GOLDEN, Colo. Western Colorado wrestling closed out its regular-season schedule Sunday, taking its reserves and redshirts to Colorado School of Mines and the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open.
Three Mountaineers wrestled their way to top-six places at the Open. The top finisher was
Cole Mortensen who worked his way into the championship match of the 165-pound weight class.
He opened with what would become the fastest technical fall at the Open, scoring a 16-0 victory over Colorado State's Jack Kellermann in just 1 minute, 39 seconds.
It took only two seconds longer to record another win as Mortensen pinned Colton Gehlhausen of Chadron State in 1:41, then went the distance in the semifinals in earning a 7-1 decision over Adams State's Nico Carrasco.
The march to the top step of the podium ended in the final, however, as Mortensen surrendered a pin to Cal Baptist's Mateo De La Pena with five seconds remaining in the opening period of the championship match.
Both of Western's sixth-place finishers won their opening matches before being relegated to the consolation bracket with losses in their next matches.
Noah Kasprowicz had a bye in the opening round at 133 then advanced through the next round with a third-period pin of Austin Davis of Adams State. He was majored next, though (8-0), to get pushed into the consolation bracket where he advanced initially via an injury default.
He earned a 6-4 decision against Dyson Kunz of Northern Colorado to move into the 5th/6th-place match where the result was reversed as he dropped a 7-4 decision to Oran Huff of Colorado Mesa.
At 184,
Pratt Williams pinned an unattached Jesse Thornton to start the day, but was pinned in the second round in 39 seconds.
After an opening bye in the consolation bracket Williams was able to continue advancing after pinning Garrett Bakarich of Colorado Mines right at the end of the second period. San Francisco State's Kweli Hernandez was able to defeat Williams, an 8-1 decision, for fifth place in the bracket, though.
Another multiple winner of note was
Amir Musalli at 149. He posted the Open's third-fastest pin – 32 seconds -- in his opening match, the pinned his next opponent in the first period. Musalli was taken out of the main bracket with a loss in the next round, then ended his day with an opening loss in the consolation bracket.
Also winning his opening two matches, a 6-3 decision and a second-period pin, was
Darian Palacio at 133. He too, though, lost in the third round and then again in his first match within the consolation bracket.
Tannen Kennedy lost his opening match at 157 but rebounded with a 6-4 decision in the consolation bracket. Kennedy then recorded the second-fastest fall of the Open, taking just 24 seconds to pin Zahi Davis of Cal Baptist. Unfortunately, his afternoon ended with a fall in the next match.
UP NEXT
Western will participate in the NCAA Division II Super Region 6 Tournament in Chadron, Nebraska, on February 25, vying for advancement into the March 10-11 NCAA D-II national tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
