Can't
get to the game? Don't worry, we've got ya covered.
Tiger wrestlers go to regional
2/26/2010
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
A season ago, Fort Hays State University qualified five wrestlers out of the NCAA Division II West Regional/RMAC Championships.
Tiger coach Chas Thompson thinks this year's team can do better. Fort Hays will be at the regional on Saturday at Alamosa, Colo. The top four in each weight class move on to the national tournament.
"Last year's team qualified five," Thompson said. "This year's team is better than last year's team."
Two Tigers -- Tommy Edgmon and Danny Grater -- went on to become All-Americans at last year's national tournament. Edgmon (16-2), now a 125-pound senior, finished second at nationals last year. Grater (20-7), also now a senior, will go for the Tigers at 157 pounds after earning All-America honors in 2009.
As well, senior 165-pounder Blake Malloy (28-7), was an All-American two years ago.
Edgmon is ranked third at 125, Grater is fourth at 157 and Malloy is seventh at 165.
Junior Andre Harrison, who has been out since Jan. 31 with a knee injury, is 18-4 and ranked second at 141 pounds.
"I'm not too concerned about Andre" being rusty, Thompson said. "Andre should be ready to go."
Junior Chance Rencountre (19-6), on a 13-match winning streak, has just entered the rankings at 184 pounds at No. 5. He missed the Tigers' last dual after injuring his knee in his previous match, but is ready to go this weekend.
"I knew Chance was a tough kid, could bang with the best in Division II," Thompson said of Rencountre, who was a junior college All-American who sat out a year before joining the Tigers this season.
The Tigers also will have sophomore Travis Kuhn (20-11) at 133 pounds; senior Levi Younkin (15-15) at 149; senior Shawn Kuhlman (17-11) at 174; freshman Steven Kyler (18-18) at 197; sophomore Justin Glenn (14-13) at 285.
"As a coach, obviously you want to qualify as many as possible," Thompson said. "Like to get the majority of them through to the national tournament.
"This is a really tough regional," he added.
Thompson said it's important to not only qualify, but place as high as possible this weekend.
"Very important," Thompson said. "Biggest thing is just qualify, but the higher they place, the better their first-round matches" at the national tournament.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |