Augsburg has won 11 team national championships in wrestling, and senior Tony Valek is hoping to make it 12 starting Friday at the Division III NCAA championships in La Crosse, Wis. Valek, the No. 1 seed at 149 pounds, is undefeated (29-0) going into nationals. The Belle Plaine native also won a Class 2A individual title for Scott West at 135 pounds in 2007. He chatted with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand before the meet.Q To people who say, "It's only Division III," what do you say?
A We pride ourselves on working hard ... and being able to wrestle anyone. We're not afraid to go wrestle Division I guys.
Q Augsburg and Wartburg [in Iowa] were recently featured in the New York Times. The schools have combined to win every Division III team title since 1995. Why?
A Tradition plays a huge role, especially with getting some of the bigger recruits in. The biggest thing is buying into the system of working hard. Everyone around you is working hard, and you have great workout partners.
Q How would you describe the rivalry with Wartburg?
A I wouldn't describe it as friendly. It's very respectful, but at the same time very intense. You don't want to lose to a Knight, and you don't even want to see a Knight win. I'm not going to lie, I'm cheering against them every time they're on the mat. ... But they work really hard, and they're really aggressive, and that's what we pride ourselves on, too.
Q Wartburg has 10 qualifiers, while you have eight. Do you feel like you have the firepower to take them down?
A Definitely. They beat us twice during the year during dual meets, but we're more of an individual strength team. ... I definitely think it's going to be a close race.
