College Wrestling 2/11/01 -- Augsburg 17, South Dakota State 15

MINNEAPOLIS (2/11/01) -- Augsburg College claimed a victory, but received some of its toughest dual-meet competition of the season Sunday afternoon in scoring a 17-15 decision over South Dakota State University in a nonconference meet at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.

Augsburg, the top-ranked team in the NWCA Adidas-Brute Division III national rankings, improves to 16-1 in dual meets this season. South Dakota State, ranked fourth in the Division II national rankings, drops to 8-5-1 in dual meets.

Augsburg and SDSU both won five individual matches in the dual, but two major decisions gave the Auggies the margin of victory in the team match. Kevin Rasmussen (Jr., Owatonna, Minn.) opened the match with a 9-0 major-decision win at 197 pounds for the Auggies, and Tony Abbott (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS) claimed an 8-0 win at 165 pounds.

In the highlight match of the afternoon, Augsburg's Ben Bauer (Sr., Faribault, Minn.) scored a third-period escape and took advantage of two stalling penalty points to claim a 3-1 win over SDSU's Jon Madsen (So., Carpenter, S.D.) at heavyweight. The match was a meeting of the defending national champions at heavyweight in Divisions II and III. It was Madsen's first match with the Jackrabbits since being sidelined with a knee injury earlier this season.

Darin Bertram (Jr., Herman, Minn./Herman-Norcross HS), the top-ranked wrestler in Division III at 125 pounds, scored a 4-0 win over SDSU's Ryan O'Connor (Sr., Huron, S.D.), ranked seventh in the country in Division II. Augsburg's Joe Moon (Fr., Ellendale, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva HS) dominated his match to win 8-2 at 174 pounds.

South Dakota State's two top-ranked wrestlers, Paul Konechne (Sr., Kimball, S.D.) at 141 and Aaron Veskrna (Jr., Gregory, S.D.) at 149, both scored decision victories. Konechne, the defending Division II national champion, topped Augsburg's Brad Fisher (Jr., Austin, Minn.), the No. 2-ranked wrestler in Division III at 141, 9-3, and Veskrna gained a third-period escape and riding-time point to score a 2-0 win over Augsburg's Tony Quance (Jr., Stillwater, Minn./Totino-Grace HS).

In the other meeting of ranked wrestlers in the match, South Dakota State's Todd Paszek (Fr., Webster, S.D.), ranked fourth in Division II at 184, scored a 4-2 overtime upset of Augsburg's Nik Lewandowski (Sr., Hastings, Minn.), ranked second in Division III at 184. Lewandowski tied the match in the third period at 2-2 to force overtime, but Paszek scored a takedown to win the match with five seconds remaining in the first overtime.

Other Jackrabbit wins came from Nathan Smrekar (Fr., Forest Lake, Minn.), who edged Augsburg's Brian Miller (Jr., Virginia Beach, Va.) 6-5 at 133, and from Jacob Forster (Fr., Sioux Falls, S.D.), who claimed a third-period takedown and held off a late charge from Augsburg's Drew Gau (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./South HS) for an 8-7 win at 157.

Augsburg has a 15-day break before returning to action at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference individual championships on Feb. 26 at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn. Augsburg has won the last 14 MIAC titles in a row and 24 of the last 26 crowns. The Jackrabbits close their dual-meet season on Thursday (2/15) with a 7 p.m. North Central Conference dual at Augustana (S.D.) in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Augsburg (16-1 dual meets) 17, South Dakota State (8-5-1) 15
2/11/01 at Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Attendance: 300
Action begins at 197 pounds
197 -- Kevin Rasmussen (AUG, 26-8) maj. dec. Dustin Wagner (SDSU, 1-7) 9-0 (Augsburg 4-0)
HWT -- Ben Bauer (AUG, 30-3) dec. Jon Madsen (SDSU, 5-1) 3-1 (Augsburg 7-0)
125 -- Darin Bertram (AUG, 34-2) dec. Ryan O'Connor (SDSU, 19-11) 4-0 (Augsburg 10-0)
133 -- Nathan Smrekar (SDSU, 3-2) dec. Bryan Miller (AUG, 21-7) 6-5 (Augsburg 10-3)
141 -- Paul Konechne (SDSU, 32-3) dec. Brad Fisher (AUG, 21-4) 9-3 (Augsburg 10-6)
149 -- Aaron Veskrna (SDSU, 25-6) dec. Tony Quance (AUG, 19-7) 2-0 (Augsburg 10-9)
157 -- Jacob Forster (SDSU, 12-4) dec. Drew Gau (AUG, 27-10) 8-7 (South Dakota State 12-10)
165 -- Tony Abbott (AUG, 29-4) maj. dec. Jerry Reicks (SDSU, 5-11) 8-0 (Augsburg 14-12)
174 -- Joe Moon (AUG, 28-5) dec. Matt Evers (SDSU, 0-2) 8-2 (Augsburg 17-12)
184 -- Todd Paszek (SDSU, 20-6) dec. Nik Lewandowski (AUG, 25-7) 4-2 (OT) (Augsburg 17-15)

Play-By-Play -- Time is time remaining on clock.
197 -- Kevin Rasmussen (AUG, 25-8) vs. Dustin Wagner (SDSU, 1-6)
1st Period -- 2:50 AUG takedown (AUG 2-0), 1:37 SDSU stall warning (AUG 2-0).
2nd Period -- SDSU defers, AUG down -- 1:44 AUG reversal (AUG 4-0), 1:24 SDSU stalling, AUG penalty point (AUG 5-0).
3rd Period -- SDSU neutral -- 1:14 SDSU stalling, AUG penalty point (AUG 6-0), 0:53 AUG takedown (AUG 8-0), AUG 5:11 riding time advantage (AUG 9-0).

