CHADRON, Neb. – Three Chadron State women's wrestlers have earned preseason national rankings released by HerMat, formerly known as The Open Mat, while senior Piper Cadden also earned a top 10 spot from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).

Cadden earned a No. 10 preseason rank at 131 pounds in the NWCA poll, which ranks 10 athletes at each weight, and the No. 13 ranking at 131 pounds from HerMat, which ranks 20 wrestlers per weight.

Also appearing in the HerMat poll were Rylee Balcazar, who ranked No. 14 at 110 pounds, along with Esther Peters, ranked No. 10 at 207 pounds.

Senior Piper Cadden enters the 2026-27 season after qualifying for NCAA Nationals last season at 131 pounds. In her first season with the Eagles, Cadden finished with 11 wins by tech fall, the most on CSC's roster, and compiled an overall record of 23-12. Cadden placed third at last year's regional tournament and punched her second career ticket to nationals after previously qualifying once with Fort Hays State, where she won an NCWWC Regional Championship in 2024-25. 

Junior Rylee Balcazar's successful last season earned her the title of Second Team All-RMAC after she advanced to the finals of the RMAC tournament. Balcazar also took home tournament wins at the Minot Open and the Eagle Women's Open. Balcazar ended 2025-26 with a record of 24-8. In the 2024-25 season, she qualified for nationals and advanced all the way to the blood round at the NCWWC National Tournament as the No. 25 seed.

Junior Esther Peters enters the season with a slew of accomplishments under her belt as a two-time national qualifier and former All-American. In her 2025-26 season, Peters secured third place at both the regional tournament and the RMAC tournament. Peters added two tournament wins to her name as the winner of the Bob Smith Open (at Fort Hays State) and the CSC Eagle Women's Open. In the 2024-25 season, Peters finished in seventh place at the national tournament, becoming the first All-American in CSC women's wrestling history, and earned a Second Team All-RMAC selection after advancing to the finals at the conference tournament.

Along with the national top 10 rankings, the NWCA released regional rankings. In each of the country's six regions, the top five wrestlers from each weight class were selected. In Region 6, Piper Cadden earned yet another selection with a No. 2 rank at 131 pounds, while Rylee Balcazar was chosen as the No. 4 wrestler at 110 pounds.

The Eagles will compete for the first time this season on Saturday, Nov. 7^th at the Dickinson State Open in Dickinson, North Dakota. The Eagles will host their first home competition, the CSC Eagle Duals, on Jan. 15^th.