GUNNISON, Colo. - Fans and wrestlers got their first taste of what the NCAA Division II Region IV Championships will be like in February. Western State Colorado University hosted five teams at the 26th Annual Mountaineer Field House on Saturday, the site of the Regional Championships. The 17th ranked Mountaineers came away with two wins, falling only to Division I Air Force Academy.

Western (3-1, 1-0 RMAC) opened the day against the University of Central Oklahoma. The Mountaineers earned five decisions against the Bronchos, and one win by way of technical fall. Mick Dougharity (Jr., Damascus, Ore.) earned the tech. fall at 197 pounds, scoring 16 unanswered points against Brody Largent. Western came away with a 20-15 win to christen the Mountaineer Field House.

Against AFA in the second dual of the day, Western found themselves behind 6-0 after the first two bouts. However, returning All-American Corbin Bennetts (Sr., Buena Vista, Colorado) got three points back for Western with a 4-3 decision of the Falcons' Anthony McHugh. Western would win two more matches in the dual, one 6-4 decision at 174 pounds by Austin Harris (Sr., Windsor, Colorado) and one major decision Ian Steen (So., Graham, Washington) at 157 pounds. The Falcons would win the dual 23-10.

The Mountaineers ended the duals against Simon Fraser University. Western made quick work of SFU after Ronald Wardleigh (Fr., Plain City, Utah) earned a fall at 125 pounds in 1:05. After a decision win by Zach Shank (Jr., Olathe, Colorado) at 133 pounds for Western, SFU forfeited the following two matches to put the Mountaineers ahead 21-0. Steen followed Wardleigh's example earning the second fall of the dual, this one at the 157-pound weight class. Western earned two more wins in the dual. Dougharity earned one of those victories by way of a decision, while Harris won by disqualification. The final score of the dual was 36-10 in favor of the Mountaineers.

Western will return to the mat next weekend at the Midwest Duals in Kearney, Nebraska. The NCAA Regional Championships will take place on Feb. 26 and run through Feb. 27.