MINNEAPOLIS — Claiming one champion, a runner-up and eight placewinners in Gold division brackets, the Augsburg College wrestling team opened its season at its Auggie-Adidas Open, held on Saturday at Si Melby Hall. Augsburg had 18 overall placewinners at the event. No team results were kept at the open meet.
Defending heavyweight national champion Donny Longendyke (JR, Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) opened his season with a championship in his weight class. He claimed three pins en route to the finals, including two sub-two-minute pins. The top-ranked wrestler in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll at heavyweight, Longendyke scored a 2-0 win over Southwest Minnesota State’s Cole Wilson, ranked No. 5 in the D2wrestle.com Division II national poll, in the finals. Longendyke is now 88-23 in his collegiate career (48-2 at Augsburg), with 48 career pins (25 at Augsburg).
Grant Parker (JR, Onalaska, Wis.) finished second at 157 pounds, going 3-1 on the day. Gable Frandsen (SO, Ellsworth, Wis.), ranked No. 8 nationally at 157, finished fifth in the weight class, also with a 3-1 record. Tone Fuenffinger (SO, Hibbing, Minn.) went 1-1 to place fourth.
Anthony Luft (SO, Worthington, Minn.), a transfer from Southwest Minnesota State making his Auggie degut, went 3-1 to place third at 125 pounds, collecting a pin and technical fall in the process.
Bryce Zdanovec (SO, Little Chute, Wis.) went 2-1 with a major decision to place fifth at 149 pounds.
Sebastian Larson (SO, River Falls, Wis.) went 3-1 to claim fifth place at 184 pounds.
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Ten Auggies earned honors in the Silver division, including weight-class titles for Sam Bennyhoff (FY, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) at 133, Brady McFarland (FY, Windlake, Wis./Muskego HS) at 165 and Wyatt Richardson (FY, Grand Meadow, Minn.) at 197.
A.J. Riley (SO, Chatfield, Minn.) finished second at 149 Silver, while Ronny Ponick (FY, Stanley, Wis./Stanley-Boyd HS) finished third at 174 Silver and Aaron Wilson (FY, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS) at 141 Silver. Placing fourth in Silver divisions was Alex Wilson (FY, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS) at 149 and Mitch Nelson (FY, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) at 197. Zach Ferguson (FY, St. Paul, Minn./Central HS) finished sixth at 125 Silver, and Gavin Baade (FY, Brodhead, Wis.) earned consolation honors at 184 Silver.
As a team, Augsburg is ranked No. 10 in the latest NWCA Division III national poll.
Augsburg Open results
AUGSBURG RESULTS BY WEIGHT CLASS
• 125 Gold: Anthony Luft 3-1, 3rd place; James Goman 1-2.
• 125 Silver: Zach Ferguson 1-2, 6th place.
• 133 Silver: Sam Bennyhoff 3-0, 1st place.
• 141 Gold: Dylan Lesar 0-2; Blake Miller 0-2.
• 141 Silver: Aaron Wilson 3-1, 3rd place; Mike Hayes 1-2.
• 149 Gold: Bryce Zdanovec 2-1, t-5th place; Marcus Hamer 2-2.
• 149 Silver: A.J. Riley 3-1, 2nd place; Alex Wilson 2-2, 4th place; Nickolaus Borchert 0-2.
• 157 Gold: Grant Parker 3-1, 2nd place; Tone Fuenffinger 1-1, 4th place; Gable Frandsen 3-1, 5th place.
• 157 Silver: Boone Young 1-2; Dwayne Williams 0-2.
• 165 Silver: Brady McFarland 4-0, 1st place.
• 174 Gold: Austin Boniface 2-2, 4th place.
• 174 Silver: Ronny Ponick 3-1, 3rd place.
• 184 Gold: Sebastian Larson 3-1, 5th place; Niko Anderson 1-2.
• 184 Silver: Gavin Baade 3-1, conosolation winner; Cole Durbin 0-2.
• 197 Gold: Logan Hortop 1-2.
• 197 Silver: Wyatt Richardson 3-0, 1st place; Mitch Nelson 1-2, 4th place.
• HWT Gold: Donny Longendyke 4-0, 1st place.
• HWT Silver: Robert Caudillo 0-2.
UP NEXT
• Augsburg hosts St. Olaf in a dual meet on Tuesday (11/24) at 7 p.m. at Si Melby Hall.
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