Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

2010 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship

PreviewCEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The 37th Annual NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships are set for this Friday and Saturday, March 5-6, at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The two-day event, which features 160 wrestlers from 59 schools, is being hosted by Coe College, Cornell College, and the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Last year, Wartburg placed seven wrestlers in the top three and got National Championships from Jacob Naig at 149 pounds and Aaron Wernimont at 165 pounds en route to the school’s second consecutive championship and seventh title overall. The Knights scored 117.5 points to top Augsburg (105), Wisconsin-La Crosse (87), and Coe (78.5).

This year’s field of 160 sports six returning national champions – Jake Oster of Elmhurst at 125, Minga Batsukh of Saint John’s (Minn.) at 141, Matt Mauseth of Wisconsin-LaCrosse at 149, Evan Brown of Dubuque at 174, Jared Massey of Augsburg at 197, and two-time defending champ Dan Laurent of Wisconsin-LaCrosse at heavyweight. In addition, Coe’s Tyler Burkle captured the title at 165 in 2008. There are a total of 43 former All-Americans in the draw, including Oster, who is looking to become a four-time All-American. A group of 13 others – Augsburg’s Jason Adams, Coe’s Clayton Rush, Burkle, and Rob Kramer, Cornell’s Nick Nothern, Delaware Valley’s Kyle Bilquist, Elmhurst’s Mark Corsello, North Central’s Gabe Youel, Wartburg’s Matt Kelly, Wisconsin-LaCrosse’s Mauseth and Laurent, Jesse Milks of Wisconsin-Platteville, and Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Austin Bautista – are all aiming for their third All-America honors.

No. 1-ranked Augsburg brings nine wrestlers to the 2010 Championships, including seven with previous NCAA experience, and will be looking to capture the tradition-rich program’s 11^th NCAA Division III title. The Auggies captured the title at January’s National Duals and has to be considered a favorite. Massey enters the tournament as Augsburg’s only top-ranked wrestler in most recent NWCA/Brute-Adidas individual rankings. All nine Auggies wrestlers have been seeded, though. Massey is No. 1 at 197, with Jafari Vanier (141), Tony Valek (149), and Zach Molitor (174) all seeded second and Paul Bjorkstrand (133) is third. The rest of Augsburg’s lineup has been seeded as follows – Joshua Roberts (7^th at 125), Jason Adams (5^th at 157), Orlando Ponce (7^th at 165), and Andrew Witzel (8^th at heavyweight). The Auggies will not be represented at 184 pounds.

Two-time defending national champion Wartburg, the No. 2 ranked team, qualified all 10 wrestlers for this year’s Championships – including four with previous NCAA experience. Of those 10, eight are seeded, let by second-ranked Mark Kist at 125 pounds and top-ranked Carrington Banks at 165. Sean White (133) is seeded third, Byron Tate (197) and John Helgerson (heavyweight) are seeded fifth, Todd Becker (184) is seeded sixth, and Jacob Groth (149) and Adam Weber (157) are seventh. Matt Kelly (141), a two-time All-American who was rated eighth in the last NWCA individual rankings, is not seeded and drew No. 5-seed Ben Anderson of Concordia College-Moorhead in the first round.

The Auggies and Knights have wrestled a pair of very tight duals during the season, both Augsburg wins – an 18-15 decision in the finals at January’s NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, and a 16-15 win Feb. 4 at Waverly. Coe also fared well in duals against the top two teams, falling 22-14 to Augsburg in the semifinals of the National Duals, and 18-12 to Wartburg at the Iowa Conference Duals.

No. 3 Wisconsin-La Crosse, last year’s third-place finisher, brings seven wrestlers to Cedar Rapids. Interestingly, the two defending national champions head coach Dave Malecek brings back – Mauseth and Laurent – are not top seeds. Bebeto Yewah, the top-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds, is the Eagles’ only top seed. Third-ranked Michael Schmitz (174) and Andy Moore (197) are both seeded third, as is Laurent at heavyweight. Mauseth is seeded fourth.

No. 4 Coe, the fourth-place finisher each of the past two years, also qualified the maximum. In the last few years, the Kohawks have mounted a serious challenge to Wartburg’s supremacy in the Iowa Conference. Although the Knights were able to capture their 18^th straight title, the margin of victory was only 9.5 points – the smallest since 1989. Top-ranked Clayton Rush (125) and Tyler Burkle (184) were each rewarded with No. 1 seeds. Nick LeClere, who spent part of the year ranked first at 165 pounds, is seeded third, while Rob Kramer (197) and Mitch Sander (heavyweight) are both seeded seventh.

Fifth-ranked Delaware Valley will bring seven wrestlers to the City of Five Seasons, including four who were rewarded with seeds. Two-time national qualifier Jesse Harrington is the top seed at 157, while heavyweight Kyle Bilquist, a two-time All-American, is seeded second. Unranked Terrance Clendenin is seeded fifth at 125, while eighth-ranked Emanual Ajagbe (149) is seeded eighth.

Sixth-ranked Ithaca is one of four schools with three seeded wrestlers, led by top-ranked Blaine Woszczak, who hauled in the top seed at 149. All-Americans Chad Winowich (133) and Jon Gregory (125) are seeded fifth and eighth, respectively.

Only two of seventh-ranked Dubuque’s three qualifiers is seeded, but both are No. 1 seeds. Josh Terrell (165) is a two-time All-American, while Evan Brown (174) is the defending national champion.

Eighth-ranked North Central (Ill.) has three seeded wrestlers. Nathan Fitzenreider (133) is seeded second, while John Starzyk (141) and two-time All-American Gabe Youel (184) are both seeded fourth.

Each of three qualifiers from No. 9 Saint John’s (Minn.) is seeded, including defending national champion Minga Batsukh, who is top-seeded at 141. Two-time All-American Mogi Bataar (133) is seeded sixth, while Matt Baarson (165) is seeded seventh.

Championship co-host No. 11 Cornell also has three seeded wrestlers. Nicholas Loughlin (157) is seeded second, while returning All-Americans Nichalos Nothern (133) and Kevin Donahue (141) are both seeded seventh.

Adding to the local flavor, No. 12 Luther has five qualifiers, including two who are seeded. Returning All-American Jason Pyle is seeded third at 197, while Allyn Plattner is seeded fourth at heavyweight.

125 – Rush (Coe) and Kist (Wartburg) are the top seeds, but Elmhurst’s Jake Oster is the defending national champion. Among the 17 wrestlers at this weight, Rush, Kist, Oster, third-seed Tyler Erdman of Elizabethtown, and eighth seed Jon Gregory of Ithaca are returning All-Americans. Oster will be looking to become a four-time All-American, but will have a longer route to a repeat title after being drawn into a preliminary round match against Riki Reynolds of Mount Union.

133 – Only five of 16 wrestlers have NCAA championship experience and none were awarded a top-four seed. Top-seeded Bebeto Yewah (Wisconsin-La Crosse) has been ranked No. 1 since late December. Seventh-seeded Nicholas Nothern of Cornell, last year’s national runner-up and a two-time All-American, also held the top national ranking at one point during the season. No. 5 seed Chad Winowich of Ithaca (eighth) and unseeded Corey Brown of Thiel (sixth) were All-Americans last year, while sixth-seeded Mogi Bataar of Saint John’s (Minn.) placed eighth at 125 in 2008. Will Livingston of Centenary (N.J.) is one of four wrestlers sporting unblemished records at this year’s Championship, albeit at 5-0 after getting a very late start to the season. Livingston landed back home in New Jersey after spending time at both Ohio State and Virginia Tech earlier in his career.

141 – Defending champion and top seed Minga Batsukh of Saint John’s is one of three wrestlers to lead the individual rankings at this weight this season. Third-seeded Austin Bautista (Wis.-Whitewater), a two-time All-American who finished third last year, ended the year ranked No. 1, while 2009 All-American Kevin Donahue – seventh a year ago – also spent time at the top. The only other returning All-American is Jafari Vanier, a national runner-up at 133 pounds in 2007. Two-time All-American Matt Kelly of Wartburg is unseeded and will face Ben Anderson (Concordia-Moorhead) in the first round. Eighth-seed Jake Strausbaugh (Wabash) is one of six wrestlers entering the tournament with 40 or more victories, entering with a 40-4 record.

149 – At 18 wrestlers, this weight has the largest field in this year’s Championships. No. 1-seed Blaine Woszczak has been the top ranked wrestler at this weight most of the season. He enters with a 35-5 record after placing fourth a year ago. Tony Valek (Augsburg) and 2009 seventh-place finisher Jason Pyle (Luther) make strong cases as No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively, but Woszczak could face a significant test with a potential semifinal matchup with defending champion Matt Mauseth (Wis.-La Crosse) looming. Unseeded Corey Paulish (Williams) placed fourth at 141 pounds last year, but it will not be easy to repeat the feat has he faces Woszczak right off the bat in a second-round match.

157 – Top-seed Jesse Harrington (Delaware Valley) has been atop the rankings since just after the first of the year. There are four returning All-Americans in the field, including three in Harrington’s half of the draw. Two-time All-American Jason Adams (Augsburg), third last year, matches up in the second round with 2009 eighth-place finisher Willie Horwath (Ithaca) with the winner facing a potential quarterfinal matchup with Luke Miller (Ohio Northern), last year’s fourth-place finisher. Two-time All-American and 2009 fifth-place finisher Jesse Milks (Wis.-Platteville) escaped that half of the bracket and is seeded third. Joining Milks in the bottom half of the bracket are second-ranked Nic Loughlin (Cornell), the No. 2 seed, and third-ranked Zach Mizer (Heidelberg), the No. 6 seed.

165 – There are only three returning All-Americans at this weight and all were placed in the same half of the bracket. Two-time All-American Josh Terrell (Dubuque), the No. 1 seed, placed fourth in 2008 and sixth a year ago. Fourth-seeded Michael Morin (Southern Maine) placed fourth a year ago and spent the first part of the season ranked No. 1. Fifth-seed Chris Dahlheimer (Lycoming) took seventh a year ago. The two most-recent top-ranked wrestlers find themselves in the opposite half of the draw. Coe’s Nick LeClere, the No. 3 seed, held the top spot through most of January before yielding the top spot to Wartburg’s Carrington Banks, who is seeded second. Terrell gained the top seed due much in part to his wins over LeClere and Banks en route to the Iowa Conference title.

174 – There are four returning All-Americans at this weight, including Evan Brown (Dubuque), the top-seeded defending NCAA champion. Brown has held the top ranking in the NWCA poll all season with his only two losses coming at the Midlands Championship. Seeded into Brown’s half of the bracket is No. 4 Kyle Kwiat (Ohio Northern) and No. 5-seed Frank Heffernan (Wilkes). Kwiat enters the meet with a 40-4 mark, while Heffernan placed seventh a year ago. Michael Schmitz (Wis.-La Crosse), last year’s fourth-place finisher, and Zach Molitor (Augsburg), last year’s sixth-place finisher, have been ranked in the top-four all year and are seeded third and second, respectively.

184 – With only 13 wrestlers, this weight is the smallest at this year’s Championship and includes four returning All-Americans. Top-seeded Tyler Burkle, a two-time All-American and 2008 national champion at 165 pounds, has bumped up two weight classes this season and has been ranked first by the NWCA since late December. Second-seed Ben Engelland (Wis.-Stevens Point), a fifth-place finisher last year, enters at 30-0, one of only four unbeaten marks at the Championships. Seeded third is Phil Moenkedick (Concordia-Moorhead), last year’s runner-up who started the year as the NWCA’s top-rated 184-pounder. Two-time All-American Gabe Youel (North Central) is seeded fourth after back-to-back fourth-place finishes. Moenkedick and Youel each drew one of the three byes directly into the quarterfinals.

