UW-L in Third-Place at NCAA III Championships; Four Wrestlers Advance to Semifinals; One in Consolation Bracket

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 6, 2009

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The UW-La Crosse wrestling team is in third-place after the first day of competition at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. The Eagles have 46.0 team points. Wartburg College (Iowa) leads with 64.0 points while Augsburg College (Minn.) is second with 61.5. Delaware Valley College (Pa.) is in fourth-place with 43.0 and Coe College (Iowa) fifth with 42.5.

In Friday night's session, sophomore Matt Mauseth (149-pounds), senior Josh Zabel (184) and juniors Andy Moore (197) and Dan Laurent (285) advanced to Saturday's semifinals scheduled to start at 10 a.m. All four wrestlers have earned All-America honors with their advancements to the national semifinals. Freshman Mike Schmitz (174) will compete in the consolation quarterfinals Saturday morning and has also earned All-America honors.

Mauseth advanced with a win by decision (11-6) over Dan Mizener of John Carroll University (Ohio). Mauseth is the fourth seed and Mizener the fifth seed in this year's championship. Mauseth, who earned All-America honors with a sixth-place finish last season, won his opening match Friday over Luther College's (Iowa) Jason Pyle (13-6).

Fifth-seeded Zabel advanced to the semifinals after a win by decision (5-2) over fourth-seeded North Central College's (Ill.) Gabe Youel in the quarterfinals. Youel placed fourth at the 2008 NCAA III Championships. Zabel, who earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish last season in his first career appearance, earned a win by major decision (16-4) over Josh Wake of Oneonta State (N.Y.) in his first match Friday.

Moore, the eighth-seed at 197, earned a win by decision (5-2) over UW-Eau Claire's Josh Holforty in the quarterfinals. Holforty placed sixth at last year's national championships. Moore, making his first career appearance at the NCAA III Championships, earned a win by decision (5-3) over Eric Vincent of Merchant Marine in his opening match Friday.

Laurent, the defending national champion at 285 and seeded second in this year's tournament, advanced to Saturday's semifinals with a win by decision (6-1) over Coe College's (Iowa) Mitch Sander. Sander is seeded seventh. Laurent, making his third appearance in the NCAA III Championships, opened with a win by fall (1:26) over Luther College's (Iowa) Allyn Plattner Friday afternoon.

Schmitz went 2-1 on the day at 174-pounds. He lost to second-seeded Rocky Mantella of Delaware Valley College (Pa.) by decision (4-3) in the quarterfinals before earning a major decision (14-4) over Michael Reilly of King's College (Pa.) in the consolation bracket. After receiving a first round bye, Schmitz earned a win by decision (8-3) at 174-pounds over Tory Carlson of the University of Chicago (Ill.) in his first match. Carlson is seeded seventh at this year's championships.

Sophomores Albie McKinney (125-pounds) and Cory Ferguson (165) were both eliminated in Friday night's consolation round in their first career appearances at the national meet. McKinney went 1-2 Friday. He opened with a loss by fall (4:37) to Augsburg's Seth Flodeen before coming back to win by injury default (3:45) over Rob Miller of Thiel. Floodeen, last year's national champion, is seeded fourth in this year's championships. McKinney then lost by decision (8-5) to third-seeded Chris Sheetz of Delaware Valley College (Pa.), who placed sixth a year ago. McKinney finishes his season at 9-6. Ferguson lost both of his matches Friday, falling by decision (12-7) in the consolation round to seventh-seeded Jason Wozniak of UW-Stevens Point. Ferguson, who finishes his season at 20-8, lost by fall (3:44) to second-seeded Benjamin Hoover of Maranatha Baptist Bible College (Wis.) in the opening round Friday. Hoover placed second at the 2008 NCAA III Championships.

UW-L has 14 top-10 finishes at the national champinships since joining the NCAA III in 1992, including a school-best second-place showing in 2001, 2006 and 2008. The Eagles have had eight top-four finishes at the national meet.

For more information on the NCAA III Championships, click here.