Wartburg Knights earn NCAA Division III team title
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by Jon Gremmels
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Wartburg opened the season ranked second in NCAA Division III wrestling, but the Knights established themselves as solid favorites by dropping only five of 40 matches as they won duals against defending champion Augsburg, Wisconsin-La Crosse, Delaware Valley and Luther.
They didn't let up at the national tournament.
The Knights jumped in front with a technical fall and a pin in their first two matches - part of a 10-for-10 effort in the opening session - and they continued rolling as they wrapped up the sixth title in school history Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at the U.S. Cellular Center. They finished with 147 points, the fourth-highest total in Division III history. The Knights have three those - 166.5 in 2003 and 156.5 in 2004 - while Augsburg scored 162 in 2005.
"There's not much more you could ask for," said 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont, one of three juniors who won titles for Wartburg.
"The only way this could be better would be to break the record," said 149-pounder Jacob Naig. "We did better than we thought possible."
Coach Jim Miller said his team might even have overachieved.
"If you look at it from the beginning of the year to now, I'd say, 'yeah,'" he said.
Romeo Djoumessi (184), the final champion, said hard work was the key to Wartburg's successs.
"One thing about Wartburg College, everybody puts in extra time," he said. "Nobody took a shortcut."
Wisconsin-La Crosse, coached by former Wartburg assistant Dave Malecek, finished second with 100 points.
"It's a good step," said Malecek, whose team placed third last year in his first season as head coach. "We had six new faces in the lineup. We're trying to build in the right places, and we're going in the right direction."
Defending champion Augsburg was third with 87, Coe College took fourth with 78 and Delaware Valley was fifth with 64. Luther (45.5), Cornell (40.5), Elmhurst (38), North Central (37.5) and Wisconsin-Stevens Point (33) rounded out the top 10. Coe's John Oostendorp was voted coach of the year, while his assistant, Dustin Hinschberger, a former three-time national champion at Wartburg, was named assistant of the year.
Championship matches
125 pounds
Seth Flodeen (Augsburg) pinned Clayton Rush (Coe) 2:07
Seldom do national finals start with as much excitement as this one.
Rush jumped to a 5-0 lead with a takedown and near fall 42 seconds into the match. But Flodeen escaped with 2 minutes, 12 seconds, remaining in the opening period. Flodeen then countered a leg shot by Rush, flattened him out and came around for control with 1:21 left and cradled Rush for a fall at 2:07 of the match.
"There was a flashback for a few seconds," Flodeen said of being on his back. "I tried not to panic. I knew there were 6 ½ minutes after that and I could turn the pace."
It was a tournament of redemption in a way for Flodeen, a junior from Cannon Falls, Minn. Although he was the national runner-up last year, he was seeded only fifth this year. He avenged a regular-season loss to Wartburg's Robert Struthers in the quarterfinals and then beat Rush, who had pinned him earlier in the season.
"The middle of the season, January, particularly, was a tough month," Flodeen said. "I had trouble with my weight, and (lost to) three of the guys here."
Flodeen (24-7) advanced to the finals by knocking off top-seeded Chris Heilman of Cornell 8-2 in the semifinals. Rush (36-5) reached the finals by beating sixth-seeded Chris Sheetz of Delaware Valley 6-1.
133 pounds
David Morgan (King's) dec. Jake Helvey (Wartburg) 3-1 sv
Morgan came out with the points 25 seconds into the 2-minute sudden death when he gained control in a scramble. After each wrestler appeared to have a chance to get control, Morgan scored when he got control on the side of Helvey's body.
"It was a scramble situation that could go either way," Morgan, from West Scranton, Pa., said. "He's a great wrestler and was physical the whole match. That kind of surprised me."
The two wrestlers exchanged escapes in the first 10 seconds of the second and third periods, leaving them tied 1-1 and sent the match into overtime.
It was Morgan's second title, and he would like another.
"It's the same first thing I said last year: 'I want to do it again,'" Morgan said. "I have one semester left, so I'll say it again."
