This weekend in NCAA Division II Wrestling

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
11/17/2001


For the middle of November, it does not get much better than this in Division II wrestling.    Three of the nation's top four teams will be in Omaha on Saturday for the Kaufman-Brand Open.    No. 2 South Dakota State, No. 3 Central Oklahoma and No. 4 Nebraska-Omaha are among more than 30 teams that will be competing in one of the country's biggest and best open tournaments.    Also in the field are No. 7 Augustana, No. 8 Western State (Colo.), No. 9 Adams State (Colo.), No. 16 Nebraska-Kearney, No. 18 St. Cloud State, No. 19 Chadron State.    There could be as many as four top-ranked individuals competing, including Adams State's Adam Mars (125), Central Oklahoma's Cole Province (133), Western State's Dave Vondy (165) and Nebraska-Omaha's Chad Wallace (197).    The top two wrestlers at 197 - Wallace and Central Oklahoma's Muhammed Lawal - could meet on Saturday. Lawal placed second in the nation at 184 last season.    The Kaufman-Brand Open also will feature some of the nation's best Division I teams. No. 5 Iowa, No. 11 Nebraska and No. 15 Northern Iowa are expected to compete.    No. 1 Minnesota also is coming to Iowa, but is not expected to bring its eight returning All-Americans.    Top-ranked North Dakota State, the two-time defending national champion, will next compete at the Northern Open on Nov. 23 in River Falls, Wis.    Fifth-ranked Ashland (Ohio) is off until playing host to the Simonson Open on Dec. 1.    Sixth-ranked Pitt-Johnstown is scheduled to compete at the Slippery Rock (Pa.) Open on Saturday.