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No matter the weight class he was assigned, Pat Flaherty registered wins in record fashion.
He was a two-time All-America at 142 and 150 pounds, and posted third- and fourth-place finishes in NCAA Division II national competition. In 1976 he set a school record for wins in a season, compiling a 29-7 record.
Augustana's 1976 team finished sixth at the national tournament and was 11-4 in duals. Flaherty won his weight class at the Augsburg Takedown Tournament, the Southwest Missouri Invitational, and was runner-up at the North Central Conference meet.
In 1977 the Vikings were ranked fourth in the national Division II poll, finished third in the conference, and were runners-up at nationals when all 10 wrestlers qualified. That year, Flaherty broke his own wins record with 32, had the most pins (12), the most near falls (26), the best dual record (12-0) and the most team points (52).
Pat recalls fondly Augustana matches in the old gym."Augie has many beautiful new facilities, but it was a special opportunity to compete in the old gym; having hundreds of fans within a few feet of the mat cheering so loud you couldn't hear the whistles, buzzers, or anything your coach and teammates were yelling at you. The first time we ever beat SDSU was in that gym and I'll always remember that match."
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