GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa wrestling team will host Cloud County Community College and No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney to Brownson Arena on Thursday (Nov. 8) and Friday (Nov. 9) for the first duals of the season.

A NEW SEASON
Colorado Mesa head wrestling coach Chuck Pipher begins his 13^th season at the helm of the Mavericks but this season may be a little different. This will be the first season in nearly six years that he will not have a full-time assistant after the departure of Larry Wilbanks (took a job outside of wrestling).
 
Former grapplers Paco Retana and Jordan Passehl, along with longtime volunteer Lino Estrada will all assist the program on a part-time basis. Retana has been with the program since he graduated two years ago while Passehl has been in and out of the room since his All-American senior season.
 
CHANGES
For the first time in three years, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference will not sponsor the RMAC Tournament that has been held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. This season the championship will be determined through the duals throughout the season.
 
Colorado Mesa claimed the RMAC Championship in the dual season during the 2014-15 season with a perfect 8-0 conference record and 14-1 overall. The lone loss that season came at the hands of Division I Northern Colorado, a 22-21 defeat in Brownson Arena.
 
FRESH FACES
Colorado Mesa will feature a few fresh faces in the lineup this season.
 
Eduardo Penha is scheduled to make his debut at 141 pounds on Thursday after having to sit out last season after transferring from St. Cloud State.
 
Local product Daniel Van Hoose is slated to compete at 149 pounds in the dual against Nebraska-Kearney. The Fruita Monument grad redshirted a year ago and had a 7-4 record in opens including a second-place finish at the Colorado Mesa Open.
 
Another local product will step on the mat for the first time and make his collegiate debut on Friday. Grand Junction High School's Seth Latham is scheduled to be in the lineup at 174 pounds and will take on two-time All-American Zach Stodden in his debut match.
 
At 184 pounds, Pomona High School's Nolan Krone will take the mat for the first time in a varsity match. Krone went 19-7 in opens and placed in three of those opens a year ago.
 
PROJECTED MATCHUPS
The Mavericks will run out two separate lineups for the two duals this week with Friday night's bout with Nebraska-Kearney having several postseason implications this early in the season. Junior Payton Tawater, ranked No. 11, is slated to compete in both duals with Friday's bout coming against top-ranked Matt Malcolm at 157 pounds. Tawater defeated Malcolm 8-5 in last season's dual at the Midwest Duals in Kearney.
 
At 165 pounds, senior Jason Buhr could face third-ranked Calvin Ochs. The two have never faced each other before.
 
Projected Lineup vs. Cloud County CC
125 – OPEN
133 – Tim Romero, Jr., Thornton, Colo., 0-2 overall
141 – Eduardo Penha, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., 0-0 overall
149 – Kyle Kintz, So., Gladstone, Ore., 1-2 overall
157 – #11 Payton Tawater, Jr., Arvada, Colo., 0-0 overall
165 – #12 Jason Buhr, Sr., La Jara, Colo., 0-0 overall
174 –  Donnie Negus, So., Elizabeth, Colo., 1-2 overall
184 – Patrick Romero, Jr., Thornton, Colo., 2-2 overall
197 – Hunter Mooring, RFr., Pueblo, Colo., 3-1 overall
285 – Clayton Voytilla, Jr., Grand Junction, Colo., 0-0 overall
 
Projected Lineup vs. #2 Nebraska-Kearney
125 – