Wartburg extends national duals title streak

Apparently Wartburg's demise was greatly exaggerated.

Graduation depleted the lineup and left the Knights out of the preseason rankings, despite sweeping NCAA and national duals titles the last four years.

Wartburg regained its spot atop NCAA Division III, claiming its fifth straight title at the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Mat Mayhem Multi-Divisional Duals on Saturday in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The Knights went 4-0, improving to 11-1 overall, beating previously top-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 20-13, for the championship. Now, Wartburg is ranked first in the NWCA D-III poll released Tuesday.

'It was a new group,” said Wartburg Coach Eric Keller, who understood the preseason rankings. 'It was just a couple months of slowly progressing each day.

'They just keep getting better.”

Keller said the team only returned a couple points from last year's title team. The current Knights know the tradition and expectations that accompany with grasping the reins of the program.

'They look at it like their opportunity is here,” said Keller, who is in his fifth season as head coach. 'They're going to grab that opportunity by the throat and not miss a beat.”

They didn't have a hiccup cruising to the national dual final. The Knights handled Olivet (31-6), Iowa Conference foe Coe (31-6) and Wabash (34-9). Keller said the team is starting to mesh and feed off one another, which was apparent last weekend.

'For me, I was really impressed how they came together at the national duals,” Keller said. 'Only having a handful of them being in the duals or in that situation, especially as the rounds go on and pressure builds.

'They wanted No. 5. They wanted five in a row and keep that going. They stepped up and got it done.”

Jake Agnitsch won all three of his matches at the national duals, cracking the NWCA rankings at 10th at 125 pounds. Keller said sixth-ranked 133-pounder is wrestling at a high level and fifth-ranked heavyweight Ben Nagle has been a workhorse, stepping into the lineup this year.

Sophomore Kenny Martin was impressive last weekend, posting a key 4-3 win over Whitewater's Elroy Perkin, who was ranked second at the time. Martin has climbed to third at 149.

'He came back from behind to get the takedown and ride the guy out to win it,” Keller said. 'Just the fashion he won the match was one of those where he gutted it out and showed a lot of heart.”

Wartburg has nine ranked wrestlers, including second-ranked 165-pounder Andrew Steiert. Seven are projected to finish seventh or better. It's a far cry from the start of the season when they had only two wrestlers ranked and neither higher than eighth.

New starters may not have warranted automatic inclusion in early rankings, but it placed a chip on the Knights' shoulders. They knew the talent stepping on the mat.

'It drove them, which is a beautiful thing,” Keller said. 'Having that kind of motivation and that drive to prove what this team can do, it made them want to improve.

'We've been talking about having an opportunity to make a statement and it's kind of what they did this weekend.”

Keller said things are starting to click for the individuals, but plenty of development remains and potential still is being realized. It's a scary thought for the rest of D-III competition.

'They are really eager to learn,” Keller said. 'They're soaking things up like a sponge. The things we talk about and work on doesn't stick the first time, but they're absorbing it.

'They want to know what's going on. They want to get better.”

Wartburg hosts No. 18 Luther Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Knights are looking for its 23rd straight IIAC title and 176th straight dual win over conference opponents. Without a conference tournament or championship to decide a champion, regular-season wins are critical.

'They love it,” Keller said about the IIAC win streaks. 'They embrace it. What's on the line is worth fighting for.”

UNI HOSTS MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT

The University of Northern Iowa will host sixth-ranked Virginia Tech Friday for Military Appreciation Night at the West Gym in Cedar Falls.

The Panthers are 6-3, winning their last three duals. The Hokies are coached by former Humboldt state champion and University of Iowa NCAA champion Kevin Dresser.

'I'd like to give him a real rude homecoming,” UNI Coach Doug Schwab said during his weekly news conference. 'The way we do that is the things we did last weekend we have to build on that.”

Schwab said the team and each wrestler is looking to build momentum as Virginia Tech starts a tough stretch in the schedule. UNI is 3-0 this month, winning 25 of 30 weights in those duals, recording nine bonus-point wins.

'Our guys wrestled well,” Schwab said. 'We scored a lot of points.”

Virginia Tech (8-1) has seven ranked wrestlers, while UNI has three. At 125, the Hokies third-ranked Joey Dance is expected to face Panter All-American and No. 6 Dylan Peters.

'There aren't very many guys out there who have beat him (Peters) multiple times,” Schwab said. 'I know he is looking forward to that match.”

SEWERA TOP-RANKED

Coe 165-pounder Farai Sewera is ranked first in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division-III individual rankings released Tuesday.

Sewera is a junior with a 15-1 record, winning his last 10 matches.

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