Final Brackets

GOLDEN, Colo. - Six Orediggers placed as Colorado School of Mines got its new wrestling season started by hosting the Mines Rookie Open at Steinhauer Fieldhouse on Sunday.

Cade Whish finished second at 285 pounds and Jeffery Morosini was third at 197 to lead Mines' placers as the Orediggers had 10 attached competitors in action to start the year.

For all of Mines' team success, it was a first-round 149-pound match for Yahir Chairez-Salazar that stole the show. Only 15 months after a car accident caused him to lose his left leg above the knee before the start of his sophomore year, Chairez-Salazar made his competitive return to the mat in front of a packed crowd of family and friends, winning his first bout with a first-period fall over Colorado State's Ezekiel Siegrist. Although he was 1-2 on the day, Chairez-Salazar showed off his strength on the counterattack in his victory, accomplishing an inspirational comeback that has chapters yet to be written.

Whish was the 285-pound runner-up going 3-1, earning a fall between two decisions in his run to the final. Whish took Western Wyoming's Dmarian Lopez to a hard-fought overtime bout in the championship as Lopez took a 4-1 decision.

Two Orediggers ended their days with wins in placing matches led by Morosini, who took third at 197 after going 4-1. Morosini had a pin and three major-decision wins on the day, including a 16-6 major over Adams State's Cale Meuchel for third. Timber Parlin also ended his day with a win, placing fifth at 184 pounds after going 3-1. Parlin lost his opening match but wrestled all the way back for fifth going technical fall-fall-fall along the way.

Valor Buck made a run to the third-place bout at 165 and ended up fourth on the day, going 2-2 overall. Buck won his first two bouts by decision and then by fall before running into a pair of D-I wrestlers in the semifinals and third-place match.

Xander Sweeney finished sixth at 125 pounds in a productive 5-1 day, running up against his match limit before being able to contest the fifth-place bout. Sweeney had a pair of technical falls and a major among his five wins as he made his official Orediggers debut. 

Kaleb Valdez-Lemos also came in sixth with a 5-1 day at 165, and like Sweeney hit his six-match limit before getting a chance at fifth place. Valdez-Lemos had an impressive Mines debut with a fall, two technical falls, and two wins by decision on the day. 

Eliott Kim went 1-2 at 133 with a major decision win, while Jaron Mahler was 2-2 with a pair of wins by decision at 157 pounds. Trevor Thorn made his Mines debut at heavyweight with a 2-2 day, with both of his wins coming via pin. 

NEXT UP
Mines starts its dual schedule on Friday with a tri-meet hosting Northeastern JC and Snow College.