Helvey (31-4), the fourth seed, advanced by beating top-seeded Adam Johnson of North Central 4-2 in sudden victory. It was his second win against Johnson this season. The second-seeded Morgan (28-1) reached the finals for the second year in a row by using a third-period takedown for a 3-2 win over sixth-seeded Nick Nothern of Cornell.
141 pounds
Michael Bonora (Rhode Island) dec. Jason Adams (Augsburg) 5-1
Bonora established control with a takedown in each of the first two periods on the way to the victory.
"I felt good after the first takedown," said Bonora, from Nutley, N.J. "I established control, and once it was there I just wanted to hold on. It feels unbelievable. All the hard work paid off."
Bonora (44-2), who placed sixth a year ago, came in as the top seed and advanced to the finals with three consecutive decisions, including a 5-3 win against fourth seed Stephen Hult of New York University in the semifinals.
"I felt like every match it was (extra pressure)," Bonora said of the seeding. "I wanted just one match at a time. I look at the scores (of his wins) and not one of them is a major."
Adams (31-9) entered his first national tournament unseeded but beat sixth seed Nicholas Sanchez of Heidelberg in the first round, third seed Matt Kelly of Wartburg in the quarterfinals and unseeded Niles Mercer of Coe 8-4 in the semifinals.
149 pounds
Jacob Naig (Wartburg) dec. Elliott Spence (Mount St. Joseph) 8-2
Naig finished off a workmanlike performance in the tournament with an 8-2 win in the finals. His other wins came by 9-2 and 9-4 decisions and a pin.
"One thing we talked about was to feel everybody out and take advantage of things; that's what I've got to do," said Naig, a junior who transferred to Wartburg in 2005 as a freshman from Nebraska-Omaha, where his brother J.D. won three NCAA Division II titles. "It hit home when he said that."
Naig (43-3), the 2006 runner-up who missed last season because of an injury, reached the finals by pinning fifth seed Jeff Kastel of Elmhurst in 4:59. Spence, the third seed, beat second-seeded Willy Holst of Augsburg 9-3 in the semifinals. Spence (43-6) changed the complexion of that match with a five-point move with 53 seconds left in the second period. It gave him a 6-3 lead.
"I'm a big-move kind of guy, so a (one- or two-point deficit) is no big deal," Spence said.
Spence said he caught Holst with one of his "funk moves" that he also used earlier in the tournament.
157 pounds
Aaron Wernimont (Wartburg) dec. Jason Brew (Olivet) 7-3
Wernimont followed his teammate with another workmanlike win. He took down Brew twice in the first period and added a reversal in the second for a 6-1 lead.
"It was a good match, said Wernimont, a junior from Pocahontas, Iowa, who beat Brew earlier in the year 15-8. "It's amazing. For so long you work for it, and you finally get it and it's incredible.
This was the first final between the top seeds at a weight. Wernimont (40-1), the top seed, beat fourth seed Jesse Milks of Wisconsin-Platteville 8-3 in one semifinal, while Brew (36-9) beat sixth seeded Takafumi Hashimoto of New York University 13-6 in the other.
165 pounds
Tyler Burkle (Coe) dec. Ben Hoover (Maranatha Baptist Bible) 9-4
Burkle gave the home crowd something to cheer about as he capped an undefeated season with a national title, the first in school history.
"Both of them felt pretty good," Burkle said of becoming the first champion from Coe and getting a tight hug from coach John Oostendorp. "It's something I've worked for for a long time, and it feels great to do it."
Burkle, a sophomore from Coggin, Iowa, got a takedown and two-point near fall in the first period, then made it 6-2 with another near fall in the second.
"Top is one of my favorite positions," Burkle said. "Coach O emphasizes scoring points on top."
Hoover, the fourth seed, advanced to the final with a 15-7 win over top-seeded Tim Palmer of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He took the lead at 6-4 when he cradled Palmer for a three-point near fall with about 45 seconds left in the first period.
"Praise God; he's blessed me with some gifts," Hoover said.
Burkle (39-0) beat sixth seed Ben Youel of North Central 6-2 in the other semifinal.
