CHADRON, Neb. -- December 7, 2018 -- The Chadron State College wrestling team will square off with Northeastern Junior College of Sterling, Colorado, on Saturday in the Chicoine Center at 3 p.m.

This is the only home dual this season the Eagles will host in the modern, 1,750-seat arena. A large Daktronics video board was recently installed in the venue.

Northeastern is ranked No. 24 in the NJCAA in the latest national poll and the Plainsmen have wrestlers nationally ranked at 141 and 157 pounds.

Sammy Eckhart is the 141-pound entry for the Plainsmen, ranked third in the NJCAA. Sebastian Robles, at 157, is ranked No. 4.

Both wrestlers are expected to compete Saturday.

Wrestling was added back to the athletic department at Northeastern recently after a decades-long hiatus. 

The college had a thriving wrestling program in the 1960s.  NJC was the NJCAA national champion in wresting in 1964 and then won back to back national championships in 1966 and 1967. Years earlier, NJC wrestlers won the first-ever Empire Conference Championship in 1954-56. The program was discontinued in the 1980s.

Wrestle-offs on Wednesday determined the starting lineup for the Eagles headed into Saturday's match. The expected lineups for both teams Saturday follow:

Northeastern:
125 – Cian Apple (12-6)
133 – Quintel Fuchs (5-4)
141 – No. 3 Sam Eckhart (8-7)
149 – Maverick Keigher (3-4) or Kyle Cisneros (3-4)
157 – No. 4 Sebastian Robles (15-6)
165 – Josh Betts (5-6) or Davon Keyes (9-6)
174 – Dillon Thomas (4-5)
184 – Hayden Wempen (8-5)
197 – Logan Malouff (2-6)
285 – Oscar Soto (4-5)

Chadron State:
125- Clayton Eagle (5-5)
133- Brandon Kile (5-4)
141- Chance Karst (5-6)
149- No. 5 Chase Clasen (5-2)
157- Steven Lahnert (7-3)
165- Tate Allison (1-5)
174- Matt Hebel (5-4)
184- Heber Shepherd (2-7)
197- No. 10 Wade French (4-4)
285- No. 10 Rulon Taylor (4-2)