GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  22nd-ranked Western Colorado wrestling heads back to the mat with duals on consecutive days at Colorado Mesa University. The Mountaineers will face the host Mavericks Thursday evening in a non-conference match, then square off with San Francisco State University Friday afternoon in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual at Mesa's Brownson Arena.

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE WEEK

• The Mountaineers come into the week with a 1-1 dual record, notching a 21-20 home victory over No. 18 Nebraska-Kearney following a 27-13 defeat at Air Force, a match at which Western led 10-9 after the first five weights.
• The one-point victory over the Lopers came down to the third tiebreak criteria after the teams concluded the match knotted at 20-20. Western claimed the tiebreaking point with an accumulated non-pin point total of 61, two points more than what the Lopers earned throughout the match.
• At their most recent outing, the Mountaineers claimed a pair of runners-up in the Elite brackets of the Nebraska-Kearney Younes Hospitality Open, while also earning a second place by Sage Harrison in the 197-pound Amateur bracket.
• Both Ryan Wilson and Cole Hernandez wrestled to second-place finishes in their brackets at the Younes Open. Wilson earned his at 157 and Hernandez – ranked No. 3 in the country (NWCA) – was second at 174.
• Also stepping onto the podium in Kearney was Dean Noble who placed fifth at 149.

COLORADO MESA HEADING INTO THE WEEK

• The Mavericks are opening their duals season with Thursday's non-conference bout against the visiting Mountaineers.
• Mesa began its season at the Mines Rookie Open then followed two weeks later with participation in the Nebraska-Kearney Younes Hospitality Open.
• Leading the Mavs with top-six placings at both events were Gabe Carranza and Tyler Doyle. Carranza finished second at the Rookie Open then sixth at the Younes Open at 197 pounds, while Doyle was third at Younes and sixth at Mines at 285.
• Thursday's lineup against Western also includes wrestlers that placed in the top six of either the Rookie or Younes Opens:
  • Dayson Torgerson (125 pounds) – third at Younes
  • Oran Huff (133) - fourth at Mines
  • Juan Garcia (149) - second at Mines
  • Owen Cline (157) – fourth at Mines
  • Jason Bynarowicz (184) - second at Younes

SF STATE HEADING INTO THE WEEK

• The Gators opened the season with a fifth-place finish at the Menlo (Calif.) Open before dropping duals against No. 18 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 13 Chadron State.
• At Menlo, Gage Mettler won the title at 174 pounds, and Kyle Botelho was second at 165.
• Botelho also recorded wins in the Kearny and Chadron duals, earning a sudden-victory overtime win in his match against the Lopers, and the Gators' lone victory (Dec. 8-1) in the Chadron match.
• The other wins in the match at Kearney were recorded by Lawrence Saenz (Dec. 10-5) at 149 and Basil Othman (Dec. 11-8) at 157.

UP NEXT
Western will close out the fall portion of its schedule on Dec. 16 and 17 in Indianapolis at the Midwest Classic.