GUNNISON, Colo. – No. 25 Colorado Mesa and No. 9 Western Colorado locked up in a early season non-conference dual at Paul Wright Gym. The Mavericks youth showed through on Wednesday night as the Mountaineers won seven of the nine contested bouts in a 33-15 loss for Colorado Mesa.
 
Western Colorado opened the dual with a pair of wins including a pin at 125 pounds before the Mavericks received a forfeit at 141 pounds to stop the streak. The Mountaineers led 9-6 at that point.
 
The Mountaineers picked up a decision victory at 149 pounds.
 
Junior Payton Tawater, ranked No. 7 in the NWCA rankings that were released today, pinned Jason Slaughter at 157 pounds to knot the dual at 12-12. Tawater took Slaughter down early and earned three turns in the first period. He then took the Mountaineer down in the second before pinning his opponent at the 4:07 mark.
 
Senior Jason Buhr, ranked 10^th in this week's rankings, needed overtime to earn his 6-4 win over redshirt freshman Hunter Mullins at 165 pounds. Buhr earned his take down with approximately four seconds left in overtime. Colorado Mesa led the dual 15-12 at that point.
 
The Mountaineers would go on to win the final four bouts of the night including three pins.
 
Western Colorado's No. 1 ranked wrestler Brandon Supernaw earned a pin of Seth Latham at 174 pounds followed by an overtime win and a pin at 197 pounds by No. 2 ranked Konnor Schmidt.
 
The Mavericks will be off until the Las Vegas Desert Duals on December 17 when they will face perennial NCAA powers Pitt-Johnstown and Minnesota State along with another opponent yet to be determined.
 
Match-by-Match Results
125 – Trent Piatt (WCU) pins Cole Bernstein, 2:53
133 – Colby Duncan (WCU) dec Bracken Lovell, 8-6
141 – Benny Pachello (CMU) wins by forfeit
149 – JD Chenoweth (WCU) dec Daniel Van Hoose, 4-2
157 - #7 Payton Tawater (CMU) pins Jason Slaughter, 4:07
165 - #10 Jason Buhr (CMU) dec Hunter Mullins, 6-4 OT
174 – #1 Brandon Supernaw (WCU) pins Seth Latham, 4:01
184 – Ruger Wyneken (WCU) dec Nolan Krone, 8-6 OT
197 – #2 Konnor Schmidt (WCU) pins TJ Lodermeier, 3:40
285 – Sam deSessiere (WCU) pins Hunter Mooring, 1:18