The Colorado Mesa University Wrestling team finished the first half of their schedule tonight with a single dual against the Western State Colorado Mountaineers. The Mavericks won six of the ten contested matches with each team picking up two bonus point wins. Colorado Mesa now sits at 4-0 and will look to improve on their #17 ranking after the Christmas Break.

            The Mavericks started the night off in a big way. Freshman Jonathon Stelling picked up a win over 2012 NCAA National Qualifier Dustin Steigemeyer 3-2. Stelling picked up a takedown late in the match and improved to 8-4 on the season. The Mavericks gained the early 3-0 lead in the dual.

            Colorado Mesa and Western State split the next two matches and headed to the 149 pund bout.

            Justin Schumacher picked up a major decision over Western State Colorado's Tyler Adams 10-2. Schumacher's win pushed his season record to 14-4 on the season and pushed the Maverick lead to 10-3 at that point.

            8th ranked Jon Gappmaier made his first appearance of the season and picked up a pin over the Mountaineer's Austin Harris at the 6:52 mark of the match. Gappmaier is now 1-0 on the year and the Mavericks led 16-3 heading to the break.

            Once again, the Mavericks and Mountaineers split the next two matches with each school's nationally ranked wrestler picking up wins.

            All-American Nick Petersen fell by pin to Western State's Kyle Piatt late in the third period. The loss was Petersen's first of the season to a Division II wrestler (his only other loss was to Northern Colorado's Nick Bayer.) That cut the Maverick lead to 19-16.

            Zak Slotten bumped up to 197 pounds and faced Western State's Sam Mangum. The two tied after seven minutes and headed to overtime. Controversy ensued at the end of the overtime period with both coaches in a heated argument with the official. After the dust settled, Slotten held on to the overtime win 3-2 and sealed the Maverick victory in the dual, leading 22-13.

            Western State's picked up a decision in the 285 pound match and the final ended up 22-16.

            The Mavericks will be off until January 5 of the new year when they head down to Phoenix for the Grand Canyon Duals.

125	Jonathon Stelling (CMU)	wins by decision over	Dustin Steigemeyer (WSCU)	3-2	CMU 3-0
133	Tyler Nelson (CMU)	wins by decision over	CJ York (WSCU)	3-2	CMU 6-0
141	Cody Cole (WSCU)	wins by decision over	Drew Schumann (CMU)	4-2	CMU 6-3
149	Justin Schumacher (CMU)	wins by major decision over	Tyler Adams (WSCU)	10-2	CMU 10-3
157	#8 Jon Gappmaier (CMU)	pins	Austin Harris (WSCU)	6:52	CMU 16-3
165	#7 Dylan Granard (CMU)	wins by decision over	Shawn Seppala (WSCU)	5-2	CMU 19-3
174	#2 Elliot Copeland (WSCU)	wins by major decision over	Chuck Lueth (CMU)	17-7	CMU 19-7
184	Kirk Piatt (WSCU)	pins	#8 Nick Petersen (CMU)	6:08	CMU 19-13
197	Zak Slotten (CMU)	wins by decision over	Sam Mangum (WSCU)	3-2 OT	CMU 22-13
285	Kyle Graulus (WSCU)	wins by decision over	Paco Retana (CMU)	5-2	CMU 22-16