Eagles face Cowboys, Thunderwolves, Orediggers at home this week

The No. 19 Chadron State Eagles will have three duals in four nights, all at home this week.

The Eagles begin their homestand by hosting the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys in the Chicoine Center tonight at 6 p.m. Saturday, CSC hosts CSU-Pueblo, at 6 p.m. and No. 18 Colorado School of Mines, Sunday at noon.

“Both of those teams are strong up and down the lineup,” Head Wrestling Coach Brett Hunter said to CSC Sports Information. “Mines is believed to be the best team in the conference, particularly in a dual.”

The Eagles went 1-2 in duals at San Francisco State University, Friday, defeating Simon Fraser University 34-11, but losing 27-15 to No. 25 ranked San Francisco State and 27-12 against No. 15 Minnesota State.

Wrestling at 165 pounds, Tate Allison, senior of Moorcroft, Wyoming, went 3-0 in Friday’s duals with a pin in his first match and a decision in the next two matches. Following his sweep in San Francisco, Allison is 8-2 in duals this season but remains unranked as of Jan. 1.

CSC also saw its heavyweight wrestlers go 3-0 in Friday’s duals as Mason Watt, freshman of Broomfield, Colorado, won his first matches by a decision and Eli Hinojosa, freshman of Imperial, also won by a decision.

As of Jan. 1, of the three teams CSC hosts, only Colorado Mines has NCAA Div. II Wrestling Coaches Association ranked wrestlers with No. 12 ranked 165-pounder Skyler Lykins, junior of Franklin, Indiana, No. 3 ranked 174-pounder Robert Gambrell, senior of Castle Rock, Colorado, and No. 7 ranked 285-pounder Weston Hunt, junior of Pueblo West, Colorado.

CSC also brings three ranked wrestlers to the mat against its conference opponents with No. 9 ranked 133-pounder Brandon Kile, senior of Hastings, No. 7 ranked 157-pounder Chase Clasen, senior of Moses Lake, Washington, and No. 6 ranked 197-pounder Wade French, senior of Herriman, Utah. All wrestlers were ranked as of Jan. 1.

CSC sits at the bottom of the RMAC with a 0-3 conference record but ranks in the top-25 teams in Div. II wrestling.

Friday, the Cowboys went 2-2 in duals at Western Colorado, defeating No. 14 UNC-Pembroke 24-20 and No. 24 Findlay 26-21.

Tonight’s match against the Cowboys coincides with CSC’s annual “Community Night” and according to CSC Sports Information, public entry costs just one dollar and Chadron youth wrestlers have a chance to wrestle at intermission, between the fifth and sixth matches.

When the Eagles host the Thunderwolves in the Chicoine Center on Saturday, attendants are encouraged to dress in all-black clothing in honor of the wrestling team’s annual “Black Out Night”.

According to CSC Sports Information, the Eagles appear healthy for the upcoming duals with the exception of 149-pounder Caleb Haskell, junior of Madison, who’s nursing a knee injury he suffered in the San Francisco duals.

At 141 pounds, junior Chance Karst, of Powell, Wyoming, is available to wrestle after missing fall semester with a knee injury.