Joe Rydel, Sports Editor

The Augsburg University Wrestling team found itself in familiar territory last weekend at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, OH. The Auggies and longtime foe Wartburg were again battling it out for a National Title with the Warriors ultimately edging the Auggies to take home the gold.

The Auggies would leave Cleveland with five AllAmericans, two of which were National Champions. Both Ryan Epps and Lucas Jeske wrapped up two stellar seasons, each winning their first national titles as Auggies. Both Jeske and Epps closed out the year with only one loss a piece. Tanner Vassar, Alex Wilson and Sam Bennyhoff all found their way onto the podium as well with Vassar finishing in seventh, Wilson in fifth and Bennyhoff in second.

Beyond the mat, 125-pound Victor Gliva earned a huge honor as a student athlete. Gliva has the highest cumulative GPA in Division III wrestling, making him the recipient of this year’s Elite 90 Award. Gliva is the third Auggie in history to ever earn the honor, and he is the first person since Tony Valek in 2012.

This article first appeared in the Friday, March 23, 2018, Edition of The Echo.