CHADRON, Neb.  Western Colorado wrestling, No. 16 in the just-released NWCA Division II rankings, completed Sunday's Chadron (State College) Tri-Duals with a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over the host Eagles, sandwiched between a pair of defeats to teams ranked within the top eight of the national rankings, No. 1 St. Cloud State (Minn.) and No. 8 Augustana (S.D.) University.

JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: No. 1 St. Cloud State (Minn.) def. Western, 29-6; Western def. Chadron, 31-15; No. 8 Augustana (S.D.) 25-9
Records: Western 2-3 (1-0 RMAC), St. Cloud 1-0, Augustana 2-2
Location: Chicoine Center, Chadron, Neb.


HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Huskies of St. Cloud lived up to their ranking in the day's opening match, using a 6-5 decision, decided on a late, third-period escape, at 125 over Western's Devin Gomez, to vault to a lead that was never threatened.
• Jason Hanenberg at 149, with Western trailing 11-0, earned the first Mountaineer points of the match in a 6-0 decision that cut into the lead. Hunter Mullin's 4-3 come-from-behind decision for three points at 165 were the only other Western points against the nation's top-ranked squad.
• The outlook turned much brighter in the next match against Chadron State, though the Eagles opened the match with a fall at 125 to put Western in a hole.
• Alex Alvarez made that early pin less harmful with his 15-2 major decision at 133, but Chadron picked up another three points with a decision at 141.
• Hanenberg stepped onto the mat next and initiated a run that turned the tables with his 7-2 decision at 149.
• Now trailing by only two points, 9-7, on the scoreboard, Ryan Wilson pushed Western ahead for the first time with an 11-3 major at 157, followed by a pin by Mullin at the 3:54 mark in the 165 bout.
• Cole Hernandez earned a technical fall with a high-scoring 26-11 win at 174 – the clinching points coming on a takedown and four-point near fall as the third period was ending – then Cole Gray elevated the Western lead to 17 points with his 9-1 major at 184.
• Porter Fox made it six in a row with his commanding victory at 197. Fox scored a reversal, a four-point near fall, a two-point near fall, and another four-point near fall in just 73 seconds of second-period action to end the bout with a 16-1 tech fall at the 4:13 mark.
• In the final match of the afternoon for Western, the Vikings of Augustana also proved their ranking, surrendering only Mountaineer wins at 141 by Dean Noble (Dec. 9-5), 174 by Hernandez (Dec. 8-7) and 197 by Fox (Dec. 7-6).
• The Hernandez and Fox wins were dramatic final-seconds victories.
• Trailing 6-4 30 seconds into the third period, Hernandez pulled a reversal for two points with 70 seconds remaining, allowed the escape seconds later, then recorded the match-clinching takedown with only seven seconds to spare.
• Fox trailed 4-3 entering the third, having only scored a trio of escapes so far in the match. An escape by the Vikings' Zach Peterson to start the period made it 5-3, but Fox squared the match with a takedown with 1:10 remaining. Peterson edged back on top 16 seconds later with an escape, but Fox earned a takedown to take the lead with 45 seconds remaining then held on for the win.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Mountaineers close out the fall semester portion of their 2022-23 schedule with the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis on December 17 and 18.