HWT -- Ben Bauer (AUG, 29-3) vs. Jon Madsen (SDSU, 5-1)
1st Period -- 1:36 SDSU stall warning, 0:15 SDSU stalling, AUG penalty point (AUG 1-0).
2nd Period -- AUG defers, SDSU down -- 1:22 SDSU escape (TIED 1-1).
3rd Period -- AUG down -- 1:58 AUG escape (AUG 2-1), 1:32 SDSU stalling, AUG penalty point (AUG 3-1), 0:02 AUG stalling warning (AUG 3-1).

125 -- Darin Bertram (AUG, 33-2) vs. Ryan O'Connor (SDSU, 19-10)
1st Period -- No scoring.
2nd Period -- SDSU defers, AUG down -- 0:51 AUG escape (AUG 1-0), 0:13 AUG takedown (AUG 3-0).
3rd Period -- SDSU down -- 0:35 AUG stall warning, AUG 1:06 riding time (AUG 4-0).

133 -- Bryan Miller (AUG, 21-6) vs. Nathan Smrekar (SDSU, 2-2)
1st Period -- 1:05 SDSU stall warning, 1:04 AUG takedown (AUG 2-0), 0:52 SDSU reversal (TIED 2-2), 0:41 AUG escape (AUG 3-2).
2nd Period -- AUG down -- 1:45 AUG escape (AUG 4-2), 0:12 AUG stall warning.
3rd Period -- SDSU down -- 1:40 SDSU escape (AUG 4-3), 1:32 SDSU takedown (SDSU 5-4), 0:04 AUG escape (TIED 5-5), SDSU 1:13 riding time (SDSU 6-5)

141 -- Brad Fisher (AUG, 21-3) vs. Paul Konechne (SDSU, 31-3)
1st Period -- 2:06 SDSU takedown (SDSU 2-0).
2nd Period -- SDSU defers, AUG down -- 1:20 SDSU technical violation (clasped hands), AUG penalty point (SDSU 2-1), SDSU 2-near fall (SDSU 4-1).
3rd Period -- SDSU down -- 1:49 SDSU reversal (SDSU 6-1), 1:00 AUG escape (SDSU 6-2), 0:10 SDSU takedown (SDSU 8-2), 0:03 AUG escape (SDSU 8-3) SDSU 4:18 riding time advantage (SDSU 9-3).

149 -- Tony Quance (AUG, 19-6) vs. Aaron Veskrna (SDSU, 24-6)
1st Period -- No scoring.
2nd Period -- AUG down -- No scoring.
3rd Period -- SDSU down -- 1:58 SDSU escape (optional start) (SDSU 1-0), SDSU 1:58 riding time advantage (SDSU 2-0).

157 -- Drew Gau (AUG, 27-9) vs. Jacob Forster (SDSU, 11-4)
1st Period -- 1:32 AUG takedown (AUG 2-0), 1:23 AUG illegal hold, SDSU penalty point (AUG 2-1), 0:17 SDSU escape (TIED 2-2), 0:07 SDSU takedown (SDSU 4-2).
2nd Period -- SDSU defers, AUG down -- 1:51 AUG escape (SDSU 4-3), 1:08 SDSU takedown (SDSU 6-3), 0:58 AUG reversal (SDSU 6-5), 0:10 SDSU stall warning.
3rd Period -- SDSU neutral -- 1:44 SDSU takedown (SDSU 8-5), 1:23 AUG escape (SDSU 8-6), AUG 1:35 riding time advantage (SDSU 8-7).

165 -- Tony Abbott (AUG, 28-4) vs. Jerry Reicks (SDSU, 5-10)
1st Period -- 2:39 AUG takedown (AUG 2-0).
2nd Period -- AUG down -- 1:37 AUG escape (AUG 3-0), 0:23 AUG takedown (AUG 5-0), 0:13 SDSU stall warning.
3rd Period -- SDSU neutral -- 0:18 AUG takedown (AUG 6-0), AUG 2:55 riding time advantage (AUG 8-0).

174 -- Joe Moon (AUG, 27-5) vs. Matt Evers (SDSU, 0-1)
1st Period -- 2:20 SDSU takedown (SDSU 2-0), 1:54 AUG escape (AUG 2-1), 1:16 AUG takedown (AUG 3-2).
2nd Period -- SDSU defers, AUG down -- 1:39 AUG reversal (AUG 5-2).
3rd Period -- SDSU neutral -- 1:24 AUG takedown (AUG 7-2), AUG 3:32 riding time advantage (AUG 8-2).

184 -- Nik Lewandowski (AUG, 25-5) vs. Todd Paszek (SDSU, 19-6)
1st Period -- 1:05 SDSU takedown (SDSU 2-0), 0:56 AUG escape (SDSU 2-1).
2nd Period -- AUG defers, SDSU neutral -- No scoring.
3rd Period -- AUG down -- 1:54 AUG escape (TIED 2-2).
Overtime -- Both neutral -- 0:05 SDSU takedown (SDSU 4-2).