GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The No. 21 men's wrestling team competed at the Battle of the Rockies on Friday taking on a trio of teams, DII Minot State University, DII McKendree University, and NCJAA Northwest University.
Minot State 27, EOU 17
The Blue and Gold went open at the 125-pound weight class and the 174-weight class to give the Beavers a 12-0 start in the match. This ended up being the deciding factor, as the Mountaineers would fall to the Division II foe, 27-17.
Opening the 133-lb weight class was No. 18 Blake McNall, where the freshman bagged his 12th victory of the season and recorded his fastest pin thus far, at 3:58. McNall was tied with Michael Rangel at the end of the first period and needed only 58 seconds in the second period to give the Mounties six team points.
Following McNall was No. 14 A.J. Rockwell at 141, who got his second closest win of the season with a 5-3 decision over Marco Ramirezlazos. The freshman managed to get a takedown in the first period, escape in the second, and finish off with one more takedown.
After wrestling in the 157-lb weight division all year, No. 18-ranked Drake Randall moved up a weight class to defend his ranking. Randall defeated Carlos Toledano by a 17-7 majority decision.
Eric Fan gave the team their fourth victory of the dual in the 197-lb weight class. The 11th-ranked senior would capture his first major decision of the season to trounce over the Beavers Briley Crissler 16-4.
McKendree 49, EOU 0
Up next, the NCAA DII No. 1 ranked McKendree University. With 7 grapplers ranked in the top-12, the Bearcats handed the Mountaineers their fifth overall loss. Despite falling behind, Randall and Teban Mansary both fell by decision in a tight-fisted match, losing by as little as three points each.
Northwest 30, EOU 23
In the last dual for the evening, the men's team came up just short against No. 9 junior college Northwest Community College, 30-23.
Coming out with a slow start in the first four matches, Randall sheded some light for the Blue and Gold as he was one of four grapplers to get the W. In the 157-lb division, the junior transfer would not be succumbed, as he got his second win of the night by fall in the second period 4:18.
The second and third win came in the 174 and 184-pound match ups, as the Trappers opened both classes by forfeit to bring the score 18-24.
EOU's second pin (1:34) of the dual came from Fan. The senior went on to take down No. 3 NJCAA Jeff Oakes in the first period to record his second win. The Alaskan native gave his team the last points before falling to Northwest 30-23.
Up Next
Continuing on with the Argo Heritage Inn Classic Open, the men and women's team will compete in their third tournament thus far in Great Falls, Montana on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.
For more information on Eastern Oregon women's wrestling, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.
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Contact Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu
