STILL THE BIG TWO

Wartburg, Augsburg should challenge each other again for Div. III title
By Brad Baker, W.I.N.’s Div. III Editor
Fasten your seatbelts wrestling fans, the NCAA Div. III season of 2004-05 looks to be just as exciting as the past couple of winters. This season also looks like it could be a tale of two teams once again: Wartburg and Augsburg.
The Knights and Auggies look to be fairly evenly matched on paper this year. The two powerhouses could make things very interesting when they get under the Saturday night finals lights on Mar. 5 in Northfield Minn. at the NCAA Div. III Championships.
Augsburg looks to have the early edge returning nine All-Americans to Wartburg’s seven. However, the Auggies seemed to have the edge at the beginning of last season, too.
Augsburg head coach Jeff Swenson does not look at the Div. III national race as the "Battle of the Big Two."
"I never think of it as a two-team race," Swenson said. "I think there is too many great programs out there. I look at it as being a lot of good programs with good opportunities to compete for the title."
Four of the Augsburg returning All-Americans (Matt Shankey, 125), (Mark Matzek, 133), (Marcus LeVesseur, 157) and (Joe Moon, 174) return as defending national champions.
LeVesseur spent this past fall playing quarterback for the Auggies’ football team. This may keep him out of the line-up for a little while, but it shouldn’t affect his wrestling too much.
"Right now, football is first priority," said Swenson. "He still gets his technique sessions in during the day, but we have to be careful of his legs."
Also returning for the Auggies are All-Americans Jamell Tidwell (second at 141), Dusty Dahlblom (sixth at 149), Ryan Valek (seventh at 165), Joe Cullen (seventh at 197), and Mark Simmonds (fourth at heavyweight).
It will be a while before Augsburg is at full strength. Both Moon and Dahlblom won’t be in the lineup until next semester.
Augsburg's All-American Marcus LeVesseur also played football for the Minnesota team.
Wartburg began last season with five new faces in the line-up and ranked second in the preseason rankings behind Augsburg. Wartburg head coach Jim Miller said a year ago that the success of his team last season would depend on the success of the new faces in the line-up.
Those new faces included Justin McClintook (fifth at 125), Dustin Hinschberger (first at 141), Cory Connell (second at 157), Andrew Knaack (national qualifier), Akeem Carter (first at 197) and Blake Gillis (second at heavyweight).
It’s safe to say that those new faces had some pretty good success and all of them are returning to the Knights’ line-up this season.
Also returning for Wartburg are the Sturm twins. Mark returns after placing fifth last season at 174, while Ryan is a returning national champ.
Miller believes it may look like a two-team race, but he isn’t going to overlook anyone.
Wartburg's Dustin Hinschberger first knocked off a defending national champ from the Knight's wrestling room before capturing one of his own last March.
"I think most people would assume it will be Wartburg/Augsburg because that’s the way it’s been for so long," said Miller, who was named the Dan Gable National Coach of the Year by W.I.N. Magazine. "But we certainly aren’t taking anything for granted."
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