By Tim Glon

ADA — The first session of the NCAA III Championships is in the books and things went pretty much according to Hoyle, with one major exception.

Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was a surprise attendee throughout the first session and enjoyed the Division III atmosphere.

What he watched was Wartburg (Iowa) advance all 10 of its wrestlers into the quarterfinal round of the championships and open up a 8.5-point advantage over second place Montclair State (N.J.).

Wartburg has 20 points, Montclair State is second with 11.5 points, the College of New Jersey is third with 11 and three-time defending champion Augsburg (Minn.) and Wisconsin-Stevens Point are tied for fourth with 10.0 points.

All 10 top-seeded wrestlers and nine of the ten number two seeds advanced to the quarterfinals.

Top-seeded Remi Ratel of Montclair State won twice at 149 to improve his record to 34-0.

Five of the six wrestlers who were undefeated entering the tournament advanced to stay perfect on the year.

Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur, the top-seeded wrestler at 157 pounds, won to improve to 41-0 and second-seeded Cody Koenig of Wisconsin-Stevens Point won at 174 pounds to improve to 33-0.

At 125 pounds, second-seeded Davey Starks (32-0) of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and fifth-seeded Tom Prairie (26-0) had byes and take their undefeated records into tonight's quarterfinals.

The Championship Quarterfinals and the third and fourth rounds of the Consolation Round will get underway in Session 2 tonight at 6 pm.