GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado wrestling hosts among the largest tournaments in the state Saturday, welcoming nine other collegiate teams to Mountaineer Field House for the 32nd Annual Tracy Borah Duals. Along with the 10 college teams competing, 24 high school boys' and girls' programs (upward of 300 participants) will also hit the mats in the Field House.

Named after the legendary Western coach, the Tracy Borah Duals have been an annual mainstay on the Mountaineers' schedule, interrupted only once during the 2020-21 COVID season.

Borah led Western wrestling to a pair of national championships, coached 45 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions, 30 All-Americans and 7 national champions. He also founded the Rocky Mountain Wrestling Camp, the longest running wrestling camp in the United States.

Named the RMAC Coach of the Century in 2009, Borah compiled a career record of 176-133-2 which prompted his induction into seven hall of fames: Colorado High School Hall of Fame (1989); Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame (1995); NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame (1996); Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (1998); National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Colorado Chapter (2000); RMAC Hall of Fame (2005); RMAC All-Century Team Coach (2009).

With this litany of accomplishments, Western Colorado athletics dedicated its Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame Room in his honor.

The afternoon prior to the Duals, Mountaineer wrestling will host the Western Colorado Open at which the team's reserves and redshirts will christen the weekend's mats.

MOUNTAINEER DUALS SCHEDULE (all on mat 1)
9 a.m. vs. Simon Fraser (B.C., Canada) University
10:30 a.m. vs. University of Findlay (Ohio)
12 p.m. WCU 'B' vs. Colorado Mesa 'B'
1 p.m. vs. San Francisco State University (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference match)
2:30 p.m. vs. Minot State (N.D.) University

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND
The Mountaineers enter the Duals with a 2-3 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the RMAC. The losses, however, have come against D-II No. 1 St. Cloud State, No. 8 Augustana (S.D) and D-I Air Force, and the victories have come against then-No. 10 Colorado Mesa in a non-conference bout and against Chadron State in the RMAC-opening match of the season for Western.

Most recently, the Mountaineers produced a pair of top-eight finishers at the 43rd Midwest Classic in Indianapolis on Dec. 18. Jason Hanenberg placed fourth in the 149-pound bracket and Cole Hernandez was seventh at 174.

Hanenberg is fifth in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association individual rankings, while Hernandez is rated No. 9 at his weight class in the same rankings.

ATTENDING TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
Joining Western at the Duals are No. 6 Adams State, No. 16 Colorado Mesa, Colorado School of Mines (RV), Colorado State Pueblo, Findlay (Ohio) (RV), Minot (N.D.) State (RV), N.M. Highlands, San Francisco State, and Simon Fraser (B.C., Canada).

Individuals at the Duals within the NWCA rankings:

• 125: Brendon Garcia, Adams State – No. 2
• 141: Grayston DiBlasi, Colorado Mines – No. 11
• 149: Josiah Rider, Adams State – No. 3
• 157: Noah Hermosillo, Adams State – No. 1
• 174: Hunter Reed, Findlay – No. 5
• 197: Anderson Salisbury, Colorado Mines – No. 5
• 285: Jake Swirple, Minot State – No. 8

WESTERN COLORADO OPEN
The annual Open begins at noon, Friday, and will have a lineup that has wrestlers from almost 40 teams across the country participating.

Western will be inserting its reserves and redshirts into the event.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Mountaineers head into the Nebraska-Kearney Midwest Duals after the Borah Duals. The UNK event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds.