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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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6 wrestlers shine at RMAC championships

Janelle Kesterson
Chance Helmick, sophomore of Beatrice, 165-pounds, tries a double-leg take down against California Baptist University’s Nolan Kistler, sophomore of Riverside, California, in a finals match Sunday of the RMAC Championships at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. —Photo by Jordyn Hulinsky
Chance Helmick, sophomore of Beatrice, 165-pounds, tries a double-leg take down against California Baptist University’s Nolan Kistler, sophomore of Riverside, California, in a finals match Sunday of the RMAC Championships at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. —Photo by Jordyn Hulinsky

The Eagle wrestlers traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to compete in the 2016 RMAC Wrestling Championships at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The RMAC partnered with USA Wrestling, the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, and the U.S. Olympic Training Center for these championships. This was the first RMAC-only wrestling championship tournament since 1996, and it was also the first collegiate wrestling tournament at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Six Eagle grapplers placed in the top six, and the team finished the tournament sixth overall with 68.5 points, two points shy of fourth. California Baptist University, Riverside, won the championship title with 133.5 points.

Taylor Summers, junior of Plymouth, 133-pounds, was one of three CSC wrestlers that progressed to the championship round. Summers earned a 19-14 and a 5-1 decision to advance to the finals round where he faced No. 3 Martin Ramirez, senior of Adams State University, Alamosa, Colorado. Ramirez took the match with a 10-4 decision leaving Summers as the runner-up.

Taylor Summers, junior of Plymouth, 133-pounds, prepares to take down Tre Humphrey, redshirt senior of New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, Sunday during the RMAC Championship Wrestling Tournament at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. —Photo by Janelle Kesterson
Taylor Summers, junior of Plymouth, 133-pounds, prepares to take down Tre Humphrey, redshirt senior of New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, Sunday during the RMAC Championship Wrestling Tournament at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. —Photo by Janelle Kesterson

“I think (this season has) been eye opening for a lot of guys, especially the younger ones who haven’t been through a grueling season like this,” Summers said. “The competition is always tough and you just have to be ready to go every time. I think there are a handful of guys who are capable of wrestling at a really high level right now and are knocking at the door to take that next step. It’s hard to paint a picture on the season at this point, we all have high goals and we have to keep moving forward and working towards them right now.”

Terrance McKinney, sophomore of Spokane, Washington, 149-pounds, won a 9-2 decision over his first-round opponent. He kept up the momentum with a 0:58 pin over California Baptist’s redshirt sophomore Bradford Gerl which led him straight to the championship round where he met Drew Schumann, senior of Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, in the finals, but gave up the match with a 5-0 decision. This was the first time that McKinney and Schumann have wrestled, and the match put McKinney second overall.

“I’d say I competed hard but I’m never satisfied, cause if you’re not first you’re last and if I took first, I’d be looking to beat the kid by more next time,” McKinney said. “I’d like to score more the next dual so there’s no doubt what the outcome of the match will be.”

Chance Helmick, sophomore of Beatrice, 165-pounds, was the final CSC wrestler to compete in the championship round. He netted a 14-3 major decision and a 9-7 decision over his first and second round opponents, respectively, that took him to the final round where he wrestled Nolan Kistler, sophomore of California Baptist, who turned the match in his favor with a 10-3 decision leaving Helmick second overall.

“I’ve been wrestling better as of late after a slow start,” Helmick said. “Just been pushing hard in the practice room and trusting the results will come.”

Cooper Cogdill, redshirt freshman of Chadron, 285-pounds, grapples with Western State University’s Lewis Arendall, freshman of Peoria, Arizona, Sunday during the fifth place match at the RMAC Championships at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. —Photo by Jordyn Hulinsky
Cooper Cogdill, redshirt freshman of Chadron, 285-pounds, grapples with Western State University’s Lewis Arendall, freshman of Peoria, Arizona, Sunday during the fifth place match at the RMAC Championships at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. —Photo by Jordyn Hulinsky

Caleb Copeland, junior of Bennett, Colorado, 174-pounds, won his first match with an 8-5 decision, but he was pinned by his second opponent. He won his third match against Bruno Nicoletti, sophomore of Colorado Mesa, in a 9-3 decision. He then advanced to the consolation finals where he fell 8-0 to Christian Smith, sophomore of California Baptist, to end fourth place in the tournament.

Placing fifth at 285-pounds, Cooper Cogdill, redshirt freshman of Chadron, was pinned by his first opponent, but he regrouped and pinned Colter Bentley, sophomore of Colorado Mesa, in 4:51. He was pinned again by his third opponent, but he then beat Lewis Arendall, freshman of Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, in the placement match with a 5-3 decision. Cogdill’s only losses were to the third and fourth place finishers.

Shane Rodenburg, freshman of Kent City, Michigan, 184-pounds, finished the tournament in sixth place. Rodenburg beat his first opponent with a 7-0 decision, but dropped the second match to Jacob Waste, junior of California Baptist, who was the 184-pound champion. Rodenburg advanced to the placement rounds in the consolation bracket, but dropped the next two matches leaving him sixth overall.

The other scorer for CSC was Joshua Miller, sophomore of Bennett, Colorado, 141-pounds, who scored an 8-3 decision over Lukas Erickson, freshman of Colorado School of Mines, Golden, in the first round.

Terrance McKinney, sophomore of Spokane, Washington, 149-pounds, walks out in the parade of champions before the finals matches of the RMAC Championships Sunday at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. —Photo by Jordyn Hulinsky
Terrance McKinney, sophomore of Spokane, Washington, 149-pounds, walks out in the parade of champions before the finals matches of the RMAC Championships Sunday at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. —Photo by Jordyn Hulinsky

“The team is a group of guys who really care about each other and compete for each other,” Helmick said. “The team is improving a lot everyday but we are still far from our goal.”

The Eagle wrestlers have a busy week coming up with three home duals. They are scheduled to compete against New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, at 6 tonight. Then Saturday, they are scheduled to compete against Northern State University, Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Sunday, against Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, South Dakota, both at 1 p.m. All three duals will be in the NPAC.