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2003-04 Wrestling Summary

2003-04 CUW WRESTLING SUMMARY
Dual Record: 5-9-0
Head Coach: Bret Corner
Assistant Coaches: Rai Stelter, Andy DeLoney
Conference Finish: 2nd
NCAA III Regional Finish: 8th
Significant Dual Wins: UW-Oshkosh (27-20), UW-Platteville (25-24, tiebreaker)
MVP: Paul Manning Most Improved: Dwayne Brigham


Concordia Open
In November, Paul Manning won the 197 lb. weight class, winning a 9-3 decision in the finals over Loras’ Tony Murphy. Sam Rugg also placed 6th at 149.


UW-LaCrosse Duals
After a close 19-16 dual loss to MSOE in early December, the Falcons bounced back and went 2-2 at the UWL duals. CUW defeated UW-Oshkosh (27-20) and UW-Platteville (25-24) on a tiebreaker.

In the UW-Platteville win, after dropping the first two matches, Kevin Koch ignited the Falcons with a 2nd-period pin over #7 ranked Adam Anderson. Rugg followed with a pin at 149, and Dwayne Brigham won a tight 6-5 decision at 165 to give the Falcons a 15-10 lead. UWP won the next three matches to take a 24-15 lead, but CUW answered with Paul Manning’s 7-5 win at 197, and Clayton Neske got a :37 second pin at 285 to tie the match at 24-24. In the NCAA tiebreaker rules, the second criteria (most pins) decided the meet. CUW had three pins to UW-Platteville’s two.
 

Citrus Invite
The Falcons placed 7th out of 14 teams in the invite and went 1-3 in duals two days later. Manning paced the Falcons with a 3rd-place finish at 197, defeating John Carroll’s Dan Brown 3-2 for third. Brigham & Rugg each went 4-2 at the invite, both placing 5th.

 

Dual Meet in Westby, WI
The Falcons hosted a dual at Westby High School in January, the hometown of Rugg & Manning. The Falcons dropped a 32-6 decision to nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point. Nick Bottcher (149) and Brigham (157) each won decisions in the duals. At 197, Manning jumped out to a 1st-period lead but eventually dropped a tight 9-5 decision to 2004 national runner-up Yan White. White won the title in 2002.

 

WI –IL Private College Tournament
Millikin won the team title with 114.5 pts, with the Falcons finishing 5th with 45 pts. Manning won the 197 lb. title with a 4-2 win over Millikin’s Mike Mays. Koch was 2nd at 141, dropping a 4-2 decision to Millikin’s Justin Edwards. Bottcher (149) and Brigham (157) each placed 4th.

 

Elmhurst Invite
Freshman Fred Wilson placed 2nd at 174, dropping a 3-1 decision to Harper’s Mitch Castro. The Falcons were 7th out of 15 teams, with other placers Koch (3rd at 141), Rugg (4th at 149), Brigham (5th at 157), and Manning (4th at 197).

 

Wheaton Invite
CUW had three placers in the prestigious Pete Willson Invite while taking 13th out of 26 teams. Koch was 4th at 141, dropping the third-place match to North Central’s Noah Fitzenreider, 4-2 SV. Brigham took 5th at 157, winning on medical forfit over UW-LaCrosse’s Ross Needham for fifth. Manning was 5th at 197, winning his last bout 4-2 over Wabash’s Will Clarke.

 

Lake Michigan Conference Meet
MSOE won the conference meet, beating the falcons by 11 points. Individual champions for the Falcons included Rugg (149), Brigham (157), and Manning (197).

 

NCAA III Great Lakes Regional
CUW hosted the regional and placed 8th out of 16 teams. Koch & Rugg each placed 4th in their respective weights, but did not receive a wild-card bid to the national meet. Koch won a 6-3 quarter-final over North Central’s Noah Fitzenreider to advance to the semis, but then dropped a 10-1 major to Augsburg’s Jamell Tidwell to go to the consolations. Koch defeated St. John’s Chris Sadder (4-3) but dropped a 5-4 decision to Augustana’s Larry Amedio to take 4th at 141.

Rugg went 4-2 to take 4th at 149, including a fall over Elmhurst's Matt Kuschert in the consolation semifinals, but dropped two matches to Augustana’s Ryan McMurray. Brigham went 4-2 and placed 5th at 165 lbs., including a 10-7 decision over St. John’s Jeff Snegosky for fifth.

After opening the Regional with a tech. fall at 197, Manning defeated Chicago’s Sean Barnes, 7-5 to advance to the semis, but suffered an elbow injury during the match. Manning then dropped a 12-3 decision to Augsburg’s Joe Cullen to go to the consolations. In the consolation semis, Manning dropped a 4-2TB to Elmhurst’s Nick Metcalf, then medical forfeited for sixth.
 

NCAA III Great Lakes Regional Team Scores: Augsburg College 179.5, Augustana College-IL 118, St. John’s University MN 103, North Central College IL 77.5, University of Chicago 77, Elmhurst College 68, Pacific University OR 62, Concordia University Wisconsin 49.5, MSOE 26, Wheaton College IL 18.5, Concordia-Moorhead MN, Menlo College CA 17, Maranatha Baptist 11.5, Knox College, Lakeland College 11, St. Olaf College MN 6.5.