GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa wrestling team will compete in their third dual of the season on Wednesday (Nov. 27) when they travel up the road to Gunnison to take on the ninth-ranked Western Colorado Mountaineers.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Colorado Mesa will have either four or five freshman or redshirt freshman in the lineup this week against Western Colorado. Cole Bernstein will compete at 125 pounds for the first time in a dual this season.
 
Daniel Van Hoose saw his first varsity dual action at 149 pounds in the Mavericks win over Nebraska-Kearney while fellow redshirt freshman Nolan Krone has experienced solid success at 184 pounds as he enters this week with a 9-3 record.
 
Seth Latham is a true freshman competing at 174 pounds with a 4-2 record including a win over a ranked wrestler in his first collegiate match and Bracken Lovell has yet to compete as an attached wrestler but could see action at 133 pounds.
 
FAMILY FEUD
It will be an all Pipher matchup on Wednesday as Chuck will coach the Mavericks and his son Charlie will head up the Mountaineers. Charlie currently owns a 2-0 advantage on Chuck in the head-to-head series with Charlie and the Mountaineers winning both matchups a year ago.
 
Charlie is in his second season as the head coach of Western Colorado and has been on the coaching staff at his alma mater since 2011. Chuck has been the head man for the Mavericks since the program was reinstated in 2006.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado have built a rivalry ever since the Mavericks reinstated the program in 2007. While the Mountaineers dominated the rivalry early on, the two teams have been fairly even in the past six years.
 
Western is led by a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers in #1 ranked Brandon Supernaw at 174 pounds and #2 ranked Konnor Schmidt at 197 pounds. Supernaw is 2-0 this season with one pin and one win over nationally ranked Zach Stodden from Nebraska-Kearney while Schmidt is 2-0 with both wins coming by pin.
 
Both Western and Mesa have competed in the same events and duals thus far.
 
Last Five Meetings
February 1, 2018: #15 Western Colorado 26, Colorado Mesa 12
November 8, 2017: Western Colorado 30, #21 Colorado Mesa 13
February 2, 2017: #25 Colorado Mesa 21, #22 Western Colorado 19
January 21, 2016: Colorado Mesa 23, Western Colorado 13
February 5, 2015: Colorado Mesa 23, #5 Western Colorado 17
 
PROJECTED MATCHUPS
125
CMU: Cole Bernstein, RFr., Tempe, Ariz., 3-3 overall (1 pin)
WCU: Trent Piatt, Sr., Olathe, Colo., 1-1 overall
133
CMU: Tim Romero, Jr., Thornton, Colo., 1-5 overall
WCU: Colby Duncan, So., Sterling, Colo., 1-2 overall
141
CMU: Eduardo Penha, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., 4-0 overall (2 pins)
WCU: OPEN
149
CMU: Daniel Van Hoose, RFr., Grand Junction, Colo., 1-3 overall
WCU: JD Chenoweth, Jr., Walsh, Colo., 0-0 overall
157
CMU: #11 Payton Tawater, Jr., Arvada, Colo., 5-2 overall (2 pins)
WCU: Jason Slaughter, Jr., Hastings, Mich., 1-1 overall (1 pin)
165
CMU: #12 Jason Buhr, Sr., La Jara, Colo., 2-0 overall
WCU: Hunter Mullin, RFr., Clay Center, Kan., 6-2 overall (1 pin)
174
CMU: Seth Latham, Fr., Grand Junction, Colo., 4-2 overall (3 pins)
WCU: #1 Brandon Supernaw, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo., 2-0 overall (1 pin)
184
CMU: Nolan Krone, RFr., Henderson, Colo., 9-3 overall (4 pins)
WCU: Ruger Wyneken, RFr., Clovis, Calif., 4-2 overall (1 pin)
197
CMU: TJ Lodermeier, Sr., Hinton, Okla., 2-4 overall (1 pin)
WCU: #2 Konnor Schmidt, Jr., Fort Collins, Colo., 2-0 overall (2 pins)
285
CMU: Clayton Voytilla, Jr., Grand Junction, Colo., 0-2 overall
WCU: Sammy deSeriere, So., Westminster, Colo., 1-3 overall (1 pin)
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Colorado Mesa will travel to Sin City to compete in the Las Vegas Desert Duals on Monday December 17. The Mavericks will have two teams and will dual against perennial power Pitt-Johnstown and Minnesota State along with one other opponent that has yet to be determined at this point.