CRETE, Neb. – Eastern Oregon Men’s Wrestling wrapped up a full day of action at the Doane Conner Oppenheim Open on Saturday, highlighted by a podium finish from heavyweight No. 3 Nico Rodriguez, multiple deep tournament runs, and several notable wins over nationally ranked opponents across the lineup.
Rodriguez powered his way to a 3rd place podium finish. He opened the day with a 7-1 decision, followed by a dominant 22-5 technical fall before defeating No.23 Kaien Cisneros in a 9-0 major decision. After falling to No. 12 Zeph Sivels in the semifinal, Rodriguez bounced back with two strong consolation wins over the No.17 and No.19 ranked heavyweights by scores of 4-1 and 13-5 to secure his spot on the podium.
At 133 pounds, Kai Carson delivered one of the day’s most impressive comebacks, battling all the way to the Top 4 before reaching his match limit. Following a bye and a narrow loss to No. 19 Jarrod Gilliam, Carson ignited a six-match tear that included three pins and an 8–0 major decision. He capped his run with a third-period fall over Dakota Wesleyan’s Kipp Cordes to advance to the 3rd/4th-place match, which was ruled a no contest when both wrestlers hit their match limits.
Cole Cross made a strong push in a loaded 149-pound bracket, climbing into the Top 6 before also meeting his match limit. Cross started fast with a bye and an 18–2 technical fall, then defeated No. 20 Dante Lopez by an 11–4 decision. After a hard-fought loss to No. 22 Cade White, he responded with an 11–0 major decision and a gritty 12–9 win to reach placement rounds.
Gabe Vasa rounded out EOU’s placers with another Top 6 finish before meeting his match limit. Vasa started the day with a bye and a first period pin before falling to No. 16 Nate McDonald in an 8-2 decision. He quickly regrouped, recording a lightning-fast 35-second fall and a 7–2 decision over No. 19 Kolton Kammeyer. Although he fell in his final bout, the strong run secured Vasa a place among the final six.
Across the board, the Mountaineers showed depth, resilience, and continued growth, with numerous wrestlers going deep into their brackets and securing wins against nationally ranked opponents. Eastern Oregon returns to action tomorrow as the team heads west for the Clackamas Open.