197 – While there are only three returning All-Americans at this weight, 197 does produce some intrigue and the potential for a rematch for a national title. The weight includes an undefeated defending national champion in top-seeded Jared Massey (Augsburg) and last year’s runner-up in Ryan Malo (Williams), who comes in sporting a gaudy 43-4 mark, the most wins for any competitor in this year’s Championship. Rob Kramer (Coe), the other returning All-American, is seeded seventh after placing fourth in 2008 and fifth last year. No. 4-seed Troy Carlson (Chicago), No. 6-seed Bill Schindel (Mount Union), and unseeded Zach Pizarro (Wilkes) each participated in last year’s Championship

285 – There is a vast amount of experience in this year’s heavyweight field as all eight All-Americans and three other qualifiers return from last March. Two-time All-American Mark Corsello (Elmhurst) is undefeated at 27-0 and looking to take that last step to the top of the podium after taking second a year ago. Eighth-seed Andrew Witzel (Augsburg) was fifth a year ago and has drawn a bye into the quarterfinals and a potential match-up with Corsello. Allyn Plattner (Luther) and John Helgerson (Wartburg), seeded fourth and fifth, respectively, met in each of the past two Iowa Conference Championship finals and could meet in the quarterfinals if each can get out of the first round. Helgerson faces 2009 qualifier Joe Murphy (Cortland St.), while Plattner was drawn Jamison Sacco (Western New England), a freshman who has posted a sparkling 25-1 mark. Two-time defending NCAA Champion Dan Laurent (Wis.-La Crosse) was the only seed to draw another returning All-American. Laurent will face 2009 eighth-place finisher Brock Glotfelty (McDaniel) in the first round, with the winner to face Adam Sutter (Lakeland), who placed sixth last season. Seventh a year ago, Mitch Sander (Coe) finds himself in familiar territory as the No. 7 seed, while a potential quarterfinal matchup looms with No. 2 seed Kyle Bilquist (Delaware Valley), a two-time All-American who took fourth last year.

Cornell's Donahue Named IIAC Wrestler of the Week

Wrestling - Kevin Donahue, Cornell College, Mechanicsville, Va./St. Christopher's
Donahue, a sophomore 141-pounder, recorded a first-period pin over Coe's 10th-ranked Johny Siegel. He also defeated Jacob Mirocha of Wartburg by a 18-8 major decision.

Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

· Wrestling - University of Dubuque sophomore 133-pounder Mark Schultz (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) posted a 13-3 major decision over NCAA Division III No. 3 Zac Bartlett Feb. 6. He has a 16-6 record, rebounding from an early season injury.

· Wrestling - Loras College senior heavyweight Trevor Kaufman (Bloomington, Ill./Olympia) beat a pair of Division I wrestlers on his way to a runner-up finish at the Duhawk Open Feb. 7. He also sealed the victory in a Feb. 6 dual against Wis.-Platteville with a technical fall over Matt Meschta.

Loras' Pucci and Cornell's Heilman Named IIAC Athletes of the Week

Wrestling - Chris Heilman, Cornell College, Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's
Heilman, a senior 125-pounder, claimed the 125-pound title and was named Co-Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Dick Walker Invitational hosted by Wartburg. Heilman opened the tournament with back-to-back 15-0 technical falls then beat Coe's Clayton Rush, the No. 8-ranked wrestler in Division III, 7-1 in the semifinals. In the championship match, he posted an 8-3 win over Terrance Young of Iowa Central Community College, the top-ranked junior college 125-pounder. Heilman opened the week with a 13-6 dual meet win over William Penn's Shamar Haynes. (IIAC Male Athlete of the Week)

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Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

Wrestling - Coe College sophomore 165-pounder Tyler Burkle (Coggon, Iowa/North-Linn) improved his record to 10-0 as he won the 165-pound weight class at the Dick Walker Invitational. Burkle finished 4-0 at the tournament after posting an 8-0 major decision over Wartburg's Adam Weber in the final. Burkle reached the final with a fall over Iowa Central's Brad Lower in 1:45.

Wrestling - Wartburg College junior 184-pounder Romeo Djoumessi (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) helped lead No. 2-ranked Wartburg to its 13th consecutive and 20th overall title at the Dick Walker Invitational, reaching the tournament finals for the third consecutive year. Djoumessi ran his season record to 14-0 by defeating North Central's Gabe Youel 8-3 in the championship match.

Iowa Conference Duals

197 – Brian Stueve (BV) won by tech fall (16-1, 4:31) Chris Keeran (Ce) BVU 53, Ce 0

184 – Josh Murray (BV) won by maj dec 14-3 Cliff Robertson (Cor) BVU 29, Cor 3

157 – Aaron Kindelsperger (Cor) won by dec 3-2 Lance Serbousek (Lu) Lu 8, Cor 9

197 – Alec Bonander (Lu) won by tech fall 16-0 Robert Widmer (Cor) Lu 26, Cor 9

Wrestling - T.J. Miller, Wartburg College, Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls

Miller, a senior 197-pounder who is ranked third nationally, scored a takedown in the final minute of the fourth overtime against top-ranked Alec Bonander of Luther during the Knights' 42-0 win over the seventh-ranked Norse. The dual win, which was the largest margin of victory in the series since 1997-98, extended top-ranked Wartburg's overall dual winning streak to 24 and its Iowa Conference dual streak to 117. (IIAC Male Athlete of the Week)

Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

Wrestling - Coe College sophomore 165-pounder Tyler Burkle (Coggon, Iowa/North-Linn) scored his 24th consecutive win Jan. 18 with a 16-1 technical fall over Loras' Joel Allen.

