Josh Sarl, sports editor

It was a good week for the Augsburg men’s wrestling team, who managed to defeat the defending co-national champions, Johnson & Wales University (JWU), before dominating the floor at the Augsburg invitational meet on Saturday, Nov. 22. At the invitational, Augsburg’s team of 32 wrestlers hit a 101-37 record, amassing 12 champions across the Gold and Freshman divisions. I spoke to head coach Tony Valek in order to get his thoughts on the team’s display on both Friday and Saturday. 

Regarding the JWU match, “we knew it was a high-level duel.” As already mentioned, JWU came into the contest as reigning Division III co-champions, creating a good test early on into the season. Valek admits, “It was a little closer than we hoped, but it was fun to find a way to win.” 

The Augsburg invitational saw a more dominant display from the team, resulting in six champion titles and 17 place-winners in the Gold divisions, and a further six and 11 place-winners in the Freshman divisions. “It is an exciting future to look forward to. I can’t think of a year where we won five freshman titles in one meet.” Valek also commended the performance of No. 1 ranked sophomore Matthew Randolph, who managed to push his record to 11-0 whilst securing a crucial overtime win in his final bout to secure first place. “We’re super excited for him,” Valek says. “Randolph was one of two true freshmen to get into All American a year ago. We’re looking forward to him reaching the next step to becoming a national champ.”

I spoke with Randolph to hear his thoughts after the invitational. “I felt really good, happy with my performance. My final match [went] to overtime, so it was a big win for me.” With the 149-pound sophomore clinching victory at the death, I asked Randolph to walk me through his strategies when faced with such a high-pressure moment. “[The opposition] got really deep into a position where he could’ve scored. But I gritted my way through it and managed to pin him.” By pinning the opposition, Randolph not only managed to secure his title but also won bonus points for the team. 

As Augsburg has a roster of 32 wrestlers, who all compete in their own respective bouts, I was curious to understand how the team dynamics operate in a seemingly individualistic competition. Coach Valek understands the Auggie team culture to be “the one thing that makes us different. The whole team aspect elevates us to individual successes.” He attributes this to the unique, interpersonal training needed for athletes to ensure that they are competition ready. “With wrestling, you need high-level partners. You can’t really work much on yourself. It is one of the most team-centred sports there is.” Randolph followed up, saying that “team dynamic is huge here. Everyone is supporting one another. The duels get lively, so it’s good to have teammates yelling and cheering for you.” 

The team looks towards the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Quadrangular, where they will be competing against other top ten schools in the division. “It’s going to be good for the guys to test themselves and see where they are at,” says Valek. I wondered if competing away from home might affect the team dynamics, especially after the positive atmosphere from the home invitational. But Valek appears unphased, stating that “there’s something about going on the road where it’s just us versus everybody else.”