After its impressive run to the championship at the NWCA Division III National Duals over the weekend, the Augsburg wrestling team has moved into the No. 1 spot in the latest Brute-Adidas NWCA Division III national rankings, released yesterday.Augsburg supplanted defending national champion Wartburg (Iowa), which had occupied the No. 1 spot since last January. The Auggies topped Wartburg 21-20 in the finals of the National Duals on Sunday.
Eight Auggie wrestlers are ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight classes, led by No. 1-ranked Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) at 133 pounds and Willy Holst (SR, Prescott, Wis.) at 149. Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) is ranked No. 2 at 197, while Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.) is No. 4 at heavyweight. Ranked No. 5 is Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) at 125 and Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) at 157, and ranked No. 7 is Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) at 141 and Zach Molitor (SO, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) at 174.
Augsburg has another big test this Friday, when it travels to face Division I North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D., resuming a series that ended in 2004, the last season NDSU was in Division II. The all-time series between the two schools is tied at 5-5.
