Augsburg 18, UW-Stevens Point 15

Auggies claim 18-15 win over Pointers

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Building a 15-0 lead after the first four bouts, the Augsburg College wrestling team finished its regular season with an 18-15 dual-meet victory at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Thursday evening at Berg Gym.

Both teams won five bouts, but a technical-fall victory by 125-pounder Mike Fuenffinger (SO, Hibbing, Minn.) and a major-decision win by #Tossaporn “Boyd” Suparat# (SR, North Branch, Minn.) at 133 proved to be the difference in the triumph for Augsburg (6-6 overall).

After Augsburg won the first four bouts, Wisconsin-Stevens Point (14-8 overall) won the next three in a row, but one of the key moments in the match came at 165 pounds, when Augsburg’s Justin Bowland (JR, Foley, Minn.) claimed a 4-2 victory over the Pointers’ Jordan Schulte, ranked No. 7 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III rankings. The Pointers won the final two bouts, but both were three-point decisions, giving the Auggies the 18-15 win.

Augsburg entered Thursday’s match ranked No. 20 in the most recent NWCA Division III national poll, while Wisconsin-Stevens Point was ranked No. 9.

Fuenffinger improved to 22-5 on the year with a 15-0, technical-fall victory over Lance Fabry at 125 pounds. The win was his 11th bonus-point victory of the season and his fourth technical-fall win. Suparat improved to 25-11 on the season with a 9-1, major-decision win over Lucas McGann at 133.

Matt Hechsel (SO, Apple Valley, Minn.) opened the match with an 8-6 win over Craig Brandvold at 197 pounds, improving to 28-9 on the season.

Top-ranked heavyweight and defending national champion Chad Johnson (JR, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS) improved to 30-1 on the season with a 5-3 win over Jordan Koranda. Johnson is now 98-13 in his three seasons at Augsburg.

Jordan Kust, ranked No. 6 nationally at 141 for the Pointers, scored a 4-2 win over Augsburg’s Tom Kuehn (SO, Fargo, N.D./West Fargo HS), while the Pointers’ Ben Strobel scored a 5-1 win over Rashad Kennedy (SO, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) at 149, and the Pointers’ Jamey Simmons claimed a 7-3 win over Kurt Knutsen (SO, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) at 157.

In the final two bouts of the night, Bill Langford scored a 9-7 win over Augsburg’s Quinten Strand (FY, Viroqua, Wis./De Soto HS) at 174, and Andy Borchardt claimed a 5-2 win over Augsburg’s Noel Sweeney (JR, Grand Rapids, Minn.) at 184.

Augsburg will host the NCAA Division III West Regional on Saturday, March 2 at 9 a.m. at Si Melby Hall, attempting to qualify wrestlers to the NCAA Division III National Championships.

No. 20 Augsburg (Minn., 6-6) 18, No. 9 Wisconsin-Stevens Point (14-8) 15
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, Stevens Point, Wis.
Attendance: 210
Action begins at 197 pounds

#20 Augsburg 18, #9 UW-Stevens Point 15
197 — Matt Hechsel (AUG, 28-9) dec. Craig Brandvold (UWSP, 3-10) 8-6 (Augsburg 3-0)
Hwt — No. 1 Chad Johnson (AUG, 30-1) dec. Jordan Koranda (UWSP, 27-7) 5-3 (Augsburg 6-0)
125 — Mike Fuenffinger (AUG, 22-5) tech. fall. Lance Fabry (UWSP, 22-13) 15-0 (Augsburg 11-0)
Click Here: New Zealand rugby store 133 — Tossaporn “Boyd” Suparat (AUG, 25-11) maj. dec. Lucas McGann (UWSP, 3-4) 9-1 (Augsburg 15-0)
141 — No. 6 Jordan Kust (UWSP, 33-6) dec. Tom Kuehn (AUG, 21-15) 4-2 (Augsburg 15-3)
149 — Ben Strobel (UWSP, 26-7) dec. Rashad Kennedy (AUG, 18-15) 5-1 (Augsburg 15-6)
157 — Jamey Simmons (UWSP, 18-9) dec. Kurt Knutsen (AUG, 9-19) 7-3 (Augsburg 15-9)
165 — Justin Bowland (AUG, 16-16) dec. No. 7 Jordan Schulte (UWSP, 21-8) 4-2 (Augsburg 18-9)
174 — Bill Langford (UWSP, 12-5) dec. Quinten Strand (AUG, 9-15) 9-7 (Augsburg 18-12)
184 — Andy Borchardt (UWSP, 16-14) dec. Noel Sweeney (AUG, 6-10) 5-2 (Augsburg 18-15)