Three Chadron State College wrestlers headed to Nationals
Keegan Gehlhausen hails from Pinedale, Wyoming
by Con Marshall, Chadron State College
March 13, 2025
Three Chadron State College wrestlers are representing the Eagles this weekend at the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships in Indianapolis. The first round will be on Friday and the finals on Saturday.
The trio is made up of senior Torry Early, a graduate student from Oak Park, Ill., at 149 pounds, and juniors Keegan Gehlhausen of Pinedale, Wyo., at 184 pounds and Cody Pinkerton of Douglas, Wyo., at heavyweight. Coach Brett Hunter, a two-time national champion when he was competing for the Eagles is proud of the trio. He said they’ve work hard to be successful.
This is Gehlhausen’s second DII National Tournament and the first for Early and Pinkerton, but Pinkerton previously competed at the National Junior College Championships. Gehlhausen initially qualified in 2023 as a redshirt freshman and had an impressive tournament despite winning just one of his three matches.
He managed an upset in the first round, defeating Brock Biddle of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, the No. 6 ranked 184-pound entry, 7-5. He also put up a great fight in his second match. It was against No. 3 ranked Ty McGeary of West Liberty State in West Virginia, who won by an 8-6 score.
Gehlhausen’s third opponent was Colter Bye of Upper Iowa, who as time expired, earned a takedown and won 4-3. The CSC rookie, who was the only freshman to qualify for nationals from the Super Region 6 Meet, finished the season with a 16-12.
After having shoulder surgery following nationals, Gehlhausen had a shorter season in 2023-24, and finished with a 9-4 record.
As the 2023 national tourney progressed, the narrow loss to McGeary became something of a moral victory for Gehlhausen. That’s because McGeary went on to win the 184-pound championship. The Pennsylvania native also won the weight class last year, and guess what? he’s back as a graduate student this year, has a 30-1 record, is seeded No. 1 and hopes to make it three national titles in a row.
But McGeary is on the top side of this weekend’s bracket and so are Reece Worachek of Wisconsin-Parkside and Kyle Homet of Glenville State. They are the only opponents to defeat Gehlhausen this season. Both losses occurred at the Midwest Classic, which took place in Indianapolis in December. Otherwise, the three-time Wyoming High School Meet state champion, who is on the bottom side of the bracket, has won all 19 of his matches and is the No. 3 seed.
His first foe Friday morning will be Bryce FitzPatrick of St. Cloud State in Minnesota, who is 18-7 after placing eighth at last year’s nationals. There are more standouts on the lower side of the bracket. They include Matt Weinberg of Kutztown, the No. 2 seed with a 28-0 record, and No. 6 and No. 7 seeds Garrett Wells of Central Oklahoma, and Brayden Mirjavadi of Grand Valley State. Their records are 18-4 and 20-1, respectively.
The other two Eagles at nationals will face foes from Gannon University at Erie, Pa., in the first round Friday. Early, who has an 18-7 record at 149 pounds, will meet Kenny Kiser, who has a 15-3 mark and is the No. 3 seed, while Pinkerton, the heavyweight with a 17-8 mark, will tangle with Dorian Crosby, who a seeded fourth and is 22-3.
Both Eagles wrapped up their regular seasons with a flurry. Early won his final eight matches, seven of them with bonus points, before losing to All-American Nick James of Nebraska-Kearney in the finals of the Region 6 Tourney. Pinkerton won his last seven bouts before falling to undefeated and No. 1 seed heavyweight Crew Howard, also of UNK, in regional finals.
After qualifying all 10 of its grapplers for nationals, the Kearney Lopers have moved atop the DII rankings with 92 points, five ahead of St. Cloud.
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