Wartburg wrestlers Aaron Wernimont and Justin Hanson, who have been roommates for the past three years, can decorate their living quarters with bookend national championship awards

Wernimont concluded his career on an 80-match winning streak by capturing the 157-pound individual championship, and Hanson added the 165-pound crown, leading Wartburg to its second consecutive Division III NCAA title Saturday night in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

It is the seventh straight year that the Knights have had at least two individual national champions.

Wartburg’s depth was the key to taking home their seventh Division III national title since 1996.

Zach McKray was the national runner-up at 141, and Mark Kist (125), Matt Kelly (133), Jacob Naig (149) and John Helgerson (heavyweight) all finished third in their respective weight classes.

“This group, they love each other,” Wartburg coach Jim Miller told the assembled media afterwards. “They care about each other. This is real special.”

Wernimont ended his collegiate career with a tough 2-1 decision over Olivet’s Jason Brew. His long win streak didn’t add any more pressure to his quest for a second individual national title.

“I never really thought about it,” said Wernimont, who finished 44-0 this season. “It was one match at a time for me.”

Miller added: “Wernimont is one of the best wrestlers ever to walk through our program.”

Hanson won the 165-pound title with a 7-3 victory over Ben Youel of North Central (Illinois). The two finalists had split two matches earlier this season, including Youel’s 8-3 win over Hanson in Wartburg’s invitational tournament.

“I put in a lot of hard work over all the years of my life with wrestling,” Hanson said. “It finally paid off for me in a national title.”

Wartburg finished with 117.5 points, and Augsburg tallied 105 points to reach runner-up status.

“We’re very excited,” said Miller, who completed his 18^th season at Wartburg. “This team overcame a little bit of adversity during the year, and it came down to the fact that everyone bought in into what we trying to tell them.”

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

125-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Jake Oster, Elmhurst, def. Shaun Farnham, Wilkes, 6-2; Tyler Erdman, Elizabethtown, def. Dan Bloom, Wesleyan (Conn.), 8-4; Seth Ecker, Ithaca, def. Rob Miller, Thiel, 5-4; Seth Flodeen, Augsburg, pinned Lloyd McKinney, Wis.-La Crosse, 4:37; Chris Sheetz, Delaware Valley, def. Jerrad Hoxie, Heidelberg, 21-8; Mike McInally, Rochester Inst., pinned Jayson Swanson, Luther, 6:09; Mark Kist, Wartburg, def. Jordan Alfaro, Merchant Marine, 12-3; Clayton Rush, Coe, def. Max Oldenburg, Wis.-Whitewater, 14-3.

Quarterfinals:  Oster def. Erdman, 14-7; Ecker def. Flodeen, 7-3; McInally def. Sheetz, 9-6; Rush def. Kist, 2-1 (tiebreaker).

Semifinals:  Oster def. Ecker, 8-6 (sudden victory); McInally def. Rush, 7-6.

Final:  Oster def. McInally, 8-7.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Bloom def. Farnham, 9-5; McKinney def. Miller, (by default); Hoxie def. Swanson, 8-6; Oldenburg pinned Alfaro, 4:29.

Second round:  Kist def. Bloom, 4-3; Sheetz def. McKinney, 8-5; Flodeen pinned Hoxie, 4:27; Erdman def. Oldenburg, 4-2.

Third round:  Kist pinned Sheetz, 0:42; Flodeen pinned Erdman, 5:15.

Semifinals:  Kist def. Ecker, 12-3; Flodeen pinned Rush, 1:41.

Third place:  Kist def. Flodeen, 5-3.

Fifth place:  Rush pinned Ecker, 6:55.

Seventh place:  Erdman def. Sheetz, 7-5.

133-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Travis Lang, Augsburg, def. Tony Lawler, Heidelberg, 17-5; Nichalos Northern, Cornell, def. Joshua Pauling, Wilkes, 6-4; Matt Kelly, Wartburg, def. Jered Kern, Wis.-Stevens Point, 7-5; Brandon Clemmer, Delaware Valley, def. Chad Winowich, Ithaca, 2-0; Corey Brown, Thiel, def. Nichalos Cucciniello, Johnson & Wales (R.I.), 9-4; Brandon Ball, Coe, def. Phillip Greene, Merchant Marine, 23-6 (technical fall, 5:48).

Quarterfinals:  Northern def. Lang, 7-5; Kelly def. Baatar, 6-1; Bartlett def. Clemmer, 5-3; Ball pinned Brown, 3:52.

Semifinals:  Northern def. Kelly, 6-5 (tiebreaker); Bartlett pinned Ball, 4:00.

Final:  Bartlett def. Northern, 6-0.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Lawler def. Pauling, 9-3; Greene pinned Cucciniello, 2:50.

Second round:  Brown def. Lawler, 9-7 (sudden victory); Clemmer def. Kern, 5-1; Winowich def. Baatar, 8-3; Lang pinned Greene, 1:19.

Third round:  Brown def. Clemmer, 5-4; Lang pinned Winowich, 2:29.

Semifinals:  Kelly def. Brown, 6-0; Ball def. Lang, 7-5 (sudden victory).

Third place:  Kelly def. Ball, 8-5.

Fifth place:  Lang pinned Brown, 1:04.

Seventh place:  Clemmer def. Winowich, 7-3.

141-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Austin Bautista, Wis.-Whitewater, def. John Paxos, Ithaca, 4-2; Derrick Smith, Oswego St., def. Gregg Martino, New York U., 8-4; Jordan Loy, Loras, def. James Beshada, Merchant Marine, 7-3; Myanganbayar Batsukh, St. John’s (Minn.), def. Nick Garber, Waynesburg, 14-9; Corey Paulish, Williams, def. Luke Baum, Rochester Inst., 9-6; Chase DeCleene, Wis.-Stevens Point, def. Craig Fechko, Heidelberg, 8-7; Tony Valek, Augsburg, def. Kevin Donahue, Cornell, 17-2 (technical fall, 7:00); Zach McKray, Wartburg, def. Virgil Pope, Milwaukee Engr., 12-4.

Quarterfinals:  Bautista def. Smith, 3-2; Batsukh def. Loy, 9-3; Paulish def. DeCleene, 6-5; McKray def. Valek, 7-5.

Semifinals:  Batsukh def. Bautista, 4-3; McKray def. Paulish, 6-4.

Final:  Batsukh def. McKray, 5-2.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Paxos def. Martino, 3-1; Garber def. Beshada, 15-3; Baum def. Fechko, 6-1; Donahue def. Pope, 7-3.

Second round:  Paxos def. Valek, 10-1; DeCleene def. Garber, 13-9; Baum def. Loy, 6-1; Donahue def. Smith, 12-8.

Third round:  DeCleene def. Paxos, 3-2; Baum def. Donahue, 15-0 (technical fall, 4:07).

Semifinals:  Bautista def. DeCleene, 11-4; Paulish def. Baum, 16-4.

Third place:  Bautista def. Paulish, 4-2 (sudden victory).

Fifth place:  Baum def. DeCleene, 13-1.

Seventh place:  Donahue def. Paxos, 8-6.

149-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Andrew Gardella, Case Reserve, def. Tyler Branham, TCNJ, 12-2.

Second round:  Willy Holst, Augsburg, def. Frank Cammisa, Bridgewater St., 15-3; Kevin Sutherland, Rhode Island Col., def. Erik Smith, Wilkes, 7-2; Dan Mizener, John Carroll, def. Ryan Mulnix, Cornell, 11-6; Matt Mauseth, Wis.-La Crosse, def. Jason Pyle, Luther, 13-6; Paul LeBlanc, Cortland St., def. Joey Massman, Concordia (Wis.), 6-3; Blaine Woszczak, Ithaca, def. Robert Kein, Muhlenberg, 3-2; Dale Fava, Delaware Valley, def. Dan Twito, Merchant Marine, 7-2; Jacob Naig, Wartburg, def. Gardella, 15-4.

Third round:  Holst def. Cammisa, 15-3; Sutherland def. Smith, 7-2; Mizener def. Mulnix, 11-6; Mauseth def. Pyle, 13-6; LeBlanc def. Massman, 6-3; Woszczak def. Kein, 3-2; Fava def. Twito, 7-2; Naig def. Gardella, 15-4.

