GUNNISON, Colo.  Mountaineer wrestlers gave their seniors a proper send off Friday night as 13th-ranked Western Colorado rolled five consecutive wins in the final five matches to earn a 30-14 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win over visiting Adams State University on Senior Night in Paul Wright Gym.

Just prior to the start of the dual, the program recognized five wrestlers who will be graduating from the program. Joining the coaches one by one on the mat were Pratt Williams, Lawson Hayman, Dean Noble, Cole Hernandez and Cole Gray.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Adams State, 30-14
Records: Western 7-4 overall (4-2 RMAC), Adams State 3-6 (2-5)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trailing 14-9 after the 157-pound match, the Mountaineers began their finishing sprint with Walker Heckendorf's 8-3 decision at 165. Two takedowns in the first period staked Heckendorf to the lead, in a match in which he only surrendered one escape and an early third-period reversal – from which Heckendorf added his final point with an escape.
• Hernandez, ranked No. 1 in the nation, pounded away at ASU's Dallas Porter right from the start, racking up a 15-3 advantage in the first period. Hernandez had the starting choice in the second and picked neutral, and 45 seconds later he put Porter down again to finish off an 18-3 technical fall that gave Western its first lead of the night, 17-14.
• Gray was commanding in his match at 184, scoring a takedown and giving up an escape in both the first and second periods to head into the third leading 6-2. He chose the down position to start the final period, earned an escape for a five-point lead then added another takedown to go along with the final riding time point for his 11-2 major decision.
• Even more dominant than Gray was Sage Harrison at 197. A mid-period takedown in the first eventually became a pair of four-point near falls that led Harrison into the second leading 11-0. Starting the period with both wrestlers up, Harrison took ASU's Josh Coon to the mat and soon after rolled Coon to his back and completed the move for what was the Mountaineers' second pin of the night.
• Riley Butt at 285 finished off the string of wins with a 10-4 decision. Ahead 3-1 after the first and 6-2 after the second, Butt allowed an escape to start the third, picked up a penalty point on a third stalling call on ASU's Ronan Melani, then added another takedown in lighting up the raucous crowd.
• Western's initial pin in the dual came early with Devin Gomez recording one in his bout at 133. Gomez trailed 6-2 after the first but rallied in the second to take a 9-7 lead. The Grizzlies' Jakob Romero had choice to the start the third, a choice that didn't work out as Gomez quickly got Romero on his back for a fall at the 5:30 mark, evening the team score at 6-6.
• Adams State went back in front with a 15-2 major at 141, but Noble pulled the Mountaineers to within a point at 149. Ranked No. 3 nationally, Noble would pile up riding time with a first period takedown and would eventually battle his way to a 7-5 decision over Kieran Thompson.
• The Western victory ended a brief two-year win streak by the Grizzlies and improved the Mountaineers' record against ASU to 14-6.

THEY SAID IT


UP NEXT
The Mountaineers close out RMAC action this season with a Feb. 13 dual at No. 25 Colorado Mesa University.