Karst takes second at Cowboy Open
The Chadron State wrestling team saw its first action, and Eagle wrestler Chance Karst, sophomore of Powell, Wyoming, earned a second-place finish, Saturday, at the Cowboy Open, in Laramie, Wyoming.
“I thought as a whole we did a pretty good job,” Chadron Head Coach Brett Hunter said. “We have a lot to fix, but we have time and we knew going in that we weren’t 100% ready.”
Karst earned second place in the Elite bracket at the open, following a 16-4 major decision in favor of University of Wyoming’s Sam Turner, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the final bout of the 141-pound class.
Karst got a key victory at the open, pinning Northeastern Junior College’s Sam Eckhart, of Parma, Idaho, at 1:10 to advance to the semi-final bout. Leading 7-2 in that match, Karst then moved to the final bout following a medical forfeit of Air Force’s Garrett O’Shea, of Butler, New Jersey.
The performance earned Karst RMAC Wrestler of the Week.
Wrestling above his usual weight class, CSC’s Wade French, junior of Heriman, Utah, took fourth-place in the Elite bracket, earning three wins and taking two losses. According to Hunter, French’s weight descent plan doesn’t allow him to hit his planned 197-pounds until November 17.
“He gave up a lot of weight and still wrestled well,” Hunter said.
Wrestling in the 285-pound class, French was just one bout away from an appearance in the finals, but lost an 11-7 decision to semi-finals opponent Brian Andrews, of Grapevine, Texas.
In the Amateur bracket of the open, Kodiak French, senior of Wright, Wyoming, was pinned by Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Aaron Benton, Yuba City, California, in the round of 16. Kodiak, who finished with a 3-2 record at the open, then pinned two opponents, before himself being pinned second consolation of eight round.
Teammate Steven Lahnert, sohomore of Cheyenne, Wyoming also made it to the consolation of eight round.
Chadron’s next action comes at their own Black/Cardinal Classic, Thursday.
The Classic could serve to determine final roster decisions for the team before they face a tough opponent in St. Cloud State University, November 15.