PUEBLO, Colo. – Chadron State softball earned a split on the first day of RMAC conference play, falling 8-0 to CSU Pueblo but rebounding to knock off the ThunderWolves 3-2 in the nightcap. 

Ashland Baca came through with an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning of game two, completing a come-from-behind effort after the Eagles fell behind 2-0 early. After allowing two runs, just one earned, in the second inning, Kenzi Garner steadied the ship and threw a complete game while allowing just three hits.

With Sunday's results, the Eagles are now 4-2 on the season overall with the 1-1 record in conference play. CSU Pueblo is now 2-7 and 1-1.

The Eagles offense was stifled in the opening game against ThunderWolves starter Mia Sanchez, who allowed just five hits in five innings while striking out six. The Pack scored two runs in the first and four in the second before adding on two runs in the fifth to trigger the run rule. 

Reigning RMAC Pitcher of the Week Tori Haug took her first loss of the season, allowing eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits with three walks and two strikeouts. 

For a moment, it appeared that game two could be more of the same after Pueblo scored twice in the bottom of the second, with first baseman Isabella Hewitt reaching on a throwing error to drive in a run, advancing all the way to third base and then scoring on a safety squeeze as the Eagles got the out at first to give the ThunderWolves a 2-0 lead. 

The Eagles responded, however, tallying two runs in the top of the third to even the score. Katelynn Czerpak and J'lyssa Martinez led off the inning with back-to-back singles to set the table for No. 3 hitter Lauren Zimmermann, who singled up the middle to score Czerpak and cut the deficit to 2-1. 

After an Ashland Baca walk prompted the ThunderWolves to switch pitchers, reliever Makenna James nearly wriggled out of the jam by striking out the first two hitters she faced. But with two outs, Sydney Loyet came through with a base hit to left, scoring pinch-runner Devyn Thornton to even the score. 

The score remained knotted at 2-2 until the sixth. With two outs and nobody on, J'lyssa Martinez reached on an error and Zimmerman extended the inning with a single. Baca swung at the first pitch and lined in past a diving second baseman into right-center field for the tiebreaking single, giving CSC its first lead of the series. 

In the meantime, Garner was excellent, earning the win to improve her record to 1-1. Garner allowed just one hit over the game's final five innings and retired the last nine Pueblo hitters. 

The two teams will meet for two more contests on Monday, with game one set for 11 a.m. and game two to follow at approximately 1 p.m. on the RMAC Network. 

Nadig Leads Three Placers At RMCO

GOLDEN, Colo. – Three of four competing CSC wrestlers earned placings at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open hosted by Colorado School of Mines on Sunday, led by a win in the 149-pound weight class by Caleb Nadig. 

Sophomore Reese Jacobs placed fourth at 197 pounds while redshirt senior Quade Smith placed sixth at 133 pounds to complete CSC's top six finishers. Redshirt freshman Grady Fox also competed at 149 pounds for the Eagles.

Nadig, a junior from Sturgis, South Dakota, went 5-0 to sweep his way through the 149-pound bracket, with three pins among his five wins. Nadig earned a first-round 21-2 tech fall before pinning Air Force's Charles LaRocca and Western Colorado's Peyton Harris. 

Nadig then defeated two Adams State wrestlers in the semifinal and final, earning a 15-3 major decision win before punctuating his tournament with another pin in just 36 seconds to take down the bracket. 

Jacobs, who also hails from Sturgis and is a linebacker for the CSC football team, went 2-2 to place fourth while Smith, a former regional qualifier at 125 pounds, went 3-2 on the day to place sixth at 133. Smith's victories included two wins over wrestlers from RMAC rival Colorado Mesa. 

The Eagles' next competition date is NCAA Regionals on March 1 in Gunnison, Colorado. Chadron State wrestlers will be hoping to qualify for the national tournament on March 14-15 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Jennings Wins Weight Throw At SDSU Classic

BROOKINGS, S.D. –  Senior Christopher Jennings was the leader for the Chadron State College track and field teams Saturday, winning the 35-pound weight throw at the South Dakota State Indoor Classic in Brookings this past weekend.

Jennings was the only event winner for CSC at the large-scale meet that featured approximately 1,200 athletes from nearly 30 schools competing. There were more than 100 entries in several of the track events.

A pre-med major from O'Neill, Jennings won with a personal best of 19.27 meters, or 63-feet, 2 ¾ inches. Besides winning the 34-entry event by 2 ½ feet, he moved up seven notches to No. 13 on the NCAA Division II national list.

"This was a really big day for Christopher," CSC Coach Jake Gruver said.  "He won the event and he's continuing to improve. That's all we can ask."

Jennings now is second on Chadron State's weight throw chart to only Dan Reynolds. who in 2023 set the school record of 67-3 ½ and placed fifth at the National Championships to gain All-American honors. A year ago, Jennings was second in the weight throw at the SDSU Classic at 59-7 ½, then his career best.  But two weeks later he threw 61-2 ¼ and was the runner-up at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Meet, which was still his personal best until Saturday. 

Jennings wasn't the only CSC athlete in the top 10 of the throwing events. Another senior thrower, Parker Gonser, also is making progress in the weight throw and finished third with a career-best of 58-3 at the SDSU Meet Saturday after placing seventh with a mark of 55-7 a year ago. He also was sixth in the shot put at Brookings on Saturday at 50-6, although he has gone over 51 feet previously this season. 

Two more 400-meter runners, Ryan Clapper and Kaden Perez, cracked the 50-second barrier Saturday with times of 49.44 and 49.53, respectively. The other two CSC runners to go sub-50 this season, Christopher Cormier and Nicquaine Henry, are nursing injuries that kept them from competing Saturday.

Clapper also placed seventh in a 200-meter race for elite runners on Friday in 22 seconds flat while Esosa Iyengunmwena was fifth in another 200 session Saturday and also finished seventh in the 60 meters that required him to place high in two preliminary races in order to qualify for the finals.

Senior Creighton Trembly was sixth in the 60-yard hurdles, which drew 42 contestants including several from Division I programs, despite not running a season's best. 

Highlights for the Chadron State women included two career-bests by senior Alissa Wieman. She lowered her time in the mile by nine seconds to 5:08.83 and ran the 3000 in 10:24.67, four seconds faster than previously. 

In addition, freshman Camila Salvucci placed fifth in the triple jump by going 37 feet, ½ inches and sophomore Ashlyn Tapio had career-best marks in both the shot put (37-2 ½) and 20-pound weight throw (45-10 ½). 
 
CSC's sophomore standout jumper Chayton Bynes did not make the trip. Already in Division II's top 10 in both the long jump and triple jump, Bynes is resting up for the conference and national meets.

Chadron State track and field is set to host the Golden Eagle Last Chance Meet this coming Saturday, February 22, giving athletes who have not qualified for conference meets a final chance to do that. The RMAC Championships will be in Colorado Springs a week later on February 28-March 1. The NCAA Indoor Championships, which will host the athletes with the best 18 marks in each of the individual events, is set for March 13-15 in Indianapolis.

CSC's top-10 placings follow: 
Men's Results
        60 meters – 7, Esosa Iyengunmwena, 6.98
        60 hurdles – 6, Creighton Trembly, 8.28
        200 meters – 7, Ryan Clapper, 22.00
        Shot put – 6, Parker Gonser, 50-6
        Weight throw – 1, Christopher Jennings, 63-2 ¾; 3, Parker Gonser, 58-3
 
Women's Results
        800 meters – 11, Ivy Hise, 2:41.73
        Triple jump – 5, Camila Salvucci, 37-0.5
        Weight throw – 9, Ashlyn Tapio, 45-10.5