CHADRON – The Chadron State College wrestling team provided its hometown fans plenty of exciting moments during the opening sessions of the NCAA Division II Super Region 4/Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament Friday at the Nelson Physical Activity Center.
The Eagles finished the first day in eighth place with 37.5 points and five wrestlers are still alive with a chance to qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala.
Perry McAfee at 141 pounds, Bruce Zurek at 157, Jordan Debus at 184, Chris Leak at 197 and Mike Hill at 285 will all wrestle during Saturday’s consolation rounds.
It wasn’t easy for any of them to get there.
Zurek lost his first match but bounced back and pinned both of his foes in the consolation rounds in less than 30 seconds, while Leak won an overtime decision and earned a thrilling win in the second period by pinning his opponent even though he was down 10-0.
McAfee and Hill both won their first round matches but suffered second round losses. Meanwhile, Debus, a two-time national qualifier, won his first two matches but lost in the championship semifinal.
Team Scores
Nebraska-Kearney, 114.5; Adams State, 76; Grand Canyon, 62.5; Western State, 57; Fort Hays State, 51; Colorado Mesa, 48; San Francisco State, 42; Chadron State, 37.5; Colorado State University-Pueblo, 37; Simon Fraser, 34.5; New Mexico Highlands, 30.5; Colorado School of Mines, 16.
Chadron State Results
125 – Luis Gurule, CSM, dec. Jace Johnson, 6-4; Jonathon Stelling, CMU, dec. Johnson, 5-2.
133 – Perry McAfee, CSC, dec. Rory Wilkinson, 3-2; Martin Ramirez, ASU, dec. McAfee, 5-3; McAfee dec. Tyler Nelson, CMU, 4-3.
141 – Jimmy Chase, CSUP, major dec. 15-6; Michael Hamel, GCU, pinned McCance, 4:27.
149 – Max Ortega, ASU, pinned Reed Burgener, CSC, :56; Conrad Snell, SFSU, dec. Burgener, 8-6.
157 – John Crowley, CSM, dec. Bruce Zurek, CSC, 9-3; Zurek pinned Vincent Aboytes, SFSU, :21; Zurek pinned Nick Stahler, CSUP, :27.
165 – Sam Thoman, FHSU, dec. Dylan Fors, 4-3; Fors dec. Justin Frazer, CSM, 7-4; Brock Lamb, SFU, dec. Fors, 5-2.
174 – Jarrod Purvis, ASU, dec. Bret Klopp, 3-2; Klopp dec. Cody Coombes, SFU, 9-5; Travis Budke, FHSU, dec. Klopp, 7-1.
184 – Jordan Debus, CSC, dec. Adam Carey, 8-5; Debus dec. Ryan Swanson, CSM, 10-6; Nick Peterson, CMU, dec. Debus, 5-2.
197 – Romero Cotton, UNK, major dec. Chris Leak, CSC, 14-0; Leak, dec. Chris Frisbie, CSUP, 3-2 SV; Leak pinned Paul Wilson, CSM, 4:13.
285 – Mike Hill, CSC, dec. Alec Bird, CSM, 7-5; Niko Bogojevic, CSUP, dec. Hill, 3-1 SV; Hill, dec. John Close, FHSU, 6-3.