GUNNISON, Colo.  Ironically on Cowboys and Cowgirls Night in Paul Wright Gym, host and 23rd-ranked Western Colorado wrestling bucked the visiting Cowboys of New Mexico Highlands University in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference match, rolling past the visitors by a score of 41-7.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. NM Highlands, 41-7
Records: Western 8-7 (3-2 RMAC), NM Highlands 7-12 (1-6)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Though the match result wasn't officially clinched until Hunter Mullin's third-period fall in the 165-pound bout, everything leading up to that match was a (red) tornado the Cowboys weren't able to escape.
• Mullin's pin was one of four in the opening six matches for Mountaineer wrestlers, a dominating start to the match that began with Patrick Allis' 12-4 major decision at 125 to peg Western to a 4-0 lead.
• Alex Alvarez led 2-1 nearing the end of the first period at 133, but a second takedown quickly turned into a fall at the 2:49 mark, pushing Western to a 10-0 lead on the scoreboard.
• At 141, Dean Noble took a 2-1 lead and the bottom choice into the second period. A quick escape then another takedown evolved into a two-point near fall for Noble, who came right back after an escape by the Cowboys' Joseph Misitano with another takedown, this one finishing off the match with a fall at 4:35.
• The match at 149 brought the already raucous crowd to new levels, as fourth-ranked Jason Hanenberg pinned Highlands' Deklyn Miller in just 1:43, ballooning Western's lead on the scoreboard to 22-0.
• One of the toughest matches of the night followed at 157, where Ryan Wilson carved out a 6-3 decision to continue the Mountaineers' unbeaten string in the match.
• Mullin's pin mathematically ended the match but Cole Hernandez, ranked ninth nationally at 174, added a 13-4 major to grow the Western lead to 35-0.
• The Cowboys finally got on the scoreboard with a 5-3 decision at 184, Western's Hayden Johnson finishing oh-so-close to a tying takedown near the end of the third, and Highlands added a major at 197 before the Mountaineers lit up the scoreboard – and the crowd – again with Zachary Schraeder's first-period fall in the final match at 285.
• In 13 of the last 15 matches against the Cowboys, all Mountaineer wins, Western has limited Highlands to single digits in the final score 13 times.

UP NEXT

• The Mountaineers will look to make a sweep of their final home weekend on Saturday with a visit from Colorado State University Pueblo in a 6 p.m. RMAC match.
• The match against the ThunderWolves is both Senior Night and Gunnison Community Night at Paul Wright Gym.