Wrestler Schoenherr advances to third NCAA III national tournament
| Published: 02/24/2004 |
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Senior wrestler Matt Schoenherr advances to the NCAA Division III National Wrestling Tournament for the third time in his storied career at MSOE. Schoenherr qualifies with an at-large berth into the tournament after finishing second in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Saturday at Concordia University in Mequon, Wis.
Currently ranked No. 6 in the nation at the 285lb weight class, Schoenherr received a first-round bye and won two straight matches before losing in the championship. He was defeated by the No. 3 ranked wrestler in the nation, Mark Simmonds of Augsburg College (Minn.), in a nail-biter, 3-1. Schoenherr was then required to wrestle the University of Chicago’s Tim Daly for second place, and prevailed, 4-1. After the conclusion of the tournament, Schoenherr received an at-large berth into the national tournament on the heels of a 35-3 overall record and national ranking.
“Matt had another excellent performance which allowed him to qualify his third national tournament appearance,” said MSOE head coach Kevin Morin. “He continues to prove he is one of the elite wrestlers in the nation at his weight class. I expect him to further prove this on the national stage as he is very focused on doing well.”
Though competing in the 285 lb class, Schoenherr weighs only about 220 lbs and often wrestles against much bigger opponents. Morin has helped the architectural engineering major stack up against the competition by coaching him to use his athleticism and conditioning.
“We try to get him to ‘speed the match up’,” said Morin. “By keeping the other guy continuously moving, Matt wears him down and often takes the advantage. However, Matt has only been able to use this strategy by getting himself in top physical condition. If he’s not properly conditioned, the strategy doesn't work. As Matt's record indicates, he has put in the work necessary to be successful."
Schoenherr’s first win in the regional tournament came after pinning Gary Auer from St. John’s University (Minn.) in 3:17. He then defeated Dave Schultz of North Central College (Ill.) in overtime, 2-1, before moving on to the championship.
The NCAA Division III National Tournament will be held on March 5 and 6 at the Five Flag Civic Center in Dubuque, Iowa.