Top-ranked Wartburg, competing in front of a large crowd inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls for the third straight year of the tournament, earned its seventh straight visit to the finals of the tournament after a 35-3 win over No. 4-ranked Delaware Valley College of Pennsylvania. However, a seventh consecutive showdown with perennial rival Augsburg College of Minneapolis, Minn., for the title was washed away after third-ranked UW-La Crosse stopped the Auggies 22-12 in the other semifinal.
Head coach Jim Miller's program recorded its fourth Division III National Duals title in seven years with a 25-8 win over the Eagles.
"Any time you win a national championship of any kind, it's a special deal," he said. "We needed to have this kind of weekend. You never want to take a step back at this time of the year.
"While the dual scores were impressive, we weren't perfect," he added. "Every guy who wrestled this weekend has something they need to work on. It will just continue to get tougher from here on out. We expect that."
The lower weights got the championship match started on the right foot. Senior Robert Struthers of Emmetsburg, senior 133-pounder Jacob Helvey of Mitchellville, junior 141-pounder Zach McKray of Iowa City, junior 149-pounder Jacob Naig of Emmetsburg, and junior 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas each recorded decisions for a 15-0 lead. UW-La Crosse rallied back within 15-8 after top-ranked 165-pounder Tim Palmer and top-ranked 174-pounder Josh Chelf reeled off successive major decisions. Wartburg, upping its record to 14-0 and running its consecutive dual win streak to 22, rebounded with a decision from junior 184-pounder Romeo Djoumessi of Waverly, a major decision from senior 197-pounder T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls, and a decision from senior heavyweight Brian Borchers of Holstein.
Sunday's competition opened with much of the same results for the Orange and Black. The Knights dropped the opening match against fourth-ranked Delaware Valley but roared back with four bonus-point wins, including falls from sophomore 174-pounder Dustin Jaeger of Manchester and Borchers.
Saturday
Wartburg blanked the opposition on day one of the 2008 NWCA/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals Jan. 12. The Knights, behind six pins, upended UW-Oshkosh 52-0 in the opening round and came right back with a resounding 47-0 win over Olivet College of Michigan in the quarterfinals. Head coach Jim Miller's team added four falls against the Comets.
Wartburg resumes its IIAC dual schedule Thursday, Jan. 17, with a 7 p.m. dual at Central College in Pella. The Knights return to Levick Arena in the Wartburg-Waverly Sports and Wellness Center for a 7 p.m. start against perennial league rival Luther Saturday, Jan. 19.
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