CEDAR RAPIDS - Winning a Division III national championship last spring with his dad in his corner was a career highlight Wartburg College's T.J. Miller.

Still, Miller admits the euphoria could have been even stronger.

In Wartburg's camp, winning individual national championships is a great personal triumph. However, it's more important to the Knights that they bring home the championship trophy.

"It was cool winning one last year by myself," said Miller. "But looking around afterward, at the faces of my teammates after we finished second … a year before I finished fourth, and I was almost happier because we won as a team.

"That explains how bad I want to win it as a team this year."

Wartburg enters the Division III national championships Friday and Saturday at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids as the favorite. The Knights qualified nine wrestlers, including four No. 1 seeds - Jacob Naig at 149, Aaron Wernimont at 157, Romeo Djoumessi at 184 and Miller at 197.

Wartburg has won three titles and finished second three other times since 2001. Defending champion Augsburg qualified seven wrestlers and is in a group of potential challengers along with Wisconsin-La Crosse (eight qualifiers) and Delaware Valley (eight).

"No doubt about it," said Wartburg head coach Jim Miller about his team being the favorite on paper. "I think dual meet-wise we separated ourselves during the season. We've been dominant. But that doesn't win you the championship. You still have to go in there and earn it."

Wisconsin-La Crosse and Delaware Valley, ranked second and third, respectively, appear to be best-equipped to push Wartburg.

The UWLC Eagles, led by former Wartburg assistant Dave Malecek, have some serious firepower in No. 1 seeds Tim Palmer (165) and Josh Chelf, who is the defending 174-pound champ. They also return two-time all-American Jordan Kolinski at 133.

"I think Wartburg is clearly the favorite," said La Crosse's Malecek. "We like our chances (to finish high). We will go toe-to-toe against anybody. We had seven conference champs so we've got good momentum heading into the championships, which is perfect timing."

Delaware Valley, from Doylestown, Pa., haven't brought as many as eight qualifiers to the national tournament since 1987. Head coach Brandon Totten says his team is ready to compete.

"After doing well at the York Invitational and Sunshine Open, we kind of got checked into place at the North-South Duals and the national duals," said Totten. "That kind of motivated us the rest of the year to pick up our training, spring-boarded us into a position to have a second chance at nationals, and that is what we will be trying to do."

Only three of fourth-ranked Augsburg's seven qualifiers - 125-pound national runner-up Seth Flodeen, George Lynaugh at 174 and Robert Gotreau at 184 - have national tourney experience.

The Auggies do have a pair of former University of Minnesota wrestlers - Travis Lang at 133 and Willie Holst at 149 - who could go a long way in their respective brackets.

Luther College qualified six wrestlers, including three returning all-Americans - Travis Grawin at 141, Alec Bonander at 197 and John Miller at heavyweight (2006).

Meanwhile, former Cedar Falls standout Dan Twito qualified at 149 for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

There are three defending champions returning - King's College 133-pounder David Morgan, Chelf at 174 and Miller at 197.

Action gets under way at 11 a.m. Friday.

Contact Jim Nelson at (319) 291-1521 or jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com

Schedule

Division III tournament

FRIDAY

- 9:30 a.m. - Doors open

- 11 a.m. - Session I: Championship preliminary first and second rounds, and consolation first and second rounds.

- 5 p.m. - Doors open

- 6 p.m. - Session II: Championship quarterfinals, consolation third and fourth rounds.

SATURDAY

- 9 a.m. - Doors open

- 10 a.m. - Session III: Championship semifinals, consolation quarterfinals, semifinals, as well as third, fifth and seventh-place matches.

- 6 p.m. - Doors open

- 6:30 p.m. - Parade of all-Americans

- 7 p.m. - Session IV: Championship matches