Eagles send 4 to D-II national meet

The Eagle wrestling team sent four team members to the NCAA Division-II National Championship tournament in Kearney.

Trent Zempel, senior of Conrad, Mont., wrestled at the 174-pound class.

Zempel lost his first bout to University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Ryan Pankoke, senior of Beaver Crossing, by decision 9-3.

Zempel came back in the second round with a win over Anderson University’s only wrestler Trevor Sanford, senior of Sebastian, Fla., by decision 10-7.

Zempel was then pinned in 1:20 by the University of Central Oklahoma’s Kelly Henderson, sophomore of Tahlequah, Okla.

For the 184-pound bout, Jordan Debus, freshman of Mitchell, was pinned 4:43 into his first match by wrestler senior Bryant Blanton of Summerville, S.C., of Newberry College.

Debus went into the consolation matches and lost to Central Oklahoma’s Tanner Keck, sophomore of Marlow, Okla., by decision 7-1.

Sam Udell, senior of Colorado Springs, Colo., entered the National tournament in the heavyweight class.

In Udell’s first round, he lost to Ashland University’s Jacob Southwick, junior of Bowling Green, Ohio, by a 2-point decision, 3-1.

Udell won his first consolation match by 4-3 decision over Marcyhurst College’s Fred Hale, junior of Mentor, Ohio, 4-3.

Udell, fighting for an All-American spot, fell short when Christopher Dempsey, Pitt-Johnstown, beat him by a 3-2 decision.

Chadron State’s Jimmy Savala, senior of Clovis, Calif., wrestled in the National Tournament at the 141-pound class.

Savala lost his first match by 9-6 decision against wrestler Matt Irwin, senior of Decatur, Ind., from Indianapolis University.

Savala beat his second competitor with a 5-4 decision over Central Oklahoma’s Ky Corley, sophomore of Stillwater, Okla.

The win advanced Savala to the second consolation round where Savala won again over Gannon University’s Andrew Milanak, redshirt freshman of Apollo, Pa., by decision, 5-1.

Savala won the All-American title when he won in the consolation quarterfinals round over Gabriel Suarez, 4-3.

Savala went on to with the seventh place rank when he defeated the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown’s Jack Bachman, redshirt freshman of Greensburg, Pa., 8-5.

The tournament concluded the Chadron State wrestling team’s 2010-2011 season.