CORVALLIS, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University men’s wrestling team was named the Under Armour Team of the Week for Jan. 16-22, the Cascade Collegiate Conference announced Sunday.
After falling a spot in the NAIA rankings this week, No. 11-ranked EOU came out with a determination to prove its strength. The team went home with a second-place finish and had one champion while competing in the prestigious Missouri Valley Invite this weekend.
The Mounties’ lone champion was Hunter Sparks in the 125-pound division. Sparks capped off the championship match with a 9-2 decision and had a stellar weekend going 6-0. In addition to Sparks' great day on the mat, he was awarded Missouri Valley Invite Outstanding Wrestler for his performance over the weekend.
After several tough battles, while beating 7 of 10 teams ranked above them, the Mountaineers grabbed second place, scoring 142 points based on their individual placements. Eastern Oregon had 11 different wrestlers add to the team score and seven total placers. The Mounties finished right behind No. 1-ranked Grandview.
This weekend brought the Mounties’ overall record to 5-2. With this finish, the Eastern Oregon men’s wrestling team let its constant competitive nature be known. The Mountaineers appear next Friday in a conference matchup against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.