Wrestlers begin RMAC duals

Photo by John Murphy, CSC Sports Information

The Chadron State Eagle wrestlers will travel to their first two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference duals this week. 

The team will begin in Gunnison, Colorado, against Western Colorado University tonight at 7 p.m., then head to Grand Junction, Colorado, for a dual with Colorado Mesa University on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Just one wrestler from each university was ranked in the Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Preseason Rankings. Western’s Jason Hananberg, sophomore of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was ranked sixth at 141 pounds and Mesa’s Payton Tawater is ranked 10th at 157. 

Western’s only meet so far this season was the Cowboy Open in at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, Nov. 2. 

The Mountaineers’ Rugeer Wyneken, sophomore of Clovis, California, placed third at 184 pounds. Hanenberg suffered two losses. 

Mesa did not place anyone at the Cowboy Open but placed two wrestlers at the Northern Colorado Open, Sunday. Mesa junior Cian Apple, of Arvada, Colorado, tied for fifth at 125 pounds and unattached wrestler Fred Green was third at 165. 

Three CSC wrestlers attended the open, but their names and results were not available at time of print. 

On Thursday, the Eagles split their first duals of the season in Lincoln, losing to the University of Nebraska, but winning over Hastings College. 

Eagle Tate Allison, senior of Moorcroft, Wyoming, at 165 pounds, had the only win against the Huskers and was CSC’s only undefeated wrestler during the eastern Nebraska duals.