The Cougars, 2-8 overall, travel to Brookings, South Dakota, to start the weekend with Friday matches against CSU Bakersfield and South Dakota State. On Sunday, SIUE returns home for a Southern Conference dual at 11 a.m. against Davidson and a 2 p.m. nonconference battle with NCAA Division I recent newcomer Grand Canyon.
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"The guys will have to keep their weight down between the matches on Friday and Sunday," said Spates. "The idea is like being at the national tournament where you have to make weight each day."
Sunday's matches will be part of the SoCon's Headlock On Hunger initiative, which brings together the community to help provide meals for students who may not have enough to eat a home during the extended holiday breaks from school. SIUE will work hand in hand with the SoCon and Eblen Charities by collecting food and donations and bringing them to the SoCon Wrestling Championships held on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Asheville in March.
Recommended food donations include: peanut butter, crackers, instant oatmeal, cereal, bread, quick mac and cheese, pop top ravioli or spaghetti, soup, shelf-stable dinners, granola bars, pop tarts, canned fruit, and pudding cups. Cash donations can be given during the matches or by visiting the headlockonhunger.net. Free admission is available for Sunday's match with a minimum of two food donations.
The Cougars are coming off their first SoCon win of the season, an 18-16 upset victory over The Citadel. Spates said he hopes to carry that momentum into this weekend.
"We had a tough early season schedule. We think there are more winnable matches out there. We're hoping to use that as a springboard," added Spates.
Seven different SIUE wrestlers picked up victories in either the Northern Illinois match or The Citadel match last weekend. John Fahy, Nate Higgins and Derek Nagel all swept their weekend matches.
"We talked a lot about how you can only control the match that is in front of you," said Spates. "We have four matches this weekend, and you can't win all four at once."
SIUE Lineup
125-Joe Antonelli
133-Dakota Leach
141-John Muldoon
149-John Fahy
157-Erik Travers
165-Nate Higgins
174-Clayton Bass
184-Derek Nagel
197-Jake Tindle
HWT-Chris Johnson
