2020 Upper Midwest Region Preview
2020 Upper Midwest Regional
Friday & Saturday
Augsburg University
February 28-29, 2020
Tournament Homepage | Live Results
Teams (17): Augsburg, Concordia-Moorhead, Concordia Wisconsin, Elmhurst, Lakeland, MSOE, Pacific, St. John’s, St. Olaf, University of Chicago, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Platteville, Stevens Point, Whitewater, Wheaton
Returning 2019 All-Americans: Mike Tortorice (Whitewater, 125, 2nd), Victor Gliva (Augsburg, 125, 5th), David Flynn (Augsburg, 141, 1st), Ryan Epps (Augsburg, 157, 1st), Grant Zamin (La Crosse, 157, 8th), Lucas Jeske (Augsburg, 165, 1st), Tanner Vassar (Augsburg, 174, 5th), Ben Sarasin (Chicago, 174, 7th), Kyle Peisker (Chicago, 184, 5th), Lance Benick (Augsburg, 197, 1st)
Returning 2019 Qualifiers (current weights listed): Tortorice (Whitewater, 125), Gliva (Augsburg, 133), Stenger (La Crosse, 133), Rice (Whitewater, 141), Flynn (Augsburg, 141), McAuliffe (Elmhurst, 149), Epps (Augsburg, 157), Zamin (La Crosse, 157), Jeske (Augsburg, 165), Shinhoster (Whitewater, 174), Peisker (Chicago, 174), Sarasin (Chicago, 184), Vassar (Augsburg, 184), Benick (Augsburg, 197), Rinehart (Platteville, 285), Miller (Wheaton, 285)
Augsburg has won all seven regional tournaments since the format changed in 2013, and they are the defending NCAA champions. All four of their 2019 individual NCAA champions return, though none of them are currently ranked first in their respective weights. The team is ranked 3rd and will compete with #13 La Crosse and #15 Whitewater for the team title. Augsburg returns five 2019 All-Americans, while Chicago is the only other team with more than one in Peisker and Sarasin.
Three 2018 All-Americans are back in the mix this year after not placing last season. McAuliffe (Elmhurst, 149) qualified at 141 last year after placing 7th the year before. He fell in the round of 12 last season. Massie (La Crosse, 184) finished 6th at 174 in 2018 but placed 4th in last year’s regional. Squires (Stevens Point, 184) finished 6th at 184 in 2018 but did not compete at all last season. Massie defeated Squires in the 184 lbs. WIAC final two weeks ago.