DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Wartburg pushed seven wrestlers into the finals Saturday with an impressive performance in the semifinal round of the 2004 NCAA Division III National Championships at the Five Flags Center in Dubuque.  The Knights increased their lead over second-place Augsburg to 13 points (135.5-122.5).  Augsburg has five wrestlers in the championship finals.  No other team qualified more than one wrestler to tonight's championship round. 

 

Luther (66.5 points), Delaware Valley (54.0), and Simpson (50.5) round out the top five teams, and have one finalist each.

 

125 -- Cortland State's Jason Peck scored the first victory of the tournament over a number one seed, Tom Prairie of Williams, 10-6.  #2 Matt Shankey (Augsburg) defeated Simpson's Dustin Brewer, 3-2.

 

133 -- The top two seeds, #1 Ozzie Saxson (Wartburg) and #2 Mark Matzek (Augsburg) advanced.  Saxson beat Tenkoran Agyeman (Oswego State), 4-2.  Matzek defeated Barry Wise (Delaware Valley), 11-6.

 

141 -- The top two seeds, #1 Dustin Hinschberger (Wartburg) and #2 Jamell Tidwell (Augsburg) advanced.  Hinschberger beat Nick Karls (UW-Whitewater), 9-3.  Tidwell defeated Pat Brady (TCNJ), 4-3.

 

149 -- The top two seeds, #1 Bart Mehlert (Wartburg) and #2 Clint Manny (Simpson) advanced.  Mehlert scored a technical fall over Matt Pyle (Luther), 18-3; 7:00.  Manny pinned David Icenhower (TCNJ), 1:38.

 

157 -- #1 Marcus LeVesseur (Augsburg) won his 83rd consecutive match without a collegiate loss, 10-2 over Brent Rider (Cortland State).  #3 Cory Connell (Wartburg) upset #2 Greg Ilaria (TCNJ), 3-2.

 

165 -- #1 Artie Weidler (Brockport State) defeated Pat Wilsbacher (Buena Vista), 12-7.  #3 Garrett South (Luther) pinned #2 Jarald Ridley (Manchester), 6:02.

 

174 -- #1 Eduard Aliaksynka (Montclair State) defeated Mark Sturm (Wartburg), 13-6.  #3 Joe Moon (Augsburg) upset reigning national champion #2 Cody Koenig (UW-Stevens Point), 4-2.

 

184 -- #4 Josh Housekeeper (Delaware Valley) knocked off #1 Denny Gaul (Montclair State), 2-1.  #2 Ryan Sturm (Wartburg) defeated Craig Buckley (Bridgewater State), 3-2.

 

197 -- The top two seeds, #1 Akeem Carter (Wartburg) and #2 Yan White (UW-Stevens Point) advanced.  Carter beat Andrew Helms (Delaware Valley), 5-2.  White defeated Robert Cuffie (Brockport State) by fall at 4:59.

 

285 -- The top two seeds, #1 Ryan Allen (UW-LaCrosse) and #2 Blake Gillis (Wartburg) advanced.  Allen beat Mark Simmonds (Augsburg), 12-2.  Gillis defeated Mike Blair (Trinity), 8-4.