Four Cloud County Wrestlers Place at RCTC Yellowjacket Open

Cloud Wrestling at Yellowjacket Open
Cloud Wrestling at Yellowjacket Open

The Cloud County Community College wrestling team took to the mat for the first time in the 2024-2025 season, competing in the Rochester Community and Technical College Yellowjacket Open in Rochester, Minnesota on Saturday, November 2. The T-Birds had four placers on the day.

Leading the way for Cloud County was sophomore Macallistair Chambers, who went 4-1 and took third overall in the 174 lbs. weight class. Chambers opened the tournament with a second period fall over Dalton Simmons of Harper Community College. In the second round, Chambers won in sudden victory over Noah Jensen of Southwest State. Chambers then won by a 4-2 decision over Jack Gillis of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the championship quarterfinals. Chambers' only loss came in the semifinals when he met Owen Wasley of Augustana. Wasley earned a win by a 6-1 decision. Chambers then battled back in the third place match, edging out a 4-3 decision of Mason Buss of Southwest State.

Also competing in the 174 lbs. bracket was Cloud County sophomore Easton Boone. The Valley Center, Kansas native placed sixth overall. After receiving a first round bye, Boone won a 5-2 decision over Mack Piehl of Harper Community College. Boone then lost a 5-3 decision to Mason Buss of Southwest State, before bouncing back in the consolation side of the bracket to claim a sudden victory over Kash Macumber of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Boone earned a 4-1 decision over Brandon Meister of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to move to the fifth place match. Boone battled ???Sedee AlObaidi of Wisconsin-La Crosse and fell in a 7-0 decision.

The two other T-Birds to place on the day were freshmen Jacob Vasquez and Micah Cauthers. Vasquez took eighth place at 165 lbs., while Cauthers also recorded an eighth place finish at 184 lbs. Vasquez went 2-2 in competitive bouts after receiving two byes on the day. He suffered a 16-1 technical fall to Charlie Petit of Augustana in his second round match to move to the consolation bracket. There, he earned a second period fall over Treveon Owens of Minnesota West Community & Technical College, before winning by medical forfeit over Kaden King of Iowa Central Community College. In his final match, Vasquez lost by a fall to Noah Torgerson of Southwest State. Cauthers, meanwhile, started his day with a first period fall over Corbin Hood of Iowa Central Community College. In the second round, Cauthers suffered a 23-7 technical fall at the hands of Evan Farley of Minnesota State University. After receiving a bye in the consolation second round, Cauthers picked up two more wins. He defeated Alex Schmitz of Minnesota West Community & Technical College in a third period fall. His final win came over Danny Decristofaro of Harper Community College in a first period fall. Cauthers ended the day with another technical fall loss to Farley, 18-0.

The final T-Bird wins on the day came from sophomore Daniel Vines, sophomore Nolan Bradley and freshman Roderick Brown. Vines, competing at 141 lbs., finished the day 2-2, earning two wins by decision. Vines beat Blake Heal of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire by 16-8 major decision, and Benjamin Fosdick of Iowa Central Community College by a 6-5 decision. Bradley, wrestling at 125 lbs., picked up a win by injury default over Austin Hansen of Minnesota West Community & Technical College. Brown, a freshman from Bartow, Florida, started the day with a second period fall over Angel Moreno-Rodriguez of Rochester Community and Technical College at 125 lbs., before having to drop his next two matches due to injury.

The Cloud County Community College wrestling team returns to action when they travel to Atchison, Kansas to participate in the second ever Loosbrock Duals hosted by Benedictine College on Friday, November 8, and the Benedictine Service Salute on Saturday, November 9.