Augustana College (S.D.) is a contender for first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship
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Josi Carlson (USA Wrestling)
03/10/2005
With all 10 of its wrestlers qualified and an impressive victory at the NCAA Div. II North Regional, Augustana College has the makings of a championship team: momentum and a No. 1 ranking. The Augustana Augies of Sioux Falls, S.D., will test their skills at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Omaha, Neb., at Sapp Fieldhouse, March 11-12. Augustana took over the No. 1 spot in the final regular season coaches poll from defending national champion Nebraska-Omaha. Second-year head coach and North Region Coach of the Year Jason Reitmeier has a core group of leaders who could be the foundation of the team's first-ever National Championship. Senior Tom Meester is the top-ranked wrestler and defending national champion at 184 pounds. Senior Aaron Graumann goes into nationals as the No. 1 guy at 125 and fresh-off being named the North Region Wrestler of the Year. Junior Ryan King took the competition at the North Regionals and has the top spot at 149. Nebraska-Omaha qualified nine wrestlers for the championships and goes into the tournament trailing the Augies by just six points in the final poll. Rounding out the top five in the poll are Nebraska-Kearney, which qualified nine wrestlers, Minnesota State-Mankato also with nine and Pittsburgh-Johnstown with eight. Four wrestlers will have tough road to defend titles In last year's National Championships, Nebraska-Omaha needed a victory in the heavyweight division in order to knock off perennial powerhouse North Dakota State. Sophomore defending national champion Les Sigman was the man on the mat for Nebraska-Omaha. Facing Andrew Ubben of Fort Hays State, Sigman scored a takedown late in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Ubben was injured on the takedown and forced to default, giving Nebraska-Omaha a 97.5 to 95 victory over North Dakota State. North Dakota State has moved up to Division I this season, but Sigman is back and looking for a third title. Looking to upset Sigman's bid will be the Nebraska-Kearney's RMAC/West Region freshman of the year Tervel Dlagnev. With a first round bye in the West Regional, Dlagnev finished the season one win shy of tying Nebraska-Kearney's single season win record of 37. Along with Meester and Sigman, Merrick Meyer of Truman State will be defending his title at 141 pounds and Nebraska-Kearney's Jeff Sylvester will try to make it to make two in a row at 197 pounds. Meyer is currently ranked second behind San Francisco State's Donald Lockett. An All-American last season, Lockett boasts a 37-6 record this season. Sylvester's path to a repeat title will not be easy. Currently ranked No. 1 is Plamen Paskalev of Central Missouri State who has only one loss this season. At No. 2 is Tim Boldt of Augustana, a transfer from South Dakota State where he was a 2003 All-American. University of Nebraska-Omaha to webcast championship matches Nebraska-Omaha is hosting the National Championship for the fourth time since 1980. Results will be updated on the Nebraska-Omaha athletics web site and a live webcast of Saturday's championship round matches will be produced by UNO Television. To get information on the tournament, check results and watch the webcast: http://gomavs.unomaha.edu/wrestling_nationals/index.php Results from 2004 NCAA Division II National Championships Champions 125 - Jared Haberman (Western St.) dec. Dustin Tovar (Nebraska-Omaha), 8-1 133 - Cole Province (Central Okla.) dec. Donald Lockett (San Francisco St.), 6-3 141 - Merrick Meyer (Truman St.) dec. Shane Barnes (Adams St.), 6-3 149 - Adrian Jiron (Western St.) dec. Patrick Allibone (Nebraska-Omaha), 6-2 157 - Travis Koppenhafer (Adams St.) dec. Jack Quintana (Western St.), 10-6 165 - Waylon Lowe (Findlay) dec. Shawn Silvis (Central Okla.), 8-6 174 - Jason Tapia (Central Okla.) pin John Burda (Pitt-Johnstown), 1:25 184 - Tom Meester (Augustana) major dec. Matt Hermann (North Dakota St.), 10-1 197 - Jeff Sylvester (Nebraska-Kearney) major dec. Brian Kraemer (North Dakota St.), 12-4 285 - Les Sigman (Nebraska-Omaha) won by default over Andrew Ubben (Fort Hays St.) Top 20 teams: 1. Nebraska-Omaha, 97.5 2. North Dakota St., 95 3. Central Okla., 88.5 4. Western St., 76.0 5. Pitt-Johnstown, 69 6. Augustana, 54 7. Findlay, 52.5 8. Nebraska-Kearney, 52 9. Adams St., 47.5 10. Fort Hays St., 43 11. Shippensburg, 38 12. UNC-Pembroke, 34.5 13. (tie) Central Missouri St. and San Franisco St., 30 15. Northern St., 28 16. Truman St., 27.5 17. Minnesota St.-Mankato, 26.5 18. Chadron St., 24.5 19. Ashland, 24 20. Wis.-Parkside, 22