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get to the game? Don't worry, we've got ya covered.
Tigers remain unbeaten in RMAC
2/14/2010
By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
It was a good night all around for the Fort Hays State University wrestling program.
The Tigers routed Chadron State (Neb.) College, 45-0, in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
And, Tiger coach Chas Thompson celebrated his 31st birthday.
"I asked them to give me a birthday present -- get riding time in every match," Thompson.
Mission accomplished.
And then some.
Fort Hays, ranked 15th in the nation in NCAA Division II, didn't lose a match against Chadron State. The Tigers won their school-record eighth straight dual to improve to 9-3 overall and 7-0 in conference duals.
Thompson was concerned his squad might look past Chadron State, which dropped to 3-11 overall, 0-8 in the RMAC.
"I think there was a fear of our guys overlooking Chadron State," Thompson said. "At (157) and (165), two ranked guys, two close matches.
"Just happy we didn't overlook them," Thompson added.
The dual started out with a pair of forfeit wins for the Tigers, at 125 pounds and at 133.
Once action started on the mat, the Eagles didn't provide much more competition.
At 141 pounds, Tiger sophomore Aldon Isenberg improved to 5-3 after a pin with 26 seconds left in the first period.
Senior Levi Younkin (13-12) also pinned his man, with 43 seconds left in the first period, to give Fort Hays a 24-0 lead.
The two closest matches came next, against ranked Tigers. Senior Danny Grater (15-7), ranked fourth at 157, edged Eagle sophomore Brian Easterling 3-0.
After intermission, senior 165-pounder Blake Malloy (24-5) slipped past freshman Justin Dekok 3-0 for a 30-0 Tiger lead.
Fort Hays senior Shawn Kuhlman (15-7) won 11-4 at 174. Chadron State junior Cody Vasconcellos was trying to escape Kuhlman's grasp near the edge of the mat when he vomited, but action continued.
Junior Chance Rencountre (16-6) got a pin with 1:28 left in the second period at 184. Freshman Steven Kyler (13-16) won 4-1 at 197 and sophomore Justin Glenn won 3-2 at 285 to complete the sweep.
At the end of the final match, Eagle junior Sam Udell tore off his headgear in frustration and gave it a heave into the stands, where he retrieved it from Tiger fans.
Today, Fort Hays plays host to three Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association teams at GMC, capped with a dual against University of Nebraska-Omaha, the two-time NCAA II champions and ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Two mats will be going at the same time. Fort Hays will wrestle Truman State (Mo.) at 1 p.m., University of Central Missouri at 3 p.m. and Nebraska-Omaha at 5 p.m.
"We want to beat them," Thompson said of Nebraska-Omaha. "We don't want to be (just) close against Omaha."
Thompson is anxious to see how his team, which has four ranked wrestlers, fares against UNO.
"Definitely a gauge of where we're at," Thompson said.
* For today's action, Fort Hays will serve $2 hamburgers and brats.
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |