LA GRANDE, Ore. - 17th-ranked Mountaineer Men's Wrestling is back on the road this weekend as the team heads to Reno, Nevada for a conference dual and another quality tournament.

OPPONENTS
No. 10 Montana State-Northern Lights (3-1, 2-0 CCC)
Reno Tournament of Champions

WHERE
Reno, Nevada - Reno Events Center

WHEN (All Times Pacific)
Friday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m. - vs. MSU-Northern
Sunday, dec. 19, 9 a.m. - Reno TOC

Mat Points
• The Mountaineers (4-2, 2-1 CCC) will take a four-dual win streak into Reno against the Lights. EOU will also compete in its fifth tournament of the year on Sunday.
• Eastern has won each of its last two conference duals after an 0-1 start to the year. The Mountaineers' dual against MSU-Northern will be their first ranked dual of the season.
• The Mountaineers last tournament was the Battle of the Rockies Open with the team placing seventh overall. They  had six placewinners to score 77 points.
• Following the Mountaineers weekend action in Nevada, they will have the rest of the 2021 calendar year off before returning to the mats in early January for more dual match-ups. 

How to Watch/Follow
• Live video for all of this weekend's action in Reno will be available through www.FloWrestling.com. It will be Pay-Per-View with the price set at $12.50.
• Live stats coverage for this weekend's duals and tournament will be covered through TrackWrestling.com. Fans can follow live results by clicking the respective link above. 
• Live stats coverage for EOU Men's Wrestling can be found on the team's schedule page as well during the 2021-22 season.

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
• EOU had a solid performance two weekends back as the team competed in three duals and one tournament at the University of Providence's Battle of the Rockies challenge.
• In dual action, the Mountaineers were simply dominant going 3-0 against its opposition. All three wins were by double figures as well.
• In the Battle of the Rockies Open, EOU had six placewinners and scored 77 points to finish seventh. Leading the way for Eastern was John Bittinger (165 lbs.) and Noel Orozco (285 lbs.) as the duo placed second in their respective weight classes.

Mountaineers in the Rankings
• In the second edition of the NAIA Men's Wrestling Coaches' Top-20 Poll, EOU checked in at No. 17, one spot lower than No. 16 in the first regular season poll.
• The Mountaineers have been ranked in every national poll during the 2021-22 season so far.
• In the conference rankings, Eastern is third behind Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) and Menlo (Calif.). Embry is currently ranked No. 18 in the NAIA, while Menlo is ranked No. 20.

Previously Against MSU-Northern/Reno TOC
• The Mountaineers are still in search of their first dual win since the program's reinstatement against MSU-Northern. They are 0-4 against the Lights since 2016-17.
• In the last dual against the Lights, EOU dropped a close battle by a final score of 20-18 back during the 2019-20 season.
• The Mountaineers last competed at the Reno Tournament of Champions back during the 2019-20 season.

Scouting the Competition
No. 10 MSU-Northern Lights
• The Lights are 3-1 on the year in dual action and own a 2-0 record against CCC opponents this year. In the latest NAIA top-25 rankings, MSU-Northern is ranked No. 10.
• MSU-Northern has picked up wins over Northwest College, Providence, and Southern Oregon. They have competed in three tournaments as well.
• In tournament action, the Lights have placed second in two of them. They were second at the Spokane Collegiate Open and the Battle of the Rockies Open.
• Isaac Bartel has done well for the Lights this season at 197 pounds with a 16-0 record so far this year. Six of his wins come by way of tech fall and he also has six pins.
• Martin Wilkie also has had a solid start to the season with a 15-1 record at 141 pounds. He has six wins by way of fall and four via decision.
• At 174 pounds, NaKoda Siegel is 13-2 this year. He has nine wins that have been by way of decision and he currently has won each of his last seven matches.
• Carl Hansen is also in the double figure win category with a 10-2 record at 184 pounds. He has won 10 of his last 11 matches, including the last six. He has scored five wins by way of pin.

Reno Tournament of Champions
• 27 teams are expected to compete at the Reno Tournament of Champions Open this weekend. The squads entered range from the NJCAA level all the way up to NCAA Division I.
• Mat action is expected to begin at 9 a.m. PT in the Reno Events Center. Brackets will be double elimination style.
• Teams expected to compete this weekend are as follows: American, Cal Baptist, Cal Poly, Clackamas, Clarion, Corban, Eastern Oregon, Embry-Riddle, Grand View, Menlo, Minot State, MSU- Northern, Northern Colorado, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Pacific, Providence, Simpson, Southeastern, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Stanford, Umqua Community College, University of Saint Mary, Vanguard, Warner Pacific, Western Wyoming, and Wyoming.

Up Next
• The Mountaineers will not be back on the mats until after the New Year. They will compete again on Jan. 7 and 8 in a pair of CCC duals. EOU is at Arizona Christian on Jan. 7 followed by Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on Jan. 8.

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