174 pounds
Josh Chelf (Wisconsin-La Crosse) major dec. Tyler Jentz (Coe) 13-2
Chelf claimed his second title in a row and recorded two pins and two major decisions in his four wins. His dominating performance also brought him the Outstanding Wrestler award.
"I was looking for a 'W;' that's all that matters," Chelf, a senior from Tomahawk, Wis., said. "When that (domination) happens, that's a great weekend. I felt great, and I just went out and wrestled my style."
Chelf (40-3), the top seed and defending national champion, put on a dominating show in reaching the finals. The four-time All-American pinned his first two opponents before beating fifth seed Brandon MacWhinnie of Stevens Institute of Technology 11-1 in the semifinals. Jentz (39-9), the seventh seed, beat last year's runner-up, Kyle Vanderhyde of Olivet 2-1 in the other semifinal, scoring the decisive point against the third seed on a penalty point for stalling.
184 pounds
Romeo Djoumessi (Wartburg) dec. Michael Wilcox (Delaware Valley) 8-2
Djoumessi completed an undefeated season by recording three takedowns and never leaving his victory in doubt.
"Victory comes because of obstacles, not because of talent" said Djoumessi, who avoided an upset in his opening match - winning 10-9 -- and won three more after that. "I decided to put it all on the last match."
The seeds played out correctly here. The top seed, Djoumessi (29-0), reaching the final with a 5-4 win against Joshua Zabel of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the semifinals, with Zabel scoring the final two points on stalling penalties. Wilcox (28-3) used a 1:46 advantage in riding time to beat third seed Gabe Youel of North Central 7-6 in the other semifinal. Youel had tied the match on a late takedown.
197 pounds
Matthew Miller (Lycoming) dec. T.J. Miller (Wartburg) 2-0
Matthew Miller recorded a takedown with 1:58 left in the first period and made those points hold up to dethrone the defending champion. T.J. Miller chose neutral in the second period but couldn't score, then rode out the third but was unable to turn Matthew Miller.
"It's tough to say," the winner said when asked if he thought the takedown would hold up. "I've wrestled real tough on top. I felt pretty good once I got the first takedown."
Matthew Miller, a senior from Muncy, Pa., said he didn't feel any pressure going up against the 2007 champion.
"Everybody was saying I've got to be nervous," he said. "I look at it like I'm an underdog every match here."
Matthew Miller, the sixth seed, finished the season 20-0 but a knee injury and then a pinched nerve in his neck hampered him during the year and helped him fly under the radar.
Wartburg's Miller (26-3), son of coach Jim Miller, scored a key reversal early in the third period and rode out fourth seed Craig Bollig for an additional point in a 3-1 semifinal win that avenged an earlier loss. Matthew Miller scored the lone points of a 3-0 win against seventh seed Josh Holforty of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on a near fall in the third period.
Heavyweight
Dan Laurent (Wisconsin-La Crosse) dec. Brian Borchers (Wartburg) 7-5
Laurent battled back from a 4-1 deficit to avenge a 5-1 loss from earlier in the year.
"Earlier in the season I was giving it all I had but coming up short on conditioning," said Laurent, a sophomore from Manitowoc, Wis. "I was going to learn from my losses. I used that time to prepare better."
Laurent pulled even at 4-4 midway through the second period when he scored a takedown out of a scramble. Borchers escaped as the period ended to retake the lead, but Laurent tied it on an escape in the opening seconds of the third period. He scored the winning takedown out of a scramble with 34 seconds remaining after taking a leg shot.
"On the first couple of scrambles (in which Borchers avoided takedown attempts), he did surprise me with his quickness, but it was mainly my poor positioning," Laurent said. "On the late takedown, I used that and knew I had to have 100 percent technique or he was going to get out."
Laurent (24-11) came in as the eighth seed but reached the finals by pinning fifth seed Ryan Bowers of Heidelberg. Borchers (38-4), who spent four years (one an medical redshirt season) behind four-time national finalist Blake Gillis, avenged a loss for the second match in a row when he beat second-seeded Kyle Bilquist of Delaware Valley 5-3 in the semifinals. A takedown with 22 seconds left snapped a 2-2 tie.
