Recap of last week's Division II college wrestling action

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
02/28/2002


 The NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships came down to the final match last season.        North Dakota State's Nick Severson pinned South Dakota State's Jon Madsen in the finals at heavyweight to give NDSU the team title over second-place SDSU. Both wrestlers are back this year.      This year's national meet could come down to the final match again as the national tournament field of 160 wrestlers was established last weekend during regional competition. The NCAA meet is scheduled for March 8-9 in Kenosha, Wis.      Top-ranked Central Oklahoma enters the national meet as the favorite. The Bronchos won the Midwest Regional and qualified eight wrestlers for nationals. Defending national champion Cole Province (133) won a regional title as did teammates Matt Dodgen (141), Michael Barreras (149), Nathan Gomez (157), Shawn Silvis (165), Jeff Henning (184) and Muhammed Lawal (197). UCO's Chris Saferite was second in the regional at 125.      Two-time defending national champion and second-ranked North Dakota State and third-ranked Ashland appear to be UCO's top challengers for the title. NDSU and Ashland both qualified all 10 wrestlers for nationals.       North Dakota State dominated the always-tough North Central Conference tournament on Sunday, winning its final 16 matches of the meet. NDSU crowned champions in Severson, Matt Strawser (125), Paul Carlson (157) and Todd Fuller (174). Fuller is the two-time defending national champion at 174.      North Dakota State, a team known for peaking at tournament time, is coming together again despite three key wrestlers suffering knee injuries during the regular season. Those three wrestlers - Lucas Christianson (141), Chris Rufo (184) and Brian Kraemer (197) - wrestled well Sunday and each finished third at the NCC meet.      Ashland won the East Regional. Winning titles for Ashland were Chris Peretti (133), Zack Davis (165) and Josh Hendricks (heavyweight).        Sixth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference/West Regional title, qualifying seven wrestlers for Kenosha. Bryce Abbey (125) and Riley Ross (165) won conference titles for the Lopers. Ross beat defending national champ Dave Vondy of Western State 3-2 in the finals. Ross has beaten Vondy twice this month.      Fourth-ranked Nebraska-Omaha and host school and eighth-ranked Wisconsin-Parkside have eight qualifiers apiece while No. 10 Findlay and No. 13 Central Missouri State have seven each.     Nebraska-Omaha has three returning All-Americans in NCC champ Chad Wallace (197), Zach Stalder (184) and Roderick Ratcliff (141). Wallace was fourth in the nation the last two seasons at 197 while Stalder was fourth at 174 in 2001. Ratcliff was seventh at 141 last year.       Findlay crowed four champs in the East Regional - Waylon Lowe (149), James Tietema (174), Matt Tyrell (184) and Brian Scislo (197).       Central Missouri State is led by No. 1 Erkin Tadzhimetov at 125 and regional champion Willie McGowan at heavyweight.       South Dakota is taking six wrestlers to nationals and is a dangerous tournament team with all six qualifiers nationally ranked. Jeremy Roe (141) and Tyler Jones (184) won NCC titles.      Perennial power Pitt-Johnstown, ranked seventh, had three East Regional champs in Brandon Newill (125), Jason Nester (141) and Shad Benton (157). Benton finished third and Newill fourth at nationals last season.