Titans Begin Wrestling Season In Stevens Point
The UW-Oshkosh wrestling team begins its 2019-20 season at UW-Stevens Point's Pointer Open on Saturday (Nov. 2).
The Pointer Open is the first of 15 regular season events for the Titans (7-5 dual record in 2018-19), who also travel to UW-Whitewater (7-5) on Nov. 7 before hosting the 17th annual Dan Gable Open on Nov. 9 in Kolf Sports Center.
In addition to the Dan Gable Open, UW-Oshkosh will host dual meets against UW-Stevens Point (12-5 dual record in 2018-19) on Nov. 21, three-time defending WIAC champion UW-La Crosse (11-3) on Jan. 23 and Milwaukee School of Engineering (1-4) on Jan. 25.
The Titans take to the road for dual meets at UW-Eau Claire (7-12 dual record in 2018-19) on Nov. 13, North Central College (Ill.) (8-2) on Dec. 12 and UW-Platteville (4-5) in the regular season finale on Feb. 7.
UW-Oshkosh's road schedule also includes participation at the Concordia University Wisconsin Open on Nov. 23; UW-Parkside Open and Milwaukee School of Engineering Invitational on Dec. 7; Kalahari Duals on Dec. 14 in Sandusky, Ohio; National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals on Jan. 10-11 in Louisville, Ky.; and the Pete Willson Invitational on Jan. 31-Feb. 1 in Wheaton, Ill. The Titans will be competing at the NWCA National Duals for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
UW-La Crosse will host the WIAC Championship on Feb. 14 and Augsburg University (Minn.) the NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional on Feb. 28-29. The Division III Championship will be held March 13-14 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
UW-Oshkosh's seven dual meet victories of a year ago included results of 27-15 over UW-Eau Claire, 24-16 over UW-Stevens Point and 25-22 over UW-Platteville. The Titans also defeated Milwaukee School of Engineering by a 31-12 score.
UW-Oshkosh placed fourth among 13 teams (93 points) at last year's Milwaukee School of Engineering Invitational and eighth among 38 squads (76.5) at the Pete Willson Invitational.
UW-Oshkosh finished fourth at last year's WIAC Championship with 103.5 points. The finish was the highest for the Titans at the league meet since 2014. UW-Oshkosh received 10 place-winning performances (top six finish) from its 19 wrestlers who competed at the championship.
UW-La Crosse scored 159 points to win its third straight WIAC title and conference-record 18th overall. The Eagles were followed in the team standings by second-place UW-Whitewater with 127 points, third-place UW-Stevens Point with 111, UW-Oshkosh, fifth-place UW-Eau Claire with 83.5 and sixth-place UW-Platteville with 75.
The Titans also finished sixth at the Division III Upper Midwest Regional and 16th at the NCAA Division III Championship a year ago.
UW-Oshkosh seventh-year head coach Efrain Ayala welcomes back 19 letter winners, including AJ Schoenfuss who finished second and both Ben Kitslaar and Jordan Lemcke who placed third at last year's WIAC Championship.
Schoenfuss compiled a 24-11 record (15 pins) while finishing second in the 125-pound weight class at the WIAC Championship and fifth at the Division III Upper Midwest Regional.
Kitslaar posted a 10-4 record (7 pins) and placed third in the 197-pound weight class at the WIAC Championship while Lemcke tallied a 25-14 record (10 pins) and finished third in the 285-pound weight class. Lemcke also finished fifth at the Division III Upper Midwest Regional.
Other UW-Oshkosh top-six finishers returning from last year's WIAC Championship are Wesam Alabed at 141 pounds, Muzi Sitshela at 157 and Colten Cashmore at 184. All three Titans placed sixth in their respective weight class. Cashmore went on to place seventh at the Division III Upper Midwest Regional a year ago.