MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – Three straight losses in the early weight classes put Augustana in a hole on Wednesday, December 14 in a non-conference dual match with 21^st ranked Cornell and the Vikings were unable to recover. The result was a 23-16 loss to the Rams in Mount Vernon, Iowa in the final action of the pre-Christmas season for head coach Eric Juergens' crew.
 
Sophomore Freddy Terranova (Jackson Memorial HS, Jackson, New Jersey) gave the Vikings a 6-3 lead when he pinned Brody Lamb at 4:41 of the 133 pound weight class. Terranova, who is now 15-3 on the season, put Augustana ahead after freshman Trent Jackson (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) dropped a 9-4 decision to Cornell's Gage Griffin 9-4 at 125 pounds.
 
After Terranova's pin put the Vikings in the lead, the Rams responded with three consecutive victories at 141, 149 and 157 pounds to take a 15-6 lead which they never relinquished. Augustana junior Brendan Gould (Davenport Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa), who was just named College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin "Wrestler of the Week" fell to Josh Martin, the number four ranked wrestler in NCAA Division III, by a score of 8-3 at 141 pounds. Cornell's Aaron Engle beat senior Matt Sears (Marist HS, New Lenox, Ill.) 5-3 at 149 and the home team got a pin at 157 when Seth Niichel decked freshman Josh Bush (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) at 4:35.
 
After the 157 pound weight class the score was 15-6 in favor of Cornell but Augustana junior Trace Timmons (Davenport Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) closed the gap to 15-9 with a narrow 9-8 win over Ben Hewson at 165 pounds. The win bumped Timmons' record to 11-2 on the year.
 
A pin at 174 pounds for Cornell's Michael Maksimovic over freshman Bo Bauer (Olympia HS, Stanford, Ill.) that just beat the final buzzer at 5:53 made it 21-9 in favor of the Rams. Junior Christos Giatras (Lemont HS, Lemont, Ill.) kept the Vikings in it with a 12-4 major decision over Brian Cristion at 184. That made the score 21-13 in favor of Cornell with two weight classes left and pushed Giatras' record this year to 11-3.
 
The Rams got the clinching win at 197 when Ben Bergen beat junior Nick Torres (Lincoln-Way Central HS, Manhattan, Ill.) 8-4 at 197 pounds.
 
Viking sophomore Adarios Jones (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) beat Cornell's Tyler Ortmann 3-1 in a tight match at 285 pounds and that allowed Jones to stay undefeated this season at 14-0.
 
Augustana will be in competition on January 5-6 at the National Dual Tournament in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Vikings are now 5-2 in dual meets while Cornell is 4-4.
 
#21 CORNELL 23, AUGUSTANA 16
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Small Multi-Sports Center
Mount Vernon, Iowa
 
125 – Gage Griffin (CO) beat Trent Jackson (A) 9-4
133 – Freddy Terranova (A) pinned Brody Lamb (CO) @ 4:41
141 - #4 Josh Martin (CO) beat Brendan Gould (A) 8-3
149 – Aaron Engle (CO) beat Matt Sears (A) 5-3
157 – Seth Niichel (CO) pinned Josh Bush (A) @ 4:35
165 – Trace Timmons (A) beat Ben Hewson (CO) 9-8
174 – Michael Maksimovic (CO) pinned Bo Bauer (A) @ 6:53
184 – Christos Giatras (A) beat Brian Cristion (CO) 12-4
197 – Ben Bergen (CO) beat Nick Torres (A) 8-4
285 – Adarios Jones (A) beat Tyler Ortmann (CO) 3-1
 
Note: Cornell had one team point deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct.