GOLDEN, Colo. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team dropped its season-opening dual on Wednesday (Nov. 8) by a score of 22-16 to Colorado School of Mines.
Colorado School of Mines’ Zach Gracia put the Orediggers up 5-0 right out of the gate in the 125-pound bout with a 17-2 technical fall over Conrad Cole. In the subsequent 133-pound class, Noah Au-Yeung extended the Orediggers lead to 9-0 with a major decision, 12-0, over Dy’Juan Carney.
At 141 pounds, 2nd-ranked Brandon Ball put the Tigers on the board as he managed to defeat Lukas Erickson with a 9-0 major decision. Ball picked up where he left off last season as he begins this year 1-0.
In the 149-pound bout, Fort Hays State’s Brody Lewis battled with Colorado School of Mines’ Noah Ottum. Ottum got the better of true freshman Lewis and increased the Orediggers lead to 13-4 with an 8-0 major decision.
Efe Osaghae cut the Orediggers lead to 13-7 in the 157-pound weight class with a 3-2 decision over Ethan Ruby. Osaghae used a key takedown in the third period to start his redshirt-freshman campaign with a victory.
Halfway through the dual the Orediggers lead the Tigers 13-7.
In the 165-pound bout, Marty Verhaeghe fell behind early in his match and used a quick escape and a takedown in the third period to inch closer, however it was not enough as he fell to Keenan Willits 9-4 in his first match of the season.
Dylan Wiesner took to the mat in the 174-pound weight class against the Orediggers TJ Shelton. Wiesner took advantage of a quick lead in the bout after two takedowns and an escape but in the second period was tangled up by Shelton and was pinned. The Orediggers took a commanding 22-7 lead in the match.
For the 184-pound battle, the Tigers brought out Micah Felton to take on Andrew Hinkle of the Orediggers. Felton used a key takedown in the third period and never looked back as he defeated Hinkle by a 7-1 decision. With the Tigers not getting a fall in this match, the Orediggers clinched the dual victory as they lead 22-10 after this bout.
At 197 pounds, Rakim Dean added three more points to the Tigers total as he emerged victorious over Anthony Spallino by an 8-4 decision.
In the last bout of the evening, 7th-ranked Christian Lance went up against Ian Cheatum in the 285-pound match. Lance finished the dual on a good note for the Tigers as he battled Cheatum until the very end. Lance arose from the mat with a 7-2 decision.
The Tigers are back on the mat this weekend as they travel to Greeley, Colo. to compete in the Northern Colorado Open on Saturday (Nov. 11). The Open is set to begin at 9 a.m.