Quarterfinals:  Holst def. Sutherland, 8-2; Mauseth def. Mizener, 11-6; LeBlanc def. Woszczak, 7-5; Naig def. Fava, 9-1.

Semifinals:  Mauseth def. Holst, 3-1; LeBlanc def. Naig, 7-4.

Final:  Mauseth def. LeBlanc, 6-3.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Branham def. Cammisa, 2-1.

Second round:  Gardella def. Twito, 5-0; Kein def. Massman, 5-1; Pyle pinned Mulnix, 2:56; Smith def. Branham, 5-1.

Third round:  Gardella def. Mizener, 9-7; Kein def. Sutherland, 5-2; Pyle pinned Fava, 3:50; Woszczak pinned Smith, 5:54.

Fourth round:  Gardella def. Kein, 6-2; Woszczak def. Pyle, 18-6.

Semifinals:  Naig def. Gardella, 8-4; Woszczak def. Holst, 7-5.

Third place:  Naig def. Woszczak, 9-7.

Fifth place:  Holst def. Gardella, 8-0.

Seventh place:  Pyle def. Kein, 10-7.

157-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Aaron Wernimont, Wartburg, def. Isaac Dukes, Case Reserve, 7-6; William Horwath, Ithaca, pinned Johanson Quist, Luther, 6:47; Luke Miller, Ohio Northern, def. Jesse Milks, Wis.-Platteville, 2-0; Dan DiColo, TCNJ, def. Andrew Goldstein, Gettysburg, 7-6; Jason Adams, Augsburg, def. Zach Mizer, Heidelberg, 7-6; Mike Martini, Rhode Island Col., def. Erik Hanson, Loras, 8-4; Craig Gin, Messiah, def. Matt Baarson, St. John’s (Minn.), 5-2; Jason Brew, Olivet, def. Jonas Flok, Lakeland, 9-3.

Quarterfinals:  Wernimont pinned Horwath, 3:23; Miller def. DiColo, 4-3; Adams def. Martini, 4-3; Brew def. Gin, 7-2.

Semifinals:  Wernimont def. Miller, 8-3; Brew def. Adams, 6-2.

Final:  Wernimont def. Brew, 2-1.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Quist def. Dukes, 9-7 (sudden victory); Milks def. Goldstein, 6-5; Hanson def. Mizer, 5-1; Baarson def. Flok, 14-5.

Second round:  Gin def. Quist, 11-3; Milks def. Martini, 3-2; DiColo def. Hanson, 7-6; Horwath def. Baarson, 9-6.

Third round:  Milks def. Gin, 4-2 (sudden victory); DiColo def. Horwath, 5-0.

Semifinals:  Miller def. Milks, 6-0; Adams def. DiColo, 8-0.

Third place:  Adams def. Miller, 5-1.

Fifth place:  Milks def. DiColo, 4-2.

Seventh place:  Gin def. Horwath, 4-0.

165-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Justin Hanson, Wartburg, def. Patrick Nagel, Wis.-Whitewater, 4-1; Christopher Dahlheimer, Lycoming, pinned Justin Bonitatis, TCNJ, 4:02; Josh Terrell, Dubuque, def. Matt Curley, Heidelberg, 6-2; Ben Youel, North Central (Ill.), def. Vincent Renaut, Merchant Marine, 8-6; Michael Morin, Southern Me., def. Orlando Ponce, Augsburg, 8-5; Tyler Goble, Rose-Hulman, def. Jason Wozniak, Wis.-Stevens Point, 3-2; Benjamin Hoover, Maranatha Baptist, pinned Cory Ferguson, Wis.-La Crosse, 3:44

Quarterfinals:  Hanson def. Dahlheimer, 7-6; Terrell def. Burkle, 5-1; Youel def. Morin, 11-4; Hoover def. Goble, 5-4.

Semifinals:  Hanson def. Terrell, 3-1; Youel def. Hoover, 7-5.

Final:  Hanson def. Youel, 7-3.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Nagel def. Bonitatis, 8-2; Ponce def. Renaut, 7-6; Wozniak def. Ferguson, 12-7 (tiebreaker).

Second round:  Nagel def. Goble, 3-2; Morin def. Curley, 10-6; Burkle def. Ponce, 5-3; Dahlheimer def. Wozniak, 6-2.

Third round:  Morin def. Nagel, 5-4; Burkle def. Dahlheimer, 6-1.

Semifinals:  Morin def. Terrell, 5-4; Burkle def. Hoover, 5-1.

Third place:  Burkle def. Morin, 12-4.

Fifth place:  Hoover def. Terrell, 9-3.

Seventh place:  Dahlheimer def. Nagel, 9-7.

174-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Rocky Mantella, Delaware Valley, pinned Brian Thomason, York (Pa.), 0:23.

Second round:  Bryon Grothus, Coe, def. Jerome Owens, Johnson & Wales (R.I.), 3-1; Evan Brown, Dubuque, pinned Gregory Hurd, Wesleyan (Conn.), 4:33; Kyle Kehrli, Cornell, pinned Michael Reilly, King’s (Pa.), 5:50; Frank Heffernan, Wilkes, def. David Priest, Ithaca, 4-3; Kyle Vanderhyde, Olivet, def. Andrew Scavuzzo, Baldwin-Wallace, 14-4; Zach Molitor, Augsburg, def. Sam Engelland, Wis.-Oshkosh, 2-1; Michael Schmitz, Wis.-La Crosse, def. Troy Carlson, Chicago 8-3; Mantella, def. Ryan Dormann, Stevens Institute, 9-5.

Quarterfinals:  Brown def. Grothus, 3-0; Kehrli def. Heffernan, 8-6 (sudden victory); Molitor def. Vanderhyde, 8-3; Mantella def. Schmitz, 4-3.

Semifinals:  Brown def. Kehrli, 5-3; Mantella def. Molitor, 6-4.

Final:  Brown def. Mantella, 1-0.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Thomason def. Owens, 16-0 (technical fall, 5:00).

Second round:  Dormann def. Carlson, 5-4; Engelland def. Scavuzzo, 5-3; Reilly def. Priest, 7-2; Thomason def. Hurd, 8-0.

Third round:  Heffernan def. Dormann, 2-0; Grothus def. Engelland, 5-2; Schmitz def. Reilly, 14-4; Thomason def. Vanderhyde, 11-2.

Fourth round:  Grothus def. Heffernan, 8-0; Schmitz def. Thomason, 13-3.

Semifinals:  Grothus pinned Molitor, 1:35; Schmitz def. Kehrli, 3-2.

Third place:  Grothus pinned Schmitz, 4:08.

Fifth place:  Kehrli def. Molitor, 4-1.

Seventh place:  Heffernan def. Thomason, 4-2.

184-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Michael Wilcox, Delaware Valley, pinned Toby Boltz, Wheaton (Ill.), 1:24; Dustin Baxter, St. John’s (Minn.), def. Scott Kelley, TCNJ, 6-2; Joshua Zabel, Wis.-La Crosse, def. Josh Wake, Oneonta St., 15-4; Gabe Youel, North Central (Ill.), def. Sam Laes, Lawrence, 9-6; Phil Moenkedick, Concordia-M’head, def. Seth Rehn, Coe, 6-0; Bryan Lenhardt, Johnson & Wales (R.I.); def. Matthew Horn, Muhlenberg, 8-4; Ben Engelland, Wis.-Stevens Point, def. Nic Barclay, Luther, 2-0; Ben Adams, John Carroll, def. Romeo Dioumessi, Wartburg, 5-4.

Quarterfinals:  Wilcox def. Baxter, 5-4 (tiebreaker); Zabel def. Youel, 5-2; Moenkedick def. Lenhardt, 8-7; Engelland def. Adams, 6-2.

Semifinals:  Wilcox def. Zabel, 11-5; Moenkedick def. Engelland, 8-0.

Final:  Wilcox def. Moenkedick, 15-1.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Boltz def. Kelley, 9-3; Laes def. Wake, 5-3 (sudden victory); Horn pinned Rehn, 4:09; Dioumessi pinned Barclay, 2:15.

Second round:  Boltz def. Adams, 4-2 (tiebreaker); Lenhardt def. Laes, 5-3; Youel def. Horn, 10-3; Baxter def. Dioumessi, 13-11.

Third round:  Lenhardt def. Boltz, 3-2; Youel def. Baxter, 3-1 (sudden victory).