Buena Vista's Muhlbauer and Coe's Rush Named IIAC Athletes of the Week

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Buena Vista University women's basketball player Margo Muhlbauer (Manilla, Iowa/IKM) and Coe College wrestler Clayton Rush (Aledo, Ill./Aledo) have been named the IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, January 13. The Conference also announced the Performers of the Week for each of the Conference's five sports in competition during the week.

Women's Basketball - Margo Muhlbauer, Buena Vista University, Manilla, Iowa/IKM
Muhlbauer, a sophomore guard, helped lead the Beavers to a 2-0 record during the week, including the squad's first two league wins of the season. She posted 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals in a 77-68 triumph over Wartburg on Jan. 9. Muhlbauer closed out the week in commanding fashion, scoring 24 points (20 in the first half), on 11-of-15 shooting from the field, as BVU scored 65 first-half points, while handling Central its worst loss in series history, 109-72. (IIAC Female Athlete of the Week)

Wrestling - Clayton Rush, Coe College, Aledo, Ill./Aledo
Rush, a freshman 125-pounder, was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the NFCA / Cliff Keen National Duals over the weekend. Rush improved his record to 27-2 on the year with five wins. Rush posted a pair of first-period falls, including a pin of top-ranked and defending national runner-up Seth Flodeen of Augsburg. He also posted a major decision and a technical fall. (IIAC Male Athlete of the Week)

Men's Basketball - Michael Tierney, Cornell College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson
Tierney, a junior guard, netted a career-high 29 points - 24 after intermission - in a 74-67 win over Simpson on Jan. 9 to propel the Rams to a 3-0 start in IIAC play, the school's best start since joining the IIAC in 1997-98. Tierney went 10-of-10 from the foul line while Cornell snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Storm. Tierney added 12 points in a 81-70 loss at Loras on Jan. 12.

Men's Swimming and Diving - Bryan Perrott, Luther College, Northfield, Minn./Northfield
Perrott, a senior, played a part in three first-place finishes at the Saint Mary's (Minn.) Triangular, where the Norse placed first. He won the 100 backstroke (:54.41), the 200 backstroke (1:58.54) and swam the first leg on the winning 200 medley relay (1:38.40). Perrott added a runner-up finish in the 200 individual medley (2:02.18). In a Jan. 5 dual win at Loras, Perrott won the 200 freestyle (1:48.42) and swam the opening leg on the winning 400 medley relay (3:40.48) while also swimming the anchor leg in a non-scoring second-place time of 3:19.04 in the 400 freestyle relay.

Women's Swimming and Diving - Elissa Schmidt, Luther College, Claremont, Minn./Owatonna
Schmidt, a senior, won three events at the Saint Mary's (Minn.) University Quadrangular, where the Norse finished second. At Saint Mary's, Schmidt won the 200 freestyle (1:57.44), 100 freestyle (:54.43), and the 100 butterfly (1:02.56), and swam the first leg on the runner-up 200 freestyle relay (1:43.20). In a Jan. 5 dual win at Loras, Schmidt swam the first leg on the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:47.24) and the third leg on the winning 400 medley relay (4:18.50), and finished second in the 500 freestyle (5:22.96).

Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

Wrestling - Wartburg College junior 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area) ran his season record to 27-1 and his win streak to 24 consecutive matches with a 4-0 record a the NWCA / Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls. He scored a technical fall over Bradon Welter of UW-Oshkosh in his opening match and added a trio of decisions, including wins over #2-ranked Jason Brew of Olivet (15-8) and #9-ranked Jay Milz of UW-La Crosse (8-3). Wernimont helped lead top-ranked Wartburg to its fourth National Duals title since 2003 and extended the school's current dual win streak to 22.

Wrestling - Luther College senior 174-pounder A.J. Gregg (Decorah, Iowa/Decorah) posted a record of 5-0 that included two falls and a technical fall during the NWCA / Cliff Keen National Duals to raise his season record to 14-6. Gregg, who went in to the National Duals unranked, pinned Ohio Northern's Josh Bordner (1:45) and Concordia-Moorhead's Spencer Lund (1:50) and scored a technical fall over Heidelberg's Clay Chapman (17-0; 4:49) to help lead Luther to a sixth-place finish in the 16-team field.

Wrestling - Loras College sophomore 157-pounder Erik Hanson (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) went 4-0 at the Budd Whitehill Duals, where the Duhawks finished third out of 20 teams. He defeated third-ranked John Neidrich of York (Pa.) 6-4 in Loras' opening dual. He went on to post three other decisions to run his season win total to 25.

Wrestling - Simpson College freshman 141-pounder Caleb Brus (Creston, Iowa/Creston) finished third at the Central Invitational, posting three technical falls and a major decision. Brus' lone loss came at the hands of T.J. Moen of North Iowa Area C.C. (8-3), the fifth-ranked junior college wrestler at 141 pounds.

Women's Basketball - Simpson College senior forward Katelyn Whiton (Panora, Iowa/Perry) scored 28 points as the Storm posted a pair of road wins during the week. In a 71-40 win at Cornell, Whiton scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting with seven rebounds and six steals. Whiton closed out the week with 17 points on 6-of-8 scoring with five rebounds and three steals in a 101-52 win at Dubuque.

Women's Basketball - Wartburg College senior guard Elizabeth Campbell (Rockford, Iowa/Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock) became the 11th member of Wartburg's 1,000-point club during the week as the Knights posted a 1-1 record against Buena Vista and Coe. Her 38-point week moved her to 10th all-time with 1,026 points. She averaged 19 points, four steals, a blocked shot, 5.5 rebounds per game, and hit 50.0 percent from behind the three-point line during the stretch. She raised her points-per-game average rise by nearly one point (13.7-14.5) and moved her double-figure scoring streak to seven games.

Men's Basketball - Loras College senior forward Luke Slater (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) scored 19 points in a 81-70 win over Cornell Saturday. Against the Rams, Slater shot 7-of-10 from the field and hit three of four three-pointers.

Men's Basketball - Wartburg College junior guard Cashes Mason (Kansas City, Mo./Valley [West Des Moines, Iowa]) averaged 11 points and six assists as Wartburg went 1-1 against Buena Vista and Coe. His 16-point, seven-assist performance in a 73-62 win over Coe helped the Knights end a three-game IIAC losing streak. Mason tied personal single-game highs in points and rebounds (five) and set a new personal single-game high for assists (seven) against the Kohawks.

Men's Basketball - Buena Vista University junior guard Kyle Stribe (Manning, Iowa/Manning) averaged 10.5 points per game and was the only Beaver to finish in double-figures as BVU posted two wins during the week to remain perfect in IIAC play (5-0). For the week, he shot 8-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Iowa Conference Wrestler of the Week

Wrestling - Jacob Naig, Wartburg College, Emmetsburg, Iowa/Emmetsburg
Naig, a junior 149-pounder, continues to hold down the top win mark for No. 2 Wartburg after going 6-0 during the week with three fall and two major decisions en route to the 149-pound championship at the Simpson Invitational. Naig also posted a dual win over Loras' Chris Bishop as the Knights extended their IIAC dual winning streak to 115 on Nov. 29. (IIAC Male Athlete of the Week)

Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

Wrestling - Buena Vista University junior 157-pounder Joey Verschoor (Kingsley, Iowa/Kingsley-Pierson) improved to 13-2 overall this season with a third-place finish at the Simpson Invitational on Dec. 1. His only loss was a slim 6-4 setback to top-seed and eventual champion Aaron Wernimont in the semifinals. Wernimont is ranked second nationally.

Iowa Conference Wrestler of the Week/Weekly Releases

Jay Figgins, Loras College, Clinton, Iowa/Clinton
Figgins, a junior, posted a 5-0 record during the week with four falls and won the 184-pound weight class at the Dick Walker Invitational. In a dual meet victory over Dubuque, Figgins pinned Anthony Higgins at 1:47. At the Dick Walker, he had two more first period falls, including wins over Coe’s Jacob Brinkman (at 1:30) and Augustana (Ill.)’s Brian Kerr (at 0:27). Figgins also pinned Iowa Central’s Nate Willard (at 3:31) and won by medical forfeit over Wartburg’s Romeo Djoumessi.

Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

· Buena Vista University senior heavyweight Wade Hammen (Rockwell City, Iowa/Rockwell City-Lytton) went 3-0 during the week with two falls. He pinned UW-Stevens Point’s Mitch Szwet at 1:05 and William Penn’s Chauncey Coleman, the 7th-ranked wrestler in the NAIA at 5:06. Hammen also won by decision over Dubuque’s Eric Daughetee (8-4).

· Wartburg College freshman Aaron Wernimont (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas) went 4-0 with three major decisions and a technical fall to win the 157-pound weight class at the Dick Walker Invitational. He had major decisions over Loras’ Mark Kapraun (14-4), UW-Platteville’s Jesse Mills (13-4) and Cornell’s Pat McAuley (14-5) then registered a technical fall in the Championship match over Iowa Central’s Nate Carr (19-4, 6:22).

Iowa Conf-7 Iowa Conference Student-Athletes Named to All-District Teams

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Seven Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) student-athletes were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII At-Large Teams. Student-athletes participating in sports that do not have its own Academic All-District and Academic All-America® Team are eligible for the At-Large Team including swimming, golf, tennis and wrestling.

Central College tennis player Nick Cochrane (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge) and Coe College tennis player Chris Paasch (Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic) were named to the Men's At-Large First Team. University of Dubuque tennis player Ryan Banchak (Prairie du Chien, Wis./Prairie Senior) and wrestler Dan Ruter (Buffalo Lake, Minn./Buffalo Lake), and Wartburg College tennis player Nick Wuertz (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) and golfer Blake Halvorsen (Osceola, Iowa/Clarke) were named to the Men's At-Large Second Team.

Coe swimmer Vonni Moorman (Shoreline, Wash./Shorewood) was named to the Women's At-Large Team.

Cochrane is a senior English major with a 3.92 grade point average. Paasch is a senior computer science/psychology major with a 3.80 GPA. Banchak is a senior business major with a 3.71 GPA. Ruter is a sophomore sociology major with a 3.94 GPA. Wuertz is a senior religion major with a 3.83 GPA. Halvorsen is a junior business administration major with a 3.77 GPA. Moorman is a biology/molecular biology major with a 3.95 GPA.

Moorman (First Team) and Cochrane (Second Team) were an Academic All-District At-Large selections last year. Cochrane, Paasch and Moorman move on to the national Academic All-America® ballot. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® men's at-large Team is scheduled to be announced on Tuesday, June 13. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® women's at-large Team is scheduled to be announced on Thursday, June 15.

To be eligible for selection to the Academic All-District Team, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing, be a starter or key reserve and possess at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).

District VII College Division includes NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA schools in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Three Iowa Conference Wrestlers Win National Titles; Wartburg Wins Team Title; 6 IIAC Schools In Top-25

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 at:
<http://www.tcnjathletics.com/Sports/gen/2006/06NCAA%20wrestling%20championships.asp>http://www.tcnjathletics.com/Sports/gen/2006/06NCAA%20wrestling%20championships.asp

Following is a complete list of 2006 Iowa Conference wrestling All-Americans.

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

EWING, N.J. . . . Five Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) schools are among the top-20 after day one at the NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championships at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J. Twenty of the IIAC's 32 national qualifiers have earned All-American honors by finishing in the top-eight of their weight class.

