Dec. 1, 2022 – No. 20 Loras College wrestling got put to the test on Thursday night in a matchup with No. 2 Augsburg University that saw the Duhawks fall 25-7 in a well-contested dual at the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center.

The Duhawks (1-1) knew they were in for a battle with the nation's second ranked team in the Auggies (2-0), and their best efforts fell short despite a pair of victories for the two of the team's top grapplers.

Duhawk senior Jared Hensley got things started on a high note as he dominated his 125-lb bout with Wyatt Kaczrowski, leading to an 11-7 decision that gave the Duhawks an early 3-0 lead.

That momentum wouldn't be enough for Loras as it looked to pull an upset. The Auggies slowly and steadily built a lead over the next six bouts, but the winning streak for Augsburg ended at the 184-lb bout as senior Shane Liegel stayed unbeaten and earned a major decision at 15-3 over Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann.

Liegel improved to 11-0 on the season and earned his first major decision win of the year by taking down Schwanebeck-Ostermann, who wrestled down a class while being ranked No. 4 in Division III in the 197-lb weight class.

Those two victories weren't enough for Loras against a stout and disciplined Auggie team, but the Duhawks managed to hold their own as seven of Augsburg's eight wins were by decision.

Junior Aiden Evans (133-lbs) and freshman Eric Kinkaid (149-lbs) forced overtime in their respective bouts, but both fell in suddenly victory fashion despite their best efforts. Senior Tad Griffith also pushed his bout with Carter Sorenson to a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation, but riding time ultimately gave the otherwise evenly-matched bout to the Auggies.

Loras will get a week to decompress after this challenge and get prepared for its next dual, which is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 8 at Cornell College beginning at 7 P.M.