March 12 and 13, the NCAA National tournament dates, have been circled on the calendar for the Augustana wrestling team all season. 

Coming off a second-place Super Regional Three finish, the team has seven wrestlers headed to Kearney, Neb., in hopes of winning a national title.

"We're focused and ready to go," senior Ty Copsey (197 pounds) said.  "We just have to get it done."

  Copsey is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation at his weight class, and, after placing second in last year's national tournament, knows this is his last chance to get a title.

"I haven't lost this year," Copsey said, "and you're right, it's mine to lose.  It's all mental at this point.  We're in shape; it's all in our heads now.  We just need to get the win."

Other seniors in search of a national title are Al Meger (125 pounds), Jay Sherer (141 pounds) and Gavin Nelson (165 pounds).

Meger has qualified the past two seasons for the national tournament and Sherer is seeking his second straight national title, while Nelson is looking to improve on his eighth place finish from last year's national tournament.

"You know, I've had a couple losses this year, and the national title is in the back of my mind right now," Sherer said.  "What's on my mind is going out and doing the best I can."

If Sherer repeats, he will be the first Viking to do so since current assistant coach Tom Meester won in 2004 and 2005.

 "The team is much more important to me than anything else," Sherer said.  "If I can get that title, though, it's going to help the team.  If everybody goes out with the mentality that they have to win a national title, the team race is going to be pretty easy."

Still, with the uncertainty that accompanies tournaments, Sherer is hoping that experience will play a factor in the team's success.

"It better," Sherer said when asked whether or not senior leadership should help.  "The seniors are going to have to step it up.  We've been together for five years now, are some of the best friends around campus and know that this is our last shot to go out on top." 

Also qualifying are juniors Jason Jeremiahson (133 pounds) and  Marcus Edington (157 pounds), and sophomore Nate Herda (149 pounds). 

Last season, Edgington and Herda placed fourth nationally in their respective classes, while Jeremiahson qualified for his first national tournament this season after placing third in the Super Regional qualifier.

Head coach Jason Reitmeier is confident headed into the tournament.

"I'm feeling good," Reitmeier said.  "When you know you've done everything right as far as training, and you have the guys I have, you don't get nervous.  I feel good about where we are sitting."

 That fortitude, Reitmeier said, is based on how his team has prepared for the tournament.

"Overall, it's just getting the guys to feel really good about themselves, feel positive," Reitmeier said.  "Tom [Meester] and the rest of my staff have done a great job at getting the kids to where they need to be." 

Another area of confidence within the team is the ability for everyone to step up and help the team out when needed.

"You know, we have captains," Reitmeier said, "but we've got a team full of guys that really step up and lead by example.

"I don't think we really have anybody who's really outspoken, but you watch those guys, and they go out there and just do their job again and again and again."

Even with that array of leaders, Reitmeier mentioned three wrestlers who have specifically led by example.

"Gavin Nelson has really been that guy who's put on that same type of face and attitude and effort day after day after day," Reitmeier said.  "Ty [Copsey], you don't see L's behind his name.  It's not always pretty, but that's another way to lead; just winning, it works.  Other guys just go out and do their thing, like Jay."

Whatever the leadership type, wrestling style, experience or ranking, the Vikings hope to stand atop the podium as individuals and as a team at the end of the tournament.

"You know, we feel pretty good, pretty confident," Sherer said.  "We only have seven guys though, so we really will have to step it up.  We really have to have guys to get the W's.  It's definitely possible, though.  We just need to go out and wrestle our best."