GUNNISON, Colo.  The annual wrestling match-up between rivals Western Colorado and Colorado Mesa will have a prequel in the 2022-23 season, with Thursday's non-conference dual between the host Mountaineers and the Mavericks taking place prior to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference match in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Feb. 9, 2023.

The competition week doesn't end Thursday for Western, as its reserves and redshirts will compete in the Doug Moses Open on Saturday in Las Vegas, N.M., with the week concluding Sunday as the Mountaineers will square off against Chadron State, St. Cloud State (Minn.), and Augustana (S.D.) at the Chadron Tri-Duals in Chadron, Nebraska.

No. 18 MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE MATCH
Western is coming out of a strong showing at the Younes Hospitality Open, which produced a pair of titlists in the Elite brackets – Jason Hanenberg at 149, and Hunter Mullin at 165.

Hanenberg registered pins in his first three matches – the first two in the opening periods – before eventually dominating the championship match, 8-0, for the bracket crown.

Mullin scratched out a 5-2 opening-round win to advance, then continued through the bracket with a pair of technical falls and two major decisions before rallying in the final 10 seconds of the championship match with a reversal to earn the title with an 8-7 triumph.

Patrick Allis was pushed from the championship 125 bracket in the quarterfinals but worked his way back in the consolation bracket to earn fourth place. In similar fashion, Cole Hernandez made it to the semifinals of the Elite 174 bracket before slipping into the consolation bracket, but he, too, wrestled back to a fourth-place finish.

Western had captured six of the seven matchups against the Mavericks between the Nov. 2017 meeting and the Dec. 2020 bout, but Mesa has captured the past two matches in 2021 and 2022.

No. 10 COLORADO MESA HEADING INTO THE MATCH
The Mavericks have started the season with a 1-1 record, splitting matches in San Francisco earlier in the month.

Mesa owned an 18- 13 lead against Menlo (Calif.) but the Oaks, an NAIA member applying for NCAA Division II membership, earned narrow decisions in the final three weights to rally for a 22-18 non-conference, neutral-site victory.

Later in the day it were the Mavericks that pulled out a victory, dominating host San Francisco State, 28-12, in an RMAC match.

On the day, Dawson Collins, Collin Metzgar and Alex Holguin each went 2-0. Collins swept his matches at 125, Metzgar at 133, and Holguin at 174.

CHADRON STATE HEADING INTO THE TRI-DUALS
The Eagles are 0-1, but the loss was to No. 1-ranked Nebraska-Kearney, and they bounced back from that defeat with two overpowering wins against a pair of Junior College squads.

Chadron, too, is coming out of the Younes Open, where it produced the championship runner-up, Quentrevion Campbell, in the Elite 133 bracket; the third-place finisher, Quade Smith, at 125; and a third place by Ethan Leake at 141.

Western had won four in a row against the Eagles before Chadron halted that streak in the 2020-21 season. A new Mountaineer streak was perhaps initiated with last season's 43-9 victory in Gunnison.

No. 2 ST. CLOUD STATE HEADING INTO THE TRI-DUALS
The Huskies have not participated yet in any duals, but are coming off the Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Open at which it earned six titles.

Paxton Creese earned his crown at 125, Alyeus Craig at 141, Nick Novak picked his up at 149, 157 saw Jimmy Pierandozzi add a title, Anthony Herrara won at 165,  and Bryce Dagel won at 174.

Western is 0-3 all time against St. Cloud State.

No. 5 AUGUSTANA HEADING INTO THE TRI-DUALS
The Vikings won the only other matchup in history with the Mountaineers (Jan. 2020).

The 0-1 to start the season, the loss came against NCAA Division I opponent, South Dakota State.

The Vikings will take on host and D-I University of Minnesota before heading to the Tri-Duals at Chadron.

Augustana was also at the Dakota Wesleyan Open, producing several high finishes: Jacob Tvinnereim placed third at 174; Miles Fitzgerald was fourth at 157, and Kolby Kost was fourth at 184; Zach Peterson was fifth at 197; and Danny Reynolds was sixth at 184.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Mountaineers will participate in the MidWest Classic in Indianapolis on Saturday and Sunday, December 17 and 18.