Wartburg College, which has finished first or second in the nation 11 times in the last 13 years, sits in first-place after one day of competition with 73 points. The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse is in second-place with 61.5 points followed by defending National Champion Augsburg College (43.0 points) and York (Pa.) College (37.5). Luther College is in fifth-place with 36.5 points. Loras College (t-12th, 17.5 points), Simpson College (15th, 15.5) and Buena Vista University (18th, 11.0) join the IIAC's contingent in the top-20. Coe College (30th, 6.5) and Cornell College (t-38th, 4.5) also scored.

Individually, 11 of the Conference's 20 All-Americans are in the Championship bracket and 13 have previously earned All-American honors. It is the fourth time in the past five years that at least 20 IIAC wrestlers will be All-Americans. All nine Wartburg qualifiers earned All-American honors, which will be the most of any of the 60 schools with participants at the Championship. Luther has four All-Americans, Loras and Simpson each have two, and Buena Vista, Coe and Cornell each have one.

IIAC wrestlers in the Championship bracket include: Buena Vista's Jestin Hulegaard (133-pounds), Loras' Terry Morgan (125-pounds), Luther's Mike Lopez (133-pounds) and Matt Pyle (149-pounds), Simpson's Dustin Brewer (141-pounds) and Wartburg's Tyler Hubbard (125-pounds), Dustin Hinschberger (141-pounds), Jacob Naig (149-pounds), Scott Kauffman (174-pounds), Akeem Carter (184-pounds) and Blake Gillis (heavyweight). The Championship bracket was wrestled to the semifinals.

IIAC wrestlers in the Consolation bracket include: Coe's Mike McCabe (197-pounds), Cornell's Chris Heilman (125-pounds), Loras' Ryan Hagerty (174-pounds), Luther's Nate Hansen (125-pounds) and John Miller (heavyweight), Simpson's Brett Christensen (heavyweight), and Wartburg's Zach McKray (133-pounds), Dustin Bliven (165-pounds) and T.J. Miller (197-pounds). The Consolation bracket was wrestled to the quarterfinals.

The All-American honors for Hinschberger, Brewer, Pyle, Carter and Gillis are their third straight. Morgan, Hubbard, Lopez, Hulegaard, Naig, Kauffman, McCabe and Christensen are All-Americans for the second straight year.

Click here for Complete Championship results

Championship semifinals, and consolation quarterfinals and semifinals are Saturday beginning at 10:30 a.m. EST. Third-, fifth-, and seventh-place matches begin at 4:00 p.m. EST, and the Championship matches are set for 7:00 p.m. EST.

Projected Lineups
You may fax or email your projected lineups by noon on Wednesday, January 25th.
Fax: 563-588-7451 Email: chris.speziale@loras.edu
**Please include current record and hometown.

Officials
Bob Carr Kent Sesker Rick Stahl
**We will also have one additional official who will officiate all exhibition matches

Schedule
7:15 a.m.-Skin Checks (Wrestling Room, Graber Sports Center)
7:30 a.m.-Weigh-ins (Wrestling Room, Graber Sports Center)
8:00 a.m.-Coaches Meeting (Classroom 206, Graber Sports Center)
8:30 a.m.-Wrestling Begins

8:30 10:00 11:30
BV/Coe (Mat#1) Simpson/BV (Mat#1) BV/Luther (Mat#1)
Simpson/Loras (Mat#2) Luther/Loras(Mat#2) Simpson/Coe (Mat#2)

1:00 2:30
BV/Loras (Mat#1) Loras/Coe (Mat #1)
Coe/Luther(Mat#2) Luther/Simpson (Mat#2)

**Mat 3 will be used for all exhibition matches
Fee
$200 per team for the payment of officials

Locker Room
Will be available. We are not available for any lost or stolen items.

Questions
Chris Speziale- 563-588-7057
Randy Steward-563-556-7092 (Please call after 10:00 p.m.)

Tyler Hubbard, Wartburg College, Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs
Hubbard, a senior 125-pounder, went 3-0 at the Desert Duals with each victory coming against nationally ranked opponents. Hubbard pinned Elmhurst's Tom Gagan, the #6-ranked wrestler in the weight class, and recorded decisions over the #3 and #4-ranked wrestlers, Ohio Northern's Ty Klofta (4-1) and Johnson and Wales' Brandon McDonough (7-5), respectively.

Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

· Coe College junior 149-pounder Jared Creason (Indianola, Iowa/Bondurant-Farrar) went 4-0 at the Desert Duals with three pins and a major decision.

· Simpson College senior Dustin Brewer (Kansas City, Mo./Oak Park) went 4-0 at the Desert Duals with three technical falls and a major decision wrestling three matches at 141-pounds and one at 149-pounds.

Note - The next Iowa Conference Wrestler of the Week selection will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 27, for competition between Dec. 12-25.

Dustin Hinschberger, Wartburg College, Belle Plaine, Iowa/Belle Plaine
Hinschberger, a senior, won the 141-pound title at the Dick Walker Invitational posting a 4-0 record with a fall, technical fall and major decision. He pinned Coe's Mitch Zmolek (3:15) in his first match then won by technical fall over Augsburg's Taylor Rich (15-0, 5:00). In the semifinals, Hinschberger won by major decision over Cornell's Dave Paramaski (15-4) before defeating Iowa Central's Joe Soto (7-1) in the Championship match.

Other Outstanding Weekly Performers
The IIAC also recognized the following outstanding athletic performances from the past week.

·     Buena Vista freshman Kyle Forness (Waterloo, Iowa/Columbus) went 4-0 at 149-pounds during the week including a fall and a technical fall. Ranked #7 in Division III, Forness has not lost to a Division III wrestler this year and is the only freshman ranked in his weight class.

