DEFENDING CHAMPS
The Mavericks will open the dual season as the defending Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Champions after finishing the conference dual season with an unblemished record. This season will be a little different as the RMAC Champion will be determined in the RMAC Championship Tournament on January 31. Colorado Mesa was picked to finish second behind affiliate member Cal Baptist.

FRESH FACES
Four Mavericks should make their debut in the duals this week. At 133 pounds, Michael McDanial or Madison Gambrell will debut. McDanial is a transfer from Ouachita Baptist while Gambrell comes from Grand Canyon. Redshirt freshman Jason Buhr will wrestle at 157 pounds and currently boasts a 19-6 record with just one loss coming to a Div. II opponent. Marcus Haughian, a Grand Canyon transfer, will make the start at 197 pounds while Colter Bentley will wrestle at 285 pounds. Bentley played for the Maverick football team this fall.

GETTING HEALTHY
Colorado Mesa has had their fair share of injuries this fall but are slowly coming back to full health. Senior Jonathon Stelling is back after missing the last two opens with a leg injury while Drew Schumann missed most of November with an arm injury but is back. Madison Gambrell and Jessie Hoffschneider have been battling the flu bug this week and will be a match-time decision all week.

RANKINGS
The Mavericks are ranked at No. 20 in the most recent D2wrestle.com national rankings. They are the fourth team from the region in the rankings behind Cal Baptist, Nebraska-Kearney and Western State. Local products Daniel Salazar (Palisade) and Jessie Hoffschneider (Grand Junction) are each ranked No. 2 in the nation this week. 

OPPONENTS
New Mexico Highlands and Adams State await Colorado Mesa in this weeks RMAC duals. The Cowboys will feature a lineup with one returning NCAA qualifier in Reis Humphrey at 149 pounds. 157 pounder Kellen Pelzel enters the dual with the best record at 10-4. Adams State features a young team with 133 pounder Martin Ramirez as the leader of the youth movement. Ramirez was named D2Wrestle.com Regional Wrestler of the Wee after winning the Midwest Classic. The Mavericks will also face Simon Fraser, Central Oklahoma, and Air Force in the Tracy Borah Duals on Saturday with another small group of wrestlers heading to the Utah Valley Open.

PROJECTED LINEUP
Below is the projected lineup for the week's duals:
125 - Jonathon Stelling, Sr., 10-3
133 - Michael McDanial, RFr., 9-9 or Madison Gambrell, Jr., 2-2
141 - #2 Daniel Salazar, Sr., 14-3
149 - Drew Schumann, Sr., 5-4
157 - Jason Buhr, RFr., 19-6 or Nick Swanson, Jr., 9-5
165 - Jessie Hoffschneider, Jr., 14-5 or Bruno Nicoletti, So., 1-2
174 - Randy Boerner, So., 0-2
184 - Zack Slotten, Sr., 3-2
197 - Marcus Haughian, Sr., 2-2
285 - Colter Bentley, So., 0-2