Don't tell him that he has 11 wrestlers with NCAA Division III national championship experience back to a team that has won five national championships in the 1990s, finished second four times in the decade, finished in the top four nationally the last 11 years in a row and in the top 20 nationally every year since 1971. Don't tell him that his Auggies only lost one senior from a varsity lineup that made Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference history last season by becoming the first school ever to sweep each of the 10 weight class titles at the MIAC individual meet, en route to the school's 13th-straight conference title and 23rd in the last 25 years. I don't think it matters how many All-Americans we have back. Last year, we had five All-Americans back, but only three were able to make the team to go to nationals.
Last year is last year.
It's what we do now that's important. I don't think anything will be handed to us simply because we have eight All-Americans back. Augsburg may have the squad to accomplish that history-making feat this season. All but one class will have at least one wrestler with national tournament experience competing for a spot in the final varsity lineup. Only three of the 10 had wrestled at the Division III nationals before, so seven guys were in their first nationals.