Auggies win 3 titles at St. Cloud State Husky Open

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — The Augsburg College wrestling team claimed three individual champions and six placewinners at the St. Cloud State University Husky Open on Saturday at the Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse.

Top-ranked and defending heavyweight national champion Chad Johnson (JR, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS), No. 4-ranked 125-pounder Mike Fuenffinger (SO, Hibbing, Minn.) and No. 6-ranked 174-pounder Josh Kohler (SR, Monticello, Minn.) all won titles on Saturday, while 197-pounder Matt Hechsel (SO, Apple Valley, Minn.) placed second, 125-pounder Chad Bartschenfeld (SO, Amery, Wis.) placed third and 157-pounder Kurt Knutsen (SO, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) placed fifth.

Johnson improved to 11-1 on the season with three wins on Saturday at heavyweight. He opened his meet with a third-period pin, then claimed two decisions en route to the championship, including an 11-5 win over Antonio Lopez of Jamestown (N.D.) in the finals.

Fuenffinger improved to 10-2 on the season with four victories at 125 pounds, including a 10-2, major decision win in the quarterfinals, and two wins over Division I North Dakota State wrestlers — a 16-0, technical fall win over Grant Dullinger in the semifinals and a 9-6 win over Hunter Weber in the finals.

Kohler improved to 7-3 on the season with three wins at 174 pounds, scoring two wins over St. Cloud State wrestlers in his first two matches, then collecting a 3:53 pin of Garrett Miller of Rochester Community and Technical College in the finals.

Hechsel reached the finals at 197 with two wins, with a 10-8 loss to former St. Cloud State wrestler Nick Wilkes in the finals. Hechsel is now 8-3 on the season. Bartschenfeld claimed a 9-1, major-decision win over North Dakota State’s Grant Dullinger in the third-place match, improving to 6-4 on the season. Knutsen bounced back from an opening loss with two wins to place fifth, with a 7-0 win over North Dakota State’s Caleb Meide in the fifth-place match.

Augsburg, ranked No. 2 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national polls, will face Division II Minnesota State University Moorhead in a dual meet on Tuesday (12/11) at 7 p.m. in Moorhead, Minn.

St. Cloud State Holiday Inn/Husky Open results

Augsburg results from St. Cloud State Husky Open:
125 — Mike Fuenffinger 4-0, champion; Chad Bartschenfeld 2-1, 3rd place; Blong Kong 0-2.
133 — Roarke Langer 2-2; Tossaporn “Boyd” Suparat 0-2; Nick Dahlquist 0-2; Joshua Mora 0-2.
149 — Mark Akpaka 0-2; Romar Daniel 0-2.
157 — Kurt Knutsen 2-1, 5th place; Andrew Powers 0-2.
165 — Joshua Chandler 0-2.
174 — Josh Kohler 3-0, champion; Quinten Strand 0-2.
184 — Tim Hanlin 0-2.
197 — Matt Hechsel 2-1, 2nd place.
HWT — Chad Johnson 3-0, champion; Nicolas Grimley 0-2.

Click Here: Maori All Blacks Store