – No. 8 Devin Peterson (WAR, 9-3) dec. Tommy Teigen (AUG, 18-8) 9-3 (Wartburg 22-3)
197 – No. 6 Bryan Levsen (WAR, 16-2) dec. No. 7 Matt Hechsel (AUG, 19-8) 7-0 (Wartburg 25-3)
HWT – No. 7 Donny Longendyke (AUG, 30-2) maj. dec. No. 5 Ben Nagle (WAR, 22-2) 12-4 (Wartburg 25-7)
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