Mauseth Named WIAC Wrestler of the Year

For Immediate Release: Friday, March 13, 2009

Madison, Wis. – University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Matt Mauseth has been named the 2009 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Wrestler of the Year in a vote taken by the league coaches.

A sophomore from Rochester, Minnesota (Mayo H.S.), Mauseth finished 28-5 this year with six pins. He captured 149-pound title at the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Wrestling Championships March 7 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mauseth, the tournament's fourth seed, earned a 6-3 win over third-seed Paul LeBlanc of Cortland State (N.Y.) in the championship match.

He became the second wrestler in UW-L history to take the 149-pound division joining Jake Larsen in 2006. Mauseth also earned All-America honors last year with a sixth-place finish as a freshman.

Mauseth advanced to the 2009 championship match after a 3-1 win over top-seeded Willy Holst of Augsburg College (Minn.) in the semifinals. Holst placed third at last year's championships. He earned a win by decision (11-6) over fifth-seed Dan Mizener of John Carroll University (Ohio) in the quarterfinals and won his opening match over Luther College's (Iowa) Jason Pyle (13-6).

Mauseth picked up his second straight WIAC title this season, winning the 149-pound division by fall (4:23) over UW-Eau Claire's Andy Johnston. He was also named to the 2008-09 All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team.

Also named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Scholar All-America Team, Mauseth is a biology major with a 3.37 grade point average. He finished second at the 2009 Pete Willson Wheaton (Ill.) Invitational and went 4-0 at the UW-L Duals. Mauseth is 50-14 in his two-year career.

UW-L placed third at the 2009 NCAA III Wrestling Championships, its ninth top-four finish in school history. The Eagles have had 15 top-10 finishes at the national meet since joining the NCAA III in 1992, including a school-best second-place showing in 2001, 2006 and 2008.