·     Dubuque senior Cole Williams (Delavan, Wis./Delavan Darien) went 5-0 at 165-pounds during the week with a fall and two major decisions. The #7 ranked wrestler in the nation, Williams defeated the #2 ranked wrestler, Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Derek Sikora, 3-2 in triple overtime.

·     Loras senior Terry Morgan (Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce) went 5-0 during the week with a fall and technical fall, and won the 125-pound weight class at the Dick Walker Invitational to lead Loras to a second-place finish.

Eleven Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) wrestlers and three IIAC wrestling teams were recognized by the NWCA for their academic excellence

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Eleven Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) wrestlers and three IIAC wrestling teams were recognized by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) for their academic excellence by earning NWCA Scholar All-American and NWCA Scholar Team Award honors announced in conjunction with the NCAA Division III National Championship this past weekend.

Earning NWCA Scholar All-American honors were:

Wrestler
School
Yr.
Hometown/High School
Michael Irvin
Buena Vista
Sr.
Bedford, Iowa/Bedford
Peter Howard
Central
Jr.
Waukee, Iowa/Waukee
Derek Fuglsang
Coe
So.
Maquoketa, Iowa/Maquoketa
Nikolai Timbs
Dubuque
So.
Atlanta, Ga./James Madison
Michael Ressler
Loras
Jr.
Cascade, Iowa/Cascade
Nathan Evans
Luther
Jr.
Estherville, Iowa/Lincoln Central
Ryan LeBeau
Luther
Sr.
Savage, Minn./Prior Lake
Garrett South
Luther
Sr.
Cumberland, Iowa/C & M
Nathan Broghammer
Simpson
Sr.
Coggin, Iowa/North Linn
Brandon Brissette
Wartburg
Sr.
Bay City, Mich./B.C. Western
Mark Sturm
Wartburg
Sr.
Armstrong, Iowa/Emmetsburg

To be eligible for NWCA Scholar All-American honors, the student-athlete must have a 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for the previous, full academic year and must have placed at the national qualifying tournament (at least fourth if the national qualifying tournament is a Conference tournament, or at least sixth for the NECCWA and IIAC or if the national qualifying tournament is a regional tournament). If the student-athlete did not qualify for the National meet, he must have competed in two-thirds of the school's total scheduled NCAA sanctioned events and won at least 67 percent of his matches.

The NWCA recognized the top-20 teams with cumulative grade point averages above 3.0. The University of Dubuque was second with a 3.418 cumulative grade point average, Luther College was 18th with a cumulative GPA of 3.156 and Loras College was 19th with a cumulative GPA of 3.138.

To be eligible for the NWCA Scholar Team Award, at least six of the 10-team members had to compete in the national qualifying tournament. Up to four members used who did not participate at the qualifying tournament were required to compete in at least half of the team's competitions for the 2004-05 season.

~~ www.iowaconference.com ~~

NATIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP - DAY ONE

NORTHFIELD, MINN. . . . Three Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) schools are among the top-10 schools after day one at the NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championships at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. Nineteen of the IIAC's 33 national qualifiers have earned All-American honors by finishing in the top-eight of their weight class.

Two-time defending National Champion Wartburg College sits in second-place with 59.5 points, two points ahead of Conference rival Luther College. Simpson is in sixth-place with 27 points. Buena Vista University is tied for 26th with 8 points, Coe College is tied for 28th with 7.5 points and Loras College is tied for 34th with 4.0 points.

Individually, 14 of the Conference's 19 All-Americans are in the Championship bracket and nine earned All-American honors last year. Wartburg has seven All-Americans, Luther has six, Simpson has three, and Buena Vista, Coe and Loras each have one.

IIAC wrestlers in the Championship bracket include: Buena Vista's Jestin Hulegaard (133-pounds), Luther's Jeff Patzke (141-pounds), Matt Pyle (149-pounds), Ryan LeBeau (157-pounds), Garrett South (165-pounds) and Danny Adams (184-pounds), Simpson's Dustin Brewer (141-pounds), Clint Manny (149-pounds) and Brett Christensen (heavyweight), and Wartburg's Justin McClintock (125-pounds), Dustin Hinschberger (141-pounds), Scott Kauffman (184-pounds), Akeem Carter (197-pounds) and Blake Gillis (heavyweight).

IIAC wrestlers in the Consolation bracket include: Coe's Mike McCabe (197-pounds), Loras' Terry Morgan (125-pounds), Luther's Mike Lopez (133-pounds), and Wartburg's Tyler Hubbard (133-pounds) and Jacob Naig (149-pounds).

Complete Championship results can be found at: http://www.stolaf.edu/athletics/2004ncaawr/results.html

Championship semifinals, and consolation quarterfinals and semifinals are Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. Third-, fifth-, and seventh-place matches begin at 5:00 p.m. and the Championship matches are set for 7:30 p.m.

Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Wrestling Preview

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The 2005 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) wrestling Championship is Thursday, February 17, at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Matches begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Graber Sports Center with the finals set for 6:30 p.m. in the Loras Field House.

Iowa Public Television (IPTV) will televise the Championship finals on tape-delay across the state of at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday. Tim Johnson will provide the play-by-play and former national champion wrestlers Jim and Joe Gibbons will provide analysis. For local IPTV stations, visit IPTV's web site at <http://www.iptv.org/>www.iptv.org.

Wartburg enters the 2005 Conference Championship winners of the last 12 IIAC titles and back-to-back national titles. Last year, the Knights sent nine wrestlers to the Conference finals, coming away with eight titles en route to a 54-point victory over Luther (206.5-152.5). Luther and third-place Simpson (144 points) won 165-pounds and 125-pounds, respectively.

