2013-2014 Wartburg Preview
Wartburg College Knights
Head Coach: Eric Keller
Years at School as head coach: 4th
Career Record at school: 57-2, three years (overall career record: 64-2)
Assistant Coaches: Chris Ortner, Chris Smith, Carrington Banks, Todd Becker, Mark Kist, Ellard Coello, Tyson Reiner
2012-2013 Dual Meet Record: 19-0
2012-2013 National Qualifiers and All-Americans: Gilberto Camacho (125, 3rd), Kenny Anderson (133, 1st), Tommy Mirocha (141, 3rd), Kodie Silvestri (149, 2nd), Cole Welter (157, 5th), Landon Williams (165, 4th), Dylan Azinger (174), Sam Upah (184), Punahele Sorian (197), Ryan Fank (285, 7th)
Returning Qualifiers and All-Americans: Camacho, Anderson, Welter, Williams, Fank, Drew Wagenhoffer (2012, 6th @ 149)
Top returning starters:
Gilberto Camacho : 93-25 career record, 2x All-American (returning 2nd semester)
Kenny Anderson 61-1 career record, 2x NCAA Champion (returning 2nd semester)
Cole Welter: 80-21 career record, All-American
Landon Williams: 94-12 career record, 2012 NCAA Champion, 2x All-American
Ryan Fank: 79-27 career record, 2x All-American
Top incoming wrestlers:
Zach Muller IA State HS Runner up 3x placewinner
Zach Less IA State HS Runner up 3x placewinner
Andrew Steiert IA State HS 3x placewinner
Jace Lopez Colorado State Champ 4x placewinner
Connor Campo 3x state champ LA
Luke Johnson 3rd place IA State HS
Brady Meyer 2x placewinner IA State HS
Charlie Jones IA State HS state champ and 3x placewinner
Dylon Rhoads 3x IA State HS placwinner
Tony Parks IA State HS placewinner
Taryn Christiansen California State h.s. placewinner
Mark Pinero Transfer from Penn university. 4x LA h.s. state placewinner, 2x champ in LA h.s. went to Jr. Nationals Fargo 3rd Greco 5th freestyle
Season outlook:
The three-time defending champion Knights return seven starters from last year’s team as well as 2012 All-American Drew Wagenhoffer. The team will not be quite at full strength until the second semester when 2x All-American Gilberto Camacho and 2x NCAA Champion Kenny Anderson rejoin the team at the first two spots in the lineup. In the meantime, Wartburg will have four All-Americans in the lineup as Cole Welter and 2012 NCAA Champion Landon Williams move up to 165 and 174 to make room for Wagenhoffer at 157, and Ryan Fank holds down the heavyweight spot. Two time finalist Kodie Silvestri has graduated, but possibly stepping into that gap is Brandon Welter who was 30-4 last year and defeated 2013 NCAA champ Greg Sanders in an early season bout. This team will be tough to beat as currently constructed, and with the return of the two lightweights in January, it seems like a fourth straight title is the safe bet.