Semifinals:  Zabel def. Lenhardt, 10-2; Youel def. Engelland, 4-3.

Third place:  Zabel def. Youel, 4-0.

Fifth place:  Engelland def. Lenhardt, 9-4.

Seventh place:  Baxter def. Boltz, 7-4.

197-pound class

Main bracket

First round:  Brian Scher, Hunter, def. Chris Carabello, Ithaca, 3-1; Joseph Silverman, MIT, def. Zach Pizarro, Wilkes, 4-2.

Second round:  Josh Holforty, Wis.-Eau Claire, def. Alec Bonander, Luther, 7-3; Andy Moore, Wis.-La Crosse, def. Eric Vincent, Merchant Marine, 5-3; Corbin Semple, Waynesburg, def. Anthony Neumann, Concordia-M’head, 7-2; Ryan Malo, Williams, def. Scher, 7-0; Karl Voeck, Wis.-Whitewater, def. Nick Shandri, Wartburg, 9-5; Bill Schindel, Mount Union, def. Matthew Wonderlin, Dubuque, 2-1; Rob Kramer, Coe, pinned Ed Broderick, TCNJ, 1:35; Jared Massey, Augsburg, pinned Joseph Silverman, MIT, 3:52

Quarterfinals:  Moore def. Holforty, 5-2; Malo def. Semple, 9-5; Voeck def. Schindel, 9-3; Massey def. Kramer, 12-1.

Semifinals:  Malo pinned Moore, 2:13; Massey def. Voeck, 4-1.

Final:  Massey def. Malo, 11-2.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Shandri def. Carabello, 5-4; Pizarro def. Bonander, 8-4.

Second round:  Silverman def. Broderick, 8-1; Shandri def. Wonderlin, 4-2; Neumann def. Scher, 7-1; Vincent pinned Pizarro, 6:34.

Third round:  Silverman def. Semple, 6-4; Holforty def. Shandri, 9-4; Kramer def. Neumann, 3-2; Schindel pinned Vincent, 3:14.

Fourth round:  Holforty def. Silverman, 6-1; Kramer def. Schindel, 14-8.

Semifinals:  Holforty def. Voeck, 10-5; Moore pinned Kramer, 3:43.

Third place:  Holforty def. Moore, 7-6.

Fifth place:  Kramer pinned Voeck, 2:14.

Seventh place:  Silverman def. Schindel, 6-1.

Heavyweight class

Main bracket

First round:  Kyle Bilquist, Delaware Valley, pinned Trevor Kaufman, Loras, 2:02; Mark Corsello, Elmhurst, def. Christopher Brown, Springfield, 10-8 (sudden victory); Glenn Geesman, MIT, def. Adam Sutter, Lakeland, 3-0; John Helgerson, Wartburg, def. Joe Murphy, Cortland St., 13-5; Deron Sharp, Elizabethtown, def. Brock Glotfelty, McDaniel, 6-5; Mitch Sander, Coe, def. Anthony Carothers, Heidelberg, 10-1; Dan Laurent, Wis.-La Crosse, pinned Allyn Plattner, Luther, 1:26.

Quarterfinals:  Bilquist def. Witzel, 2-0; Corsello def. Geesman, 4-0; Helgerson def. Sharp, 3-2; Laurent def. Sander, 6-1.

Semifinals:  Corsello def. Bilquist, 2-1 (tiebreaker); Laurent def. Helgerson, 6-3.

Final:  Laurent def. Corsello, 6-3.

Wrestlebacks

First round:  Sutter pinned Brown, 1:51; Glotfelty pinned Murphy, 1:54; Plattner def. Carothers, 8-3.

Second round:  Sander def. Kaufman, 3-1 (sudden victory); Sutter def. Sharp, 3-1; Glotfelty def. Geesman, 6-2; Witzel def. Plattner, 4-3 (tiebreaker).

Third round:  Sutter pinned Sander, 6:25; Witzel def. Glotfelty, 3-1.

Semifinals:  Bilquist def. Sutter, 7-0; Helgerson def. Witzel, 7-1.

Third place:  Helgerson def. Bilquist, 3-2.

Fifth place:  Witzel def. Sutter, 3-2.

Seventh place:  Sander def. Glotfelty, 4-3.