D3 Insider: Can Anyone End The 'Burgs Three-Decade Title Run?

It's been 30 years since a school other than Wartburg or Augsburg captured the Division III title and the D3 powers are once again 1 and 2 in the rankings.

Feb 23, 2023 by James Nelson

D3 Insider: Can Anyone End The 'Burgs Three-Decade Title Run?

In the year 1994, Friends debuted on NBC, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by Tonya Harding’s bodyguard and Brazil won the World Cup.

The year 1994 also was the last time a team other than Augsburg University and Wartburg College won the Division III wrestling national championship.

Ithaca College owns the distinction of being the last team to win a title other than Augsburg or Wartburg, and the Bombers will host one of six regional tournaments this weekend that serve as the NCAA National Championship qualifier.

Instead of asking defending champion head coach Eric Keller from Wartburg what it takes for the Knights to repeat, he was asked what would it take for somebody other than Augsburg or Wartburg to win.

Keller’s answer was he doesn’t know because he says going down that road distracts you from what is really important.

“Honestly, for us, I don’t think about what other people need to do or what they are doing,” Keller said. “I think once you let your focus shift to other people, other teams you lose sight of what you are doing. Us personally, all we ever focus on is what we are doing.

“That is something we talk about every week when we are competing. It is about us and how we compete and the things we do. This weekend will be no different and the national tournament won’t be any different. I think that is the approach you have to have to compete at the highest level.”

Wartburg will compete at the Lower Midwest Regional in Springfield, Ill., where the Knights enter with four wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the regional – Zayren Teurkina at 141, Nathan Fuller at 165, Zane Mulder at 174 and Massoma Endene at 197.

And Keller confirmed the one line-up question Wartburg had entering regionals was at 285 where Damari Dancy will get the nod over Eli Pannell.

“He is a guy who has got some good wins over some guys and just felt like he was in a spot where he earned it,” Keller said.

Wartburg, since losing the semifinals at the NWCA National Duals, has raised its level of wrestling in the eyes of Keller.

“I felt our development throughout this year has led us to this point that I hope our guys heading into this regional, this national qualifier enter with the most confidence they’ve had all year long,” Keller said.

Augsburg head coach Tony Valek also believes all the work the Auggies have put in and the level of competition it has faced in and outside of its room has prepared them.

“I think we are very prepared,” Valek said. “Our guys are champing at the bit. A lot of our best completion lately has been in our room and they are ready to go wrestling somebody who is not in an Auggie singlet.

”We are definitely ready to let it fly this coming weekend.

A front-loaded schedule that saw Augsburg compete at the North Central College Invitational the Citrus Invitational in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and the NWCA National Duals was by design to test and mold a young lineup that will see four first-timers at the Upper Midwest in Mequon, Wisconsin this week.

“We get our guys a lot of matches early, and then late we make sure to give a lot of individual attention and work on the little things,” Valek said. “We got 10 healthy, motivated guys and when you have that good things can happen.”

Senior Tyler Shilson at 157 and junior Tyler Kim at 285, who is sitting on 98 career wins and should hit 100 this weekend, are top-ranked regionally for the Auggies.

Also unique to the Augsburg lineup is it will feature a pair of brother combos – Sam and Charlie Stuhl at 141 and 149, and Cade and Copper Willis at 133 and 165, respectively. All of them are natives of Wisconsin.

The Auggies are also looking for their 35th consecutive MIAC or Regional title and 50th overall.

“We’re just excited,” Valek said. “It is regional weekend. There are high school state tournaments going on and that just gets you more excited for the postseason. That is for sure.”

Entering regional competitions the top-ranked wrestlers in the national are Joziah Fry of Johnson & Wales at 125, Robbie Precin of North Central at 133, Zayren Terukina of Wartburg at 141, Michael Petrella of Baldwin and Wallace at 149, Zeke Smith of Loras at 157, Nate Lackman of Rhode Island at 165, Mike Ross of Johnson & Wales at 174, Jarrit Shinhoster of UW-Whitewater at 184, Coy Spooner of Coast Guard at 197 and Donovan King of Olivet at 285.