MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team gave second-ranked Augsburg all it could handle, but fell in a road dual 19-15 on Wednesday. The Blugolds held a six-point lead on the scoreboard entering the final three matches of the dual, but came up just short against the highly rated Auggies.
The Blugolds opened the dual with back-to-back victories. Wrestling began with the 165-pound weight class, where Tristan Massie (Jr. - Hillsdale, Wis./Barron) put plenty of points on the board in a 10-5 decision over Matt Rogge. Massie is ranked No. 9 in the nation by d3wrestle.com, while Rogge is an honorable mention in the rankings.
Jared Stricker (So. - Ashland, Wis.) followed Massie's victory with a win of his own at 174. Stricker, ranked fifth in Division III, doubled up Seth Goetzinger 12-6 to win by decision.
Niall Schoenfelder (So. - Antioch, Ill.) squared off with sixth-ranked Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann at 184. Schoenfelder, an honorable mention in the latest rankings, put points on the board against his highly ranked foe before ultimately falling by decision 6-2.
The Blugolds got their first pin of the afternoon from Chase Melton (Sr. - Spooner, Wis.). He defeated Parker Venz by fall at 197, getting the pin in 2:51.
The heavyweight bout pitted Jackson Schichel (Jr. - Hastings, Minn.) against fourth-ranked Tyler Kim. Schichel gave Kim a battle, but came out with a defeat by decision 3-0.
Carter Schulz (Fr. - Rice Lake, Wis.) wrestled Wyatt Kaczrowski at 125 pounds. Schulz put a couple of points on the board, but fell by decision 4-2.
Sixth-ranked Tyler Fleetwood (Jr. - Fulton, Ill.) ended the Blugolds' two-match skid with a win at 133 pounds. He built a late two-point lead and held on to defeat Cade Willis 4-2. Fleetwood's win stretched UW-Eau Claire's lead to 15-9.
Drew Kested (Fr. - Sterling, Ill.) wrestled seventh-ranked Sam Stuhl at 141 pounds, and fell by major decision 15-3.
The 149-pound match between seventh-ranked Zach Sato (So. - Oswego, Ill.) and Charlie Stuhl — an honorable mention in the rankings — couldn't be decided in regulation or overtime. The match entered a tiebreaker with the two wrestlers tied at 1, and Stuhl won 2-1 via tiebreak.
The final match saw Colton Sund (So. - Prior Lake, Minn.) wrestle Tyler Shilson, the top-ranked grappler at 157 pounds. Sund took an early two-point lead, but later fell by decision 11-5.
The Blugolds are back in action on Friday, Dec. 2, when they travel to Grand Rapids, Mich., for the two-day Blithe Duals.
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