CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three Augsburg University wrestlers will compete for NCAA Division III titles on Saturday evening, after winning semifinal matches at the NCAA Division III National Championships during Saturday’s first session at the Cleveland Public Auditorium.
TOP 10 TEAM SCORES AFTER SATURDAY’S FIRST SESSION: 1. Wartburg (Iowa) 123.5, 2. Ithaca (N.Y.) 75.0, 3. Augsburg (Minn.) 72.5, 4. Stevens Tech (N.J.) 55.0; 5. Wabash (Ind.) 44.0; 6. Wisconsin-La Crosse 42.5; 7. Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 39.5, 8. Messiah (Pa.) 38.0, 9. Oneonta State (N.Y.) 34.5, 10. Coe (Iowa) 34.0.
With five All-Americans, Augsburg ranked No. 2 in the final National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll, now stands in third place with 75.0 points, just behind second-place Ithaca (N.Y.) with 72.5 points. Top-ranked Wartburg (Iowa) has already clinched the national title with 123.5 points. Ithaca has two national finalists and five All-Americans. Wartburg has five national finalists and eight All-Americans.
Lucas Jeske (SO, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) continued his dramatic run through the 165-pound bracket with his third pin of the tournament, a 1:43 match-ender over Anthony Arroyo of Baldwin-Wallace (Ohio). Jeske quickly spun Arroyo to his back twice following takedowns, earning a four-point near-fall in the opening 40 seconds, then ending the match with a pin a minute later. Now 38-1 on the season with a team-best 22 pins, Jeske will face Nick Velez of Ithaca (N.Y.) in the championship match on Saturday night. Jeske finished third nationally at 165 last year.
Top-seeded 157-pounder Ryan Epps (SO, Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls HS) faced a tremendous battle with Cole Erickson of Coe (Iowa) in the semifinals. Neither wrestler could convert a takedown in the first two-and-a-half periods, with Erickson holding a 1-0 lead on a second-period escape. Tied 1-1 late in the third period, Epps fought off an Erickson low attack, got his ankle free and spun around for a takedown with 15 seconds left, earning a 3-1 victory and a spot in the national championship match against Logan Thomsen of Wartburg (Iowa). Now, 41-1 on the season with a 25-match winning streak, Epps has a 1-1 record against Thomsen this season, dropping a 7-4 decision in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals on Jan. 5 and scoring a 10-6 win in a dual meet on Feb. 1.
Sam Bennyhoff (JR, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) earned a spot in the national title match at 133 pounds with another dominating performance from start to finish, claiming six takedowns and 4:25 riding time in a 15-3 major-decision win over Joao Vicente of Johnson & Wales (R.I.). Bennyhoff never let up in the match, only allowing three escape points by Vicente. Now 35-5 on the season and 93-21 in his career, Bennyhoff has 26 bonus-point wins this season (nine pins, seven technical falls, 10 major decisions). He will face Brock Rathbun of Wartburg (Iowa) in the national title match. The two have split their bouts this season, with Bennyhoff winning 7-5 on Jan. 5 and Rathbun winning 9-6 on Feb. 1.
Competing in his first national tournament, Alex Wilson (JR, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS) finished with a fifth-place national finish at 149 pounds to earn All-American honors. In his semifinal match on Saturday, Wilson was unable to score in an 8-0, major-decision loss to top-seed Cross Cannone of Wartburg (Iowa). In the wrestlebacks, Wilson dropped a 7-4 decision to Evan Drill of New York University. Tied 2-2 after two periods, Drill converted two takedowns, while allowing just two Wilson escapes. Wilson earned a medical forfeit in the fifth-place match over Sean Peacock of Brockport State (N.Y.). Wilson finished his junior season at 35-7 on the season and is 93-31 in his career.
Also competing in his first national tournament, Tanner Vassar (SO, Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) finished in seventh place at 174 pounds to earn All-American honors. In the consolation finals, he was pinned in 2:16 by Darden Schurg of Wabash (Ind.), but rallied back with a strong performance in an 8-3 win over Jake Voss of Coe (Iowa) in the seventh-place match. He trailed 2-0 after an early takedown, but claimed a reversal later in the first period, then scored another reversal in the second and a takedown in the third, building 3:42 riding time in the process. Vassar finished his sophomore season at 35-10 and is 67-20 in his career.
UP NEXT
The final session of the national tournament begins at 6 p.m. (Central time) on Saturday, with the 10 national title matches.
AUGSBURG SECOND-DAY RESULTS
- 133: Sam Bennyhoff (Augsburg) maj. dec. Joao Vicente (Johnson & Wales) 15-3. National championship match: Bennyhoff vs. Brock Rathbun (Wartburg).
- 149: Cross Cannone (Wartburg) maj. dec. Alex Wilson (Augsburg) 8-0; Evan Drill (NYU) dec. Wilson 7-4. Fifth-place match: Wilson medical forfeit over Sean Peacock (Brockport State).
- 157: Ryan Epps (Augsburg) dec. Cole Erickson (Coe) 3-1. National championship match: Epps vs. Logan Thomsen (Wartburg).
- 165: Lucas Jeske (Augsburg) pinned Anthony Arroyo (Baldwin-Wallace) 1:43. National championship match: Jeske vs. Nick Velez (Ithaca).
- 174: Darden Schurg (Wabash) pinned Tanner Vassar (Augsburg) 2:16. Seventh-place match: Vassar dec. Jake Voss (Coe) 8-3.
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