2012-2013 Wartburg Preview
Wartburg College Knights (Central Region)
Head Coach: Jim Miller & Eric Keller
Years at School as head coach: Miller-22; Keller- 3
Career Record at school: Miller (394-34-2); Keller (38-2)
Assistant Coaches: Chris Ortner, Chris Smith, Jason Zastrow, Carrington Banks, Todd Becker
Twitter: @Wartburgwrestle
2011-2012 Dual Meet Record: 19-1 (lost on tiebreaker to Wisconsin)
2011-2012 National Qualifiers and All-Americans:
| Kenny Anderson Kodie Silvestri Drew Wagenhoffer Landon Williams Bradley Banks Dylan Azinger Byron Tate Ryan Fank |
NCAA National Champion NCAA National Champion 6th NCAA NCAA National Champion NCAA Runner-up 4th NCAA NCAA National Champion 4th NCAA |
125 141 149 165 174 184 197 285 |
Tommy Mirocha, Cole Welter other two NCAA qualifiers.
Returning Qualifiers and All-Americans: Anderson, Mirocha, Silvestri, Waggenhoffer, Welter, Williams, Azinger, Fank
Top returning starters:
Kenny Anderson NCAA Champion 125/33
Kodie Silvestri NCAA Champion 141/149
Landon Williams NCAA Champion 165
Tommy Mirocha NCAA All American 133 (2011)
Drew Wagenhoffer NCAA All American 149/57
Dylan Azinger NCAA All American 174/84 (2nd semester)
Ryan Fank NCAA ALL American HWT
Cole Welter NCAA Qualifier
Top incoming wrestlers:Nick Michael Holy Cross High School New Orleans LA: 4X State Champion/ Preseason Nationals All American 149/57
Dexter Bass New Orleans LA State Champion 133
Gerard Roman New Orleans LA State Champion/Runnerup 184
Landon Shea Janesville WI State Champion 125/33
Mark Weber Gilbertville IA State Champion 149/57
Nick Fuller Independence IA State Champion 174
Season Outlook:
Wartburg ran away and hid with the 2012 NCAA Championship, putting five in the finals and coming away with four champs to go along with three other All-Americans. Scarily, that team returns eight starters, losing only 3x NCAA Champ Byron Tate and 2x runner-up Bradley Banks. Head Coach Jim Miller has announced that this year will be his last before handing the reigns completely over to co-head coach Eric Keller, and he has a team that is poised to send him out with another NCAA Championship trophy. There is some likely shuffling going on in the lineup, as Anderson, Mirocha, Silvestri, and Waggenhoffer may all move up a weight this year, and that could create a logjam at 157 with All-American Waggenhoffer and qualifier Welter set to battle for the spot right below returning champ Landon Williams. It is a formidable lineup that will be very hard to beat in a dual or tournament setting.