Cedar Falls, Iowa - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team finished second at the National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen National Duals Sunday afternoon in the UNI-Dome at the University of Northern Iowa. The Eagles, now 8-3 on the season, opened with a 23-13 victory over top-ranked Augsburg College (Minn.) in the semifinals before falling 16-15 to second-ranked Wartburg College (Iowa) in the championship dual. 

UW-L, fourth in the Brute-Adidas NWCA Division III rankings, were also the fourth-seed for the duals this weekend. The Eagles defeated Delaware Valley College (Pa.) by the score of 30-12 and Coe College (Iowa) by the score of 20-19 in Saturday's action.

In its victory over top-ranked Augsburg Sunday morning, UW-L took six of the 10 matches. Albie McKinney opened with a win by fall (2:37) over Joshua Roberts at 125-pounds. Adam Sheley followed with a win by technical fall (21-4, 7:00) against Cody Madsen at 133-pounds and Bebeto Yewah won by decision (9-3) over Cody Hansen at 141. 

Augsburg came back to win the 149-pound match as Tony Valek won by decision (4-0) over UW-L's Matt Mauseth. Ryan Farwell won by decision (3-2) for the Eagles over the Auggies' Jon Priess at 157. 

Orlando Ponce earned the win by decision (5-3) against UW-L's Cory Ferguson at 165-pounds, but the Eagles' Mike Schmitz then won by decision (4-2) over Zac h Molitor at 174. The Auggies took the next two matches as Brad Baus won by decision (5-0) over Mitch Artist at 184-pounds and Jared Massey won by major decision (11-3) over John Poppie at 197. 

UW-L's Billy Mayer closed the dual with a win by decision (6-3) over Chad Johnson at 285-pounds.

In the championship match with Wartburg, the Knights and Eagles both won five matches. The Knights' Mark Kist started the match with a win by decision (7-3) over McKinney at 125. UW-L then captured the next three matches. Sheley won by decision (5-3) over Thomas Mirocha at 133; Yewah defeated Matt Kelly by decision (13-9) at 141 and Mauseth won by decision (3-2) against Jacob Groth at 149.

Wartburg's Carrington Banks then earned a major decision (12-4) over Farwell at 157-pounds, but UW-L's Ferguson and Schmitz each won by decision. Ferguson defeated Adam Weber (11-7) at 165 and Schmitz beat Ben Scott (8-2) at 174. The Knights took the next three matches to pick up the one-point dual victory. 

Todd Becker beat Tony Piechowski (9-3) at 184 and Bryon Tate defeated Poppie (10-3) at 197. In the final match with UW-L leading 15-13, the Knights' John Helgerson won by decision (4-1) over Mayer at 285-pounds to give Wartburg the win. 

UW-L returns to action Saturday, Jan. 15 at the Matman Invitational in Cornell, Iowa starting at 9 a.m.