March 4, 2006

EWING, N.J. . . . Three Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) wrestlers won individual national titles and Wartburg College won its fifth team national title at the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J. on Saturday. Along with the three individual champions, the IIAC had 20 wrestlers earn All-American honors (top-8 finish) and had six schools finish in the top-25.

IIAC wrestlers won national titles at the three lightest weight classes. Wartburg’s Tyler Hubbard, the top seed, defeated #3-seed Ty Klofta of Ohio Northern (5-4) at 125-pounds. At 133-pounds, #4-seed Mike Lopez of Luther College defeated Augsburg College’s Jafari Vanier (2-1). The Championship match at 141-pounds, a match-up between the top-two rank wrestlers in country, was a rematch of the Iowa Conference Championship match two weeks ago. Top-seeded Dustin Hinschberger of Wartburg defeated #2 Dustin Brewer of Simpson College (7-1), making Hinschberger the ninth Division III wrester to win three individual titles.

The 20 Iowa Conference All-Americans include the three individual champions, five runners-up, two third-place, two fourth-place, three fifth-place, one sixth-place, one seventh-place and three eighth-place finishers.

Wartburg finished with 145.5 points, finishing ahead of the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse (106 point) and defending National Champion Augsburg (84.5). Luther finished fourth with 59.5 points and Simpson finished tied for ninth with 30 points, giving the IIAC three schools in the top-10. Conference schools also finishing in the top-25 were Loras College (18th, 19.5 points), Buena Vista University (21st, 16.5) and Coe College (24th, 13). Cornell College finished tied for 39th with 5.5 points.

The Knights’ fifth Championship matches Brockport State (N.Y.) University and The College of New Jersey for second-most team titles behind Augsburg’s nine national titles. Wartburg matched the NCAA Championship record sending six wrestlers to Championship matches, equaling the 1976 Montclair State and 2003 Wartburg teams.

Complete Championship results can be found here.

2006 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Wrestling All-Americans

Wrestler, School (Seed)	2006 Finish	Prior All-American Honors
Tyler Hubbard, Wartburg (#1)	Champion at 125-pounds	2005, 3rd at 133-pounds
Nate Hansen, Luther (#6)	4th at 125-pounds
Terry Morgan, Loras (#4)	5th at 125-pounds	2005, 3rd at 125-pounds
Chris Heilman, Cornell (NS)	7th at 125-pounds
Mike Lopez, Luther (#4)	Champion at 133-pounds	2005, 4th at 133-pounds
Jestin Hulegaard, Buena Vista (NS)	3rd at 133-pounds	2005, 5th at 133-pounds
Zach McKray, Wartburg (NS)	8th at 133-pounds
Dustin Hinschberger, Wartburg (#1)	Champion at 141-pounds	2005, Champion at 141-pounds 2004, Champion at 141-pounds
Dustin Brewer, Simpson (#2)	2nd at 141-pounds	2005, 4th at 141-pounds 2004, 3rd at 125-pounds
Jacob Naig, Wartburg (#3)	2nd at 149-pounds	2005, 6th at 149-pounds
Matt Pyle, Luther (#1)	5th at 149-pounds	2005, Champion at 149-pounds 2004, 3rd at 149-pounds
Dustin Bliven, Wartburg (#8)	3rd at 165-pounds
Scott Kauffman, Wartburg (#2)	2nd at 174-pounds	2005, 5th at 184-pounds
Ryan Hagerty, Loras (NS)	8th at 174-pounds
Akeem Carter, Wartburg (#3)	2nd at 184-pounds	2005, Champion at 197-pounds 2004, Champion at 197-pounds
T.J. Miller, Wartburg (#1)	4th at 197-pounds
Mike McCabe, Coe (#5)	5th at 197-pounds	2005, 7th at 197-pounds
Blake Gillis, Wartburg (#1)	2nd at heavyweight	2005, 2nd at heavyweight 2004, 2nd at heavyweight
Brett Christensen, Simpson (#7)	6th at heavyweight	2005, 6th at heavyweight
John Miller, Luther (NS)	8th at heavyweight

 

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