GUNNISON, Colo. Mountaineer wrestling, ranked 15th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll, is set to host its biggest annual events of the year, welcoming 19 teams to Friday afternoon's Western Colorado Open, and eight collegiate teams along with nearly 20 high school teams to Saturday's Tracy Borah Duals.

Both events will be hosted in the Mountaineer Field House.

The Duals were born in 1991 in honor of wrestling legend Tracy Borah. An inductee into numerous Halls of Fame – Colorado High School Coaches (1989), Mountaineer Sports (1995), NCAA Division II Wrestling (1996), Colorado Sports (1998), National Wrestling Hall of Fame Colorado Chapter (2000), Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (2005), along with earning selection to the RMAC All-Century Team (Coach, 2009) – the event began as an Invitational with the format changing to Duals in 2007.

The Open was added into the weekend to create an opportunity for visiting programs to bring complete rosters, with most of the Open competitors either redshirts or reserves.

The 34th Annual Duals include the Mountaineers, 23rd-ranked Colorado Mesa University, as well as Adams State University; Colorado State University Pueblo; Fort Hays (Kan.) State University; Newberry (S.C.) College; New Mexico Highlands University; and Simon Fraser (B.C.) University.

Western is scheduled to match up against Colorado Mesa (10 a.m.), Newberry (11:30 a.m.), Fort Hays (1 p.m.), and in a 2:30 p.m. RMAC dual, Simon Fraser.

Several of the competing teams in the Duals will be sending NWCA-ranked wrestlers to the mats in the Field House on Saturday. Those competitors include:

• 125 pounds – No. 4 Isaiah Gamez (Adams State), No. 7 Dayson Torgerson (Colorado Mesa)
• 133 pounds – No. 15 Oran Huff (Colorado Mesa)
• 149 pounds – No. 4 Dean Noble (Western Colorado
• 157 pounds – No. 8 Ryan Wheeler (Colorado Mesa)
• 174 pounds – No. 3 Cole Hernandez (Western Colorado)
• 184 pounds – No. 15 Jason Bynarowicz (Colorado Mesa)
• 197 pounds – No. 6 John Parker (Newberry), No. 12 Tereus Henry (Fort Hays), No. 13 Gabe Carranza (Colorado Mesa)
• 285 pounds – No. 11 Tyler Doyle (Colorado Mesa)

UP NEXT
Western welcomes San Francisco State to Paul Wright Gym for a match on Friday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.