Luther and Simpson return eight wrestlers from its 2004 Championship line-up. Wartburg and Loras each return seven wrestlers. All of Luther and Wartburg's returnees placed in the Conference's top-six last year while six of Loras and Simpson's returnees placed in the top-six. Central, Coe and Dubuque each return five wrestlers from last season, all of Coe's returnees placed in the top-six, and two of Central and Dubuque's placed. Buena Vista returns two from last year's Championship line-up and Cornell returns one.

Wartburg and Luther's line-ups feature seven national qualifiers from 2004. Simpson has four returning national qualifiers in its line-up, Loras has three and Buena Vista has one. Wartburg has six returning All-Americans, Luther has five, Simpson has three and Loras has one.

Two of the last three IIAC Outstanding Wrestlers are in their team's line-up. Simpson's Dustin Brewer was named Outstanding Wrestler after winning the 125-pound weight class last year. He is wrestling at 141-pounds this year. Luther's Garrett South was named Outstanding Wrestler in 2002 after winning the title at 165-pounds.

IIAC WRESTLING CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE COACHES' POLL: Five Iowa Conference teams and 18 wrestlers are ranked in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association/Brute-Adidas poll released on February 9. In the team poll, Wartburg is ranked second, Luther is fourth, Coe is ranked 13th, Loras is 15th and Simpson is 17th.

Individually, three IIAC wrestlers are ranked among the top eight at 133-pounds and 149-pounds. Wartburg has nine wrestlers ranked, Luther has six wrestlers ranked, and Buena Vista, Coe and Simpson each have one ranked wrestler.

Thirty-three IIAC wrestlers will qualify for the NCAA Championship field of 160. The 2005 NCAA National Wrestling Championship will be hosted by St. Olaf College at the Skoglund and Tostrud Centers in Northfield, Minn. on March 4-5.

A class-by-class preview with each school's probable line-up is attached. Championship brackets will be posted on the Conference web site (<http://www.iowaconference.com/>www.iowaconference.com) on Thursday morning and the web site will be updated with results throughout the day.

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Simpson College wrestler Clint Manny (Peru, Iowa/Winterset) was named IIAC Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, December 12.

Manny, a senior, won the 149-pound title at the MacMurray Ameri-Host Open posting a 4-0 record with a fall, technical fall and major decision. In the first round, he pinned Missouri Baptist's Robert DeLeon at 1:32. Manny then defeated Missouri Baptist's Adrian Ortiz-Lacaden by technical fall (16-0, 5:00) and won a major decision over Truman State's Chad Swagman (18-6). In the Championship match, Manny defeated McKendree's Josh Blackburn (6-5).

The IIAC also announced on Monday the Performer of the Week in each of the Conference's five sports in competition. Manny earned the weekly honor in his respective sport.

Wartburg College junior Dustin Hinschberger Iowa Conference Wrestler of the Week

Wartburg College junior Dustin Hinschberger (Belle Plaine, Iowa/Belle Plaine) went 6-0 during the week at 141-pounds with three falls and a major decision. In an Iowa Conference dual against Loras, he pinned Mike Ressler at 6:34 as the Knights extended their Conference dual win streak to 88 straight. As the third-seed, Hinschberger won the 141-pound weight class at the University of Northern Iowa Open with three victories over Division I wrestlers and two victories over Division II wrestlers. He pinned Division I Eastern Illinois' Dexter Johnson (at 1:01) and Division II Upper Iowa's Kevin Burkle (at 3:15) in his first two matches. In the quarterfinals, Hinschberger won by decision over Division II Nebraska-Omaha's Eli Dominguez (11-7) and in the semifinals, he defeated Division I Illinois' Cassio Pero (4-3). Hinschberger won by major decision in the finals, defeating Illinois' Michael Martin (10-0), a 2003 NCAA Division I national qualifier.

Luther College senior Garrett South (Cumberland, Iowa/C&M) was named Iowa Conference Wrestler of the Week.

Luther College senior Garrett South (Cumberland, Iowa/C&M) was named IIAC Wrestler of the Week. South went 4-0 with two falls at the Wisconsin-Stevens Point Golden Eagle Open to win the 165-pound weight class with three victories over Division I wrestlers. In the first round, he won a 5-0 decision over Northern Illinois' Tony Carour. He pinned Wisconsin's Zach Menne at 1:43 of the quarterfinals, won a major decision over Wisconsin-Parkside's AJ Morgan (11-0) in the semifinals. In the Championship match, South pinned Northern Illinois' Johnny Galloway at 5:22.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Luther College basketball player Jenny Laursen (Sac City, Iowa/Sac Community HS) and Simpson College wrestler Clint Manny (Peru, Iowa/Winterset HS) were named IIAC Female and Male Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, November 23.

Laursen, a senior guard, led Luther to two victories at its season opening Tip-Off Classic. She averaged 17.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in victories over St. Olaf College (52-43) and Nebraska Wesleyan College (63-54). She shot 50 percent from the floor (10-of-20), 60 percent from three-point land (6-of-10) and 81.8 percent from the free throw line (9-of-11). Against St. Olaf, Laursen scored 13 points, grabbed three rebounds (1-2) and had one assist. In the Nebraska Wesleyan contest, she scored 22 points, had three rebounds (1-2) and handed out four assists.

Manny, a junior, recorded five pins in five matches at 149-pounds. In a 46-3 Simpson victory over Cornell College, he pinned Mike Jahn at 2:45. He pinned the University of Dubuque s Sean Feeley at 3:50 in the Storm s 37-12 victory. At the Central College Duals, Manny pinned Missouri Baptist College s Charles Michael at 5:25 (Simpson won 25-16), University of Minnesota-Morris Lucas Schakmer at 0:39 (Simpson won 48-4), and Millikin College s Rob Roots at 3:07 (Simpson won 29-12).

The IIAC also announced its Players of the Week for the Conference s five sports in competition during the week. Laursen and Manny received the weekly honors for women s basketball and wrestling, while the following individuals were recognized for their athletic performances.