CHADRON, Neb. — The Chadron State College Women's Wrestling team will open the 2026-27 season at the Dickinson State Open in Dickinson, N.D. on Saturday.
After receiving a third-place projection from the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the team will hope to follow through with the momentum, with three athletes also appearing in preseason national ranks.
Senior Piper Cadden earned a No. 10 preseason rank at 110 pounds from the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the No. 13 rank from HerMat, formerly known as The Open Mat. Junior Rylee Balcazar was ranked No. 14 at 110 pounds from HerMat, alongside junior Esther Peters, ranked No. 10 at 207 pounds.
Peters and Cadden earned their top-10 rankings after qualifying for last year's NCAA Women's Wrestling National Championships. Peters is the first and only Women's Wrestling All-American in CSC history after going 4-2 at the 2024-25 National Championship and finishing seventh. She returned to nationals last season and went 1-2. Peters is the 2026-27 Preseason All-RMAC selection at 207 pounds.
Cadden, after transferring as a sophomore, also went 1-2 at nationals in the 2025-26 season. It was also her second consecutive season qualifying for nationals after she did so with Fort Hays State in 2024-25.
Chadron State also has three other wrestlers on the roster who have national qualifications on their resumes as well.
Balcazar competed at nationals in 2024-25, going 3-2. She came back for the 2025-26 season with a 24-8 record, earned Second Team All-RMAC honors, placed fifth at the NCAA Regional Tournament and took home first place finishes at two tournaments.
Senior Mana Chanthasone will return to competition this year after a redshirt season. In 2023-24, she was a national qualifier at 101 pounds and earned Second Team All-RMAC honors, in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Fifth-year Ana Rojas Zamora competed at nationals in 2023-24, before taking a redshirt season in 2024-25. She returned last season, placing fifth at an RMAC tournament and scoring a 15-17 season record.
11 freshmen will join the Eagles team for their first collegiate seasons in 2026-27, including Martynique Davis, who competed at Valiant College Preparatory, one of the top women's wrestling programs in the nation.
CSC also has two transfer students joining the team, including Zitlali Sarmiento from Westcliff University and Jasimen Ortega from Southeast CC.
After this week's tournament, the women will be traveling to Marshall, Missouri on November 13 for the Missouri Valley Open. The Eagles do not compete at home until January 15-16, when they host the CSC Eagle Duals and Eagle Women's Open.
