Former Dakota High School Athletes Competing for National Championships This Week

By Al Zipsie

Two red-shirt sophomores from Dakota High School are going for NCAA championships this weekend.

Josh Alber will be wrestling for the NCAA Division 1 Individual National Championship at 133 pounds for Northern Iowa. The tournament is in St. Louis Thursday through Saturday.

Alber, who was unbeaten in high school with four state titles, takes to the mat in the first round Thursday morning.

Alber takes a 23-5 record into the opening match with Austin Eicher from Michigan State who had transferred from Northern Illinois University.

Brett Benning, a 6-foot-6 swing man, will be playing in the final four for Augustana College of Rock Island in the NCAA Division lll tournament.

Augustana, 23-8, plays Williams of Willamston, MA, 6:30 p.m. Friday, in Salem, VA. A win would send them to play for the National Championship on Saturday.

Benning has provided a big spark off the bench for Augustana, who is 4-0 in the post season tournament.

Bennning had 12 points in a 72-70 win over UW-Whitewater in the second round.

In the Sectionals, Benning played a key role with 14 points in a 80-69 victory over Wartburg. He then scored eight points as Augustana beat Hanover 77-64 for the Sectional title on Saturday.