GUNNISON, Colo. – Saturday's wrestling dual between 9^th-ranked Western Colorado University and 2^nd-ranked University of Nebraska Kearney became an instant classic. The Mountaineers came from 11 points down to pull off the comeback, and upset UNK 18-17.
 
Halfway through The Open Mat Wrestling's Division II Dual of the Week, UNK held a 14-3 lead following a technical fall from Matt Malcom, the top-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds.
 
Needing a spark, and unable to afford another loss, Western turned to redshirt freshman Hunter Mullin at 165 pounds.
 
Mullin received a hands to the face penalty in the opening seconds, giving his opponent Terrell Garraway a one-point advantage. That would be the only point Mullin would surrender in his bout. After riding Garraway for the entirety of the second period, Mullin earned an escape and takedown in the third, giving him a 5-1 decision.
 
Mullin's match was the first of four straight wins for the Mountaineers. Western held the Lopers without a takedown in all four bouts, chipping away at the Loper lead match-by-match.
 
At 174 pounds, top-ranked Brandon Supernaw squared-off against UNK's fifth-ranked Zach Stodden. Supernaw earned the first takedown, then rattled-off four more takedowns and a reversal to win 13-7. Stodden earned six points off escapes and another off a penalty.
 
Ruger Wyneken won the 184-pound bout against UNK's JJ Clark by 5-3 decision, earning takedowns in the second and third periods, following a scoreless first.
 
Konnor Schmidt, ranked second at 197 pounds, put the Mountaineers ahead 18-14, earning the dual's lone fall. Schmidt pinned UNK's Jace Lacaille in the second period as the Paul Wright Gym faithful erupted with unbridled enthusiasm.
 
Facing the nation's third-ranked 285-pound wrestler in Jarrod Hinrichs, Western's Sammy deSeriere could solidify the Mountaineers' upset as long as he didn't give up bonus points to the Lopers' heavyweight.
 
deSeriere wrestled fearlessly, attempting takedown after takedown. While he was unable to finish an attack, deSeriere's heart never relented. Hinrichs won the bout by a 10-3 decision, but the Mountaineers took the dual.
 
Western's 133-pounder, Cody Fatzinger earned the Mountaineers' only win in the first five matches on Saturday. Fatzinger earned six takedowns and a four-point nearfall to win by a 16-13 decision over JD Rader.
 
The Mountaineers will return to the mat next Saturday at the UNK Holiday Inn Open in Kearney, Nebraska.