| March 7, 2003
ADA, OHIO . . . After Day One
at the NCAA Wrestling National Championships, Wartburg College holds
a 43.5 point lead over three-time defending Champion Augsburg College
(94.5-51.0). Wartburg is one of six Iowa Conference schools in the
top-15 after the first day of competition. Luther College is currently
fifth (33.0). Loras College is tied with Wisconsin-LaCrosse for
eighth (23.0) followed by Simpson College (19.5) in 10th place,
Upper Iowa University in 11th place (19.0) and Coe College in 14th
place (15.0). Buena Vista University (17th, 12.5), Central College
(T-31st, 5.5) and the University of Dubuque (T-48th, 1.5) round
out the Iowa Conference participants.
Twenty four of the 36 Iowa Conference qualifiers
will earn All-American honors (top-eight finish) including 18 wrestlers
still in the Championship bracket. Wartburg has nine wrestlers in
the Championship bracket and one in the Consolation bracket. Luther
has three wrestlers in the Championship bracket and one in the Consolation
bracket. Loras has two wrestlers in the Championship bracket. Simpson,
Upper Iowa and Coe each have one wrestler in the Championship bracket
and one in the Consolation bracket. Buena Vista has one wrestler
in the Championship bracket and Central has one wrestler in the
Consolation bracket.
Those IIAC Wrestlers that will earn All-American
honors include:
Weight |
Wrestler |
Bracket |
125-lbs. |
Heath Ropp, Wartburg |
Championship |
133-lbs. |
Ozzie Saxon, Wartburg |
Championship |
141-lbs. |
Will Kelly, Wartburg |
Championship |
| Jeff Patzke, Luther |
Consolation |
149-lbs. |
Garrett Kurth, Luther |
Championship |
| Clint Manny, Simpson |
Championship |
| Bart Mehlert, Wartburg |
Championship |
157-lbs. |
Kevin Bratland, Wartburg |
Championship |
| Aaron Loewens, Buena Vista |
Championship |
| Garrett South, Luther |
Championship |
| Dustin Roland, Central |
Consolation |
165-lbs. |
Jesse Ryerson, Luther |
Championship |
| Ryan Sturm, Wartburg |
Championship |
174-lbs. |
Gary Franck, Coe |
Championship |
| Mark Sturm, Wartburg |
Consolation |
184-lbs. |
Sonny Alvarez, Wartburg |
Championship |
| Paul Cleary, Loras |
Championship |
197-lbs. |
Alain Djoumessi, Wartburg |
Championship |
| Brent Meyers, Upper Iowa |
Championship |
| Bart George, Simpson |
Consolation |
Hwt. |
LeRoy Gardner, Wartburg |
Championship |
| Pat Thomas, Loras |
Championship |
| Brian Black, Upper Iowa |
Consolation |
| Chris Harrison, Coe |
Consolation |
Last year the Iowa Conference set a Conference
record with 24 All-Americans and will equal that mark this year.
Wartburg is the first school to have 10 All-Americans. Augsburg
held the previous record with nine All-Americans in 1998. The Knights
are also chasing Augsburg’s team point record of 136, set in 2000.
Complete results from Day One of the National Wrestling
Championships can be found here.
The complete Championship bracket can be found here.
Day Two begins on Saturday at 11:00 am (EST) with
the Semifinals. The Consolation Finals begin at 5:00 pm (EST) and
the Championship Finals begin at 7:30 pm (EST). All of Saturday’s
action can be watched on-line here.
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