GOLDEN, Colo.  A string of four victories through the middle weights erased a deficit and pushed Western Colorado in front, but an 11-point swing in two bouts by host Colorado School of Mines lifted the Orediggers to a 22-20 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference wrestling win Sunday at Russel H. Volk Gymnasium.


JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Mines def. Western, 22-20
Records: Western 7-7 (2-2 RMAC), Mines 10-1 (4-1)
Location: Russel H. Volk Gymnasium, Golden, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Mountaineers began to erase an 11-3 deficit with Jason Hanenberg's 11-2 major decision over Teague Dilbeck in the 149-pound match. Hanenberg led 5-1 after two periods then scored six points in the third on a pair of takedowns, a stall-warning point and a final riding time point for the nine-point victory.
• Ryan Wilson and Daniel Caddy at 157 were scoreless after the opening period, and Wilson led 1-0 after two on an escape from his initial bottom position to start the period. Caddy did the same in starting the third but Wilson registered a takedown then piled up riding time for a 4-1 decision that brought Western to within a point, 11-10, on the team scoreboard.
• The Mountaineers took the lead with Hunter Mullin's 8-3 decision at 165. He led 2-1 after the first and 3-1 after the second, adding a pair of takedowns in the third and the ride time point for the five-point decision.
• The 174 bout was a high-scoring, wild affair. Western's Cole Hernandez and CSM's Levi Farris combined for five takedowns and four escapes in the opening three minutes, heading into the second with Hernandez leading 8-6. A 7-1 second period by Hernandez opened the gap and he finished off the win, 17-9, with a major that widened the Mountaineer lead to 17-11.
• The Orediggers doubled their point total over the next two matches, however, picking up a technical fall at 184 and a first-period fall at 197 to wrest back the lead, 22-17, heading into the final match.
• Zachary Schraeder earned the win at 285 for Western, but his 5-3 decision fell short of the needed tech or fall to rally the Mountaineers from behind their five-point deficit.
• The opening match at 125 Sunday put Western in front after Patrick Allis' 4-2 decision, but Oredigger pins at 133 and 141 – minus one point for unsportsmanlike conduct after the 133 match – provided CSM with an 11-3 advantage.

UP NEXT
Western will host New Mexico Highlands and Colorado State Pueblo on Friday and Saturday, respectively, in RMAC matches at Paul Wright Gymnasium.