STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Senior Dale Charlier (Cary-Grove HS, Cary, Ill.) led the Augustana effort at the season-opening meet for the wrestlers at the Pointer Open on Saturday, November 3 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. This was a non-scoring team event.
 
Charlier, who compiled a record of 21-14 as a junior, had a nice start to his senior season. He advanced all the way to the final of the 141 pound weight class before falling to Jake Polka of Wisconsin-Parkside 10-2. Charlier opened his day with a pin of Darron Sims of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at 2:09 and then he beat Zane Strubler of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 6-4. In the semi-finals he nipped Wyatt Thiel of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 3-2 before dropping his championship match to Polka.
 
Also in the 142 pound weight class, Augustana senior Travis Pulse (Davenport Assumption HS, Milan, Ill.) placed fifth with a 4-2 record. Pulse dropped his opening match to eventual champion Polka by a score of 13-8, the closet match Polka would have all day. Pulse then won his next three matches in the consolation bracket. He beat Drosianos Louvaris of UW-Stevens Point 4-0 and then man-handled Strubler to the tune of a 15-0 technical fall. He defeated Robby Mutimer of Wisconsin-Parkside 8-3 before having his run stopped by Val Kochiu of Wisconsin-Parkside 4-2. In the fifth place match Pulse bounced back and beat Thiel in a 19-3 technical fall to end his day with a 4-2 record.
 
The Vikings of second year head coach Tony Willaert also had two place winners in the 133 pound weight class. Sophomore Josh Diehl (Oskaloosa HS, Oskaloosa, Iowa) placed fourth with a 3-2 record while freshman Ben Gruenstein (Eden Prairie HS, Eden Prairie, Minn.) was sixth with a 1-2 mark.
 
Diehl was pinned by Matt Berlin of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in his opening round match at 6:56 but then bounced back and won three straight. He defeated teammate Tristan Curtis (Vista Peak HS, Aurora, Colo.) 6-2, Caden Calabrese of Wisconsin-Parkside 13-4 and teammate Gruenstein 12-1 before falling to Jordan Boldt of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 7-4 for third place.
 
Gruenstein picked up a win of Caleb Nash, who was wrestling unattached before falling to Ben Vosters of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the semi-finals. Gruenstein lost to Diehl and then fell to Matthew Joyce of Wisconsin-Oshkosh by a fall in the fifth place match.
 
Augustana will be in action again at the Millikin Open in Decatur, Illinois.