Local athletes can call themselves NCAA champs

AVHS graduate Kim wins Division III wrestling title

Former South Suburban Conference athletes were key contributors to teams that recently won NCAA Division III championships in wrestling and women’s hockey.

Augsburg University won its 15th Division III wrestling title, tying an NCAA record, in the national tournament that concluded March 16 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Auggies got a huge boost from Apple Valley High School graduate Tyler Kim, the 285-pound national champion, and Farmington’s Parker Venz, who placed seventh at 197.

Kim, a senior, was one of two Augsburg wrestlers to win individual national championships. Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann of Loyal, Wisconsin, took the 184-pound title.

Augsburg scored 95 points in the team competition, just ahead of Wartburg (87.5) and Wisconsin-La Crosse (82.5). All three schools held the lead in the team competition at some point on the final day of the tournament.

The team championship is the Auggies’ second in a row and brought them into a tie with Wartburg for the most NCAA Division III titles.

Kim, who reached a national championship match for the second time in his college career, defeated Michael Douglas of Wisconsin-La Crosse 4-2 in the 285-pound final. Kim scored the first three points of the match and never gave up his lead. Kim was ranked third in the weight class and Douglas fourth entering nationals.

In the semifinals, Kim won a 2-1 overtime thriller over Rayshawn Dixon of Ferrum College. The difference was a penalty point assessed against Dixon in the sudden victory period.

Kim finished the 30-2 and is 124-24 for his career. He finished in the top four at nationals four years in a row.

Venz, a junior, closed a 23-8 season by pinning Ben Kawczynski of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 59 seconds in the seventh-place match at 197.

The Augsburg roster and coaching staff have multiple links to the south metro. Also wrestling for the Auggies this year was freshman Austin Laudenbach of Apple Valley High School. Laudenbach was 14-15 in his first collegiate season.

Venz’s brother Taylor is an Augsburg assistant coach. A two-time Minnesota high school champion, Taylor Venz went on to wrestle for the University of Nebraska and qualify for the NCAA Division I tournament four times, with his top finish fourth in 2018.

The assistant coach roster also includes Apple Valley alumnus Matt Hechsel, a member of three of the Eagles’ state championship teams. Hechsel was captain of Augsburg’s 2015 Division III championship team, then remained with the program as an assistant coach.

Nelvin, Kadrlik sisters help Falcons soar

Four former South Suburban Conference players helped the University of Wisconsin-River Falls women’s hockey team complete a historic season by winning the NCAA Division III championship.

The Falcons defeated Elmira College 4-1 in the championship game March 17 at Hunt Arena in River Falls. They finished 31-0, setting a Division III single-season record for most victories.

The NCAA has held a Division III women’s tournament since 2002. UWRF is only the second team from outside New England or New York state to win the national championship. The other is Gustavus Adolphus, which was the defending champion.

Aubrey Nelvin, a senior forward from Burnsville High School, had two assists in the championship game. Also skating for the Falcons were twin sisters Madison and Makenna Kadrlik, both freshman forwards from Farmington. The fourth former SSC player on the team is senior defender Holly Eckers of Shakopee.

There are 21 Minnesota natives on the UWRF roster. The team had five seniors, plus one fifth-year player – forward Maddie McCollins of Wayzata High School, who led the Falcons in scoring and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Frozen Four.

Nelvin had 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) and was plus-31 in her senior season. She scored a goal in the Falcons’ 2-1 victory over Gustavus Adolphus in the NCAA quarterfinals March 9, sending them to the Frozen Four.

Madison Kadrlik scored 12 goals and added six assists for 18 points. She had a plus-21 rating. Makenna Kadrlik had six points (three goals, three assists) and was a plus-9.

UWRF played in the Division III Frozen Four for the sixth time. The Falcons and Gustavus Adolphus were first and second in the NCAA Division III national rankings. They played four times, with UWRF winning all four.