"I knew he wanted to shoot low, and I wanted to work my stuff," Borchers said. "Then, I took my shot."
They didn't let up at the national tournament.
The Knights jumped in front with a technical fall and a pin in their first two matches - part of a 10-for-10 effort in the opening session - and they continued rolling as they wrapped up the sixth title in school history Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at the U.S. Cellular Center. They finished with 147 points, the fourth-highest total in Division III history. The Knights have three those - 166.5 in 2003 and 156.5 in 2004 - while Augsburg scored 162 in 2005.
"There's not much more you could ask for," said 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont, one of three juniors who won titles for Wartburg.
"The only way this could be better would be to break the record," said 149-pounder Jacob Naig. "We did better than we thought possible."
Coach Jim Miller said his team might even have overachieved.
"If you look at it from the beginning of the year to now, I'd say, 'yeah,'" he said.
Romeo Djoumessi (184), the final champion, said hard work was the key to Wartburg's successs.
"One thing about Wartburg College, everybody puts in extra time," he said. "Nobody took a shortcut."
Wisconsin-La Crosse, coached by former Wartburg assistant Dave Malecek, finished second with 100 points.
"It's a good step," said Malecek, whose team placed third last year in his first season as head coach. "We had six new faces in the lineup. We're trying to build in the right places, and we're going in the right direction."
Defending champion Augsburg was third with 87, Coe College took fourth with 78 and Delaware Valley was fifth with 64. Luther (45.5), Cornell (40.5), Elmhurst (38), North Central (37.5) and Wisconsin-Stevens Point (33) rounded out the top 10. Coe's John Oostendorp was voted coach of the year, while his assistant, Dustin Hinschberger, a former three-time national champion at Wartburg, was named assistant of the year.
Championship matches
125 pounds
Seth Flodeen (Augsburg) pinned Clayton Rush (Coe) 2:07
Seldom do national finals start with as much excitement as this one.
Rush jumped to a 5-0 lead with a takedown and near fall 42 seconds into the match. But Flodeen escaped with 2 minutes, 12 seconds, remaining in the opening period. Flodeen then countered a leg shot by Rush, flattened him out and came around for control with 1:21 left and cradled Rush for a fall at 2:07 of the match.
"There was a flashback for a few seconds," Flodeen said of being on his back. "I tried not to panic. I knew there were 6 ½ minutes after that and I could turn the pace."
It was a tournament of redemption in a way for Flodeen, a junior from Cannon Falls, Minn. Although he was the national runner-up last year, he was seeded only fifth this year. He avenged a regular-season loss to Wartburg's Robert Struthers in the quarterfinals and then beat Rush, who had pinned him earlier in the season.
"The middle of the season, January, particularly, was a tough month," Flodeen said. "I had trouble with my weight, and (lost to) three of the guys here."
Flodeen (24-7) advanced to the finals by knocking off top-seeded Chris Heilman of Cornell 8-2 in the semifinals. Rush (36-5) reached the finals by beating sixth-seeded Chris Sheetz of Delaware Valley 6-1.
133 pounds
David Morgan (King's) dec. Jake Helvey (Wartburg) 3-1 sv
Morgan came out with the points 25 seconds into the 2-minute sudden death when he gained control in a scramble. After each wrestler appeared to have a chance to get control, Morgan scored when he got control on the side of Helvey's body.
"It was a scramble situation that could go either way," Morgan, from West Scranton, Pa., said. "He's a great wrestler and was physical the whole match. That kind of surprised me."
The two wrestlers exchanged escapes in the first 10 seconds of the second and third periods, leaving them tied 1-1 and sent the match into overtime.
It was Morgan's second title, and he would like another.
"It's the same first thing I said last year: 'I want to do it again,'" Morgan said. "I have one semester left, so I'll say it again."
Helvey (31-4), the fourth seed, advanced by beating top-seeded Adam Johnson of North Central 4-2 in sudden victory. It was his second win against Johnson this season. The second-seeded Morgan (28-1) reached the finals for the second year in a row by using a third-period takedown for a 3-2 win over sixth-seeded Nick Nothern of Cornell.
141 pounds
Michael Bonora (Rhode Island) dec. Jason Adams (Augsburg) 5-1
Bonora established control with a takedown in each of the first two periods on the way to the victory.
"I felt good after the first takedown," said Bonora, from Nutley, N.J. "I established control, and once it was there I just wanted to hold on. It feels unbelievable. All the hard work paid off."
Bonora (44-2), who placed sixth a year ago, came in as the top seed and advanced to the finals with three consecutive decisions, including a 5-3 win against fourth seed Stephen Hult of New York University in the semifinals.
"I felt like every match it was (extra pressure)," Bonora said of the seeding. "I wanted just one match at a time. I look at the scores (of his wins) and not one of them is a major."
Adams (31-9) entered his first national tournament unseeded but beat sixth seed Nicholas Sanchez of Heidelberg in the first round, third seed Matt Kelly of Wartburg in the quarterfinals and unseeded Niles Mercer of Coe 8-4 in the semifinals.
149 pounds
Jacob Naig (Wartburg) dec. Elliott Spence (Mount St. Joseph) 8-2
Naig finished off a workmanlike performance in the tournament with an 8-2 win in the finals. His other wins came by 9-2 and 9-4 decisions and a pin.
"One thing we talked about was to feel everybody out and take advantage of things; that's what I've got to do," said Naig, a junior who transferred to Wartburg in 2005 as a freshman from Nebraska-Omaha, where his brother J.D. won three NCAA Division II titles. "It hit home when he said that."
Naig (43-3), the 2006 runner-up who missed last season because of an injury, reached the finals by pinning fifth seed Jeff Kastel of Elmhurst in 4:59. Spence, the third seed, beat second-seeded Willy Holst of Augsburg 9-3 in the semifinals. Spence (43-6) changed the complexion of that match with a five-point move with 53 seconds left in the second period. It gave him a 6-3 lead.
"I'm a big-move kind of guy, so a (one- or two-point deficit) is no big deal," Spence said.
Spence said he caught Holst with one of his "funk moves" that he also used earlier in the tournament.
157 pounds
Aaron Wernimont (Wartburg) dec. Jason Brew (Olivet) 7-3
Wernimont followed his teammate with another workmanlike win. He took down Brew twice in the first period and added a reversal in the second for a 6-1 lead.
"It was a good match, said Wernimont, a junior from Pocahontas, Iowa, who beat Brew earlier in the year 15-8. "It's amazing. For so long you work for it, and you finally get it and it's incredible.
This was the first final between the top seeds at a weight. Wernimont (40-1), the top seed, beat fourth seed Jesse Milks of Wisconsin-Platteville 8-3 in one semifinal, while Brew (36-9) beat sixth seeded Takafumi Hashimoto of New York University 13-6 in the other.
165 pounds
Tyler Burkle (Coe) dec. Ben Hoover (Maranatha Baptist Bible) 9-4
Burkle gave the home crowd something to cheer about as he capped an undefeated season with a national title, the first in school history.
"Both of them felt pretty good," Burkle said of becoming the first champion from Coe and getting a tight hug from coach John Oostendorp. "It's something I've worked for for a long time, and it feels great to do it."
Burkle, a sophomore from Coggin, Iowa, got a takedown and two-point near fall in the first period, then made it 6-2 with another near fall in the second.
"Top is one of my favorite positions," Burkle said. "Coach O emphasizes scoring points on top."
Hoover, the fourth seed, advanced to the final with a 15-7 win over top-seeded Tim Palmer of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He took the lead at 6-4 when he cradled Palmer for a three-point near fall with about 45 seconds left in the first period.
"Praise God; he's blessed me with some gifts," Hoover said.
Burkle (39-0) beat sixth seed Ben Youel of North Central 6-2 in the other semifinal.
174 pounds
Josh Chelf (Wisconsin-La Crosse) major dec. Tyler Jentz (Coe) 13-2
Chelf claimed his second title in a row and recorded two pins and two major decisions in his four wins. His dominating performance also brought him the Outstanding Wrestler award.
