Three Chadron State College freshman wrestlers placed among the top five at the Rookie Open Tournament hosted by Colorado School of Mines in Golden on Sunday. 

    First-year wrestlers from more than a dozen schools were entered, ranging from the U.S. Air Force Academy, which competes in NCAA Division I, to community colleges. Most of the RMAC teams besides the Eagles sent their rookies to the event. 
    
    Chadron State's highest finisher was Grady Fox, a true freshman from Augusta, Kan. He won four of his five matches while finishing third at 149 pounds. Fox pinned three of his opponents and won a major decision over the fourth. His only loss was a 5-0 decision to Juan Garcia of Colorado Mesa.

    Also placing for the Eagles was Dylan White, a redshirt freshman of Scottsdale, Ariz., who was fourth at 165 pounds, and true freshman Dominic Joyce of North Port, Fla., who was fifth at 184. 

    White pinned his first three foes before losing to a pair of Air Force Academy Prep grapplers. One of White's losses was to EJ Beloncik, who went on to win the 165 weight class. 

    Joyce won four matches and lost just once. His final victory was a high scoring 14-12 decision over Western Wyoming's Logan Holdaway for fifth place. 

    Another CSC entry, Colton Gehlhausen of Pinedale, Wyo., didn't place among the top five, but he went 3-2 at 165 pounds. He pinned all three of the grapplers he defeated. 

    Nearly all of the Eagles who competed at the Rookie Open will also enter the Nebraska-Kearney Open on Nov. 18.