MINES WRESTLING OPENS SEASON AT WYOMING COWBOY OPEN
Pilcher and Thompson Earn Runner-Up Honors

COMPLETE RESULTS

LARAMIE, Wyo. - The Colorado School of Mines wrestling team opened the 2004-05 season on Sunday at the Wyoming Cowboy Open. The event was unscored, but Mines did have two grapplers earn runner-up honors.

Junior heavyweight Derek Thompson (Cortez, Colo./Dolores) placed second in his weight class, while sophomore 149-pounder Nathan Pilcher (Fort Morgan, Colo./Fort Morgan) was also runner-up.

Thompson opened the event with a convincing 7-3 victory over second-seeded Cody Parker from Division I Oregon. He then knocked off wrestlers from Nebraska-Kearney (7-1) and Air Force (5:49, Fall) to advance to the finals where he lost to top-seeded Chase Gormley of Montana State-Northern.

Pilcher, who outscored his opponents, 22-6 in three wins, opened the competition with a 12-3 triumph over Tomasco Giovinozzo of Western State. He then defeated Mikel Delk of Fort Hays State, 3-1, and Mitch Morgan of Utah Valley State, 7-2, before Josh Peterson of Air Force dealt him a 5-2 setback in the finals.

CSM is slated to return to action on Saturday when it hosts Western State at 5:00 pm in the Steinhauer Fieldhouse. On Sunday, the Orediggers will travel to Greeley for the Northern Colorado Open.