"I was looking for a 'W;' that's all that matters," Chelf, a senior from Tomahawk, Wis., said. "When that (domination) happens, that's a great weekend. I felt great, and I just went out and wrestled my style."
Chelf (40-3), the top seed and defending national champion, put on a dominating show in reaching the finals. The four-time All-American pinned his first two opponents before beating fifth seed Brandon MacWhinnie of Stevens Institute of Technology 11-1 in the semifinals. Jentz (39-9), the seventh seed, beat last year's runner-up, Kyle Vanderhyde of Olivet 2-1 in the other semifinal, scoring the decisive point against the third seed on a penalty point for stalling.
184 pounds
Romeo Djoumessi (Wartburg) dec. Michael Wilcox (Delaware Valley) 8-2
Djoumessi completed an undefeated season by recording three takedowns and never leaving his victory in doubt.
"Victory comes because of obstacles, not because of talent" said Djoumessi, who avoided an upset in his opening match - winning 10-9 -- and won three more after that. "I decided to put it all on the last match."
The seeds played out correctly here. The top seed, Djoumessi (29-0), reaching the final with a 5-4 win against Joshua Zabel of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the semifinals, with Zabel scoring the final two points on stalling penalties. Wilcox (28-3) used a 1:46 advantage in riding time to beat third seed Gabe Youel of North Central 7-6 in the other semifinal. Youel had tied the match on a late takedown.
197 pounds
Matthew Miller (Lycoming) dec. T.J. Miller (Wartburg) 2-0
Matthew Miller recorded a takedown with 1:58 left in the first period and made those points hold up to dethrone the defending champion. T.J. Miller chose neutral in the second period but couldn't score, then rode out the third but was unable to turn Matthew Miller.
"It's tough to say," the winner said when asked if he thought the takedown would hold up. "I've wrestled real tough on top. I felt pretty good once I got the first takedown."
Matthew Miller, a senior from Muncy, Pa., said he didn't feel any pressure going up against the 2007 champion.
"Everybody was saying I've got to be nervous," he said. "I look at it like I'm an underdog every match here."
Matthew Miller, the sixth seed, finished the season 20-0 but a knee injury and then a pinched nerve in his neck hampered him during the year and helped him fly under the radar.
Wartburg's Miller (26-3), son of coach Jim Miller, scored a key reversal early in the third period and rode out fourth seed Craig Bollig for an additional point in a 3-1 semifinal win that avenged an earlier loss. Matthew Miller scored the lone points of a 3-0 win against seventh seed Josh Holforty of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on a near fall in the third period.
Heavyweight
Dan Laurent (Wisconsin-La Crosse) dec. Brian Borchers (Wartburg) 7-5
Laurent battled back from a 4-1 deficit to avenge a 5-1 loss from earlier in the year.
"Earlier in the season I was giving it all I had but coming up short on conditioning," said Laurent, a sophomore from Manitowoc, Wis. "I was going to learn from my losses. I used that time to prepare better."
Laurent pulled even at 4-4 midway through the second period when he scored a takedown out of a scramble. Borchers escaped as the period ended to retake the lead, but Laurent tied it on an escape in the opening seconds of the third period. He scored the winning takedown out of a scramble with 34 seconds remaining after taking a leg shot.
"On the first couple of scrambles (in which Borchers avoided takedown attempts), he did surprise me with his quickness, but it was mainly my poor positioning," Laurent said. "On the late takedown, I used that and knew I had to have 100 percent technique or he was going to get out."
Laurent (24-11) came in as the eighth seed but reached the finals by pinning fifth seed Ryan Bowers of Heidelberg. Borchers (38-4), who spent four years (one an medical redshirt season) behind four-time national finalist Blake Gillis, avenged a loss for the second match in a row when he beat second-seeded Kyle Bilquist of Delaware Valley 5-3 in the semifinals. A takedown with 22 seconds left snapped a 2-2 tie.
"I knew he wanted to shoot low, and I wanted to work my stuff," Borchers said. "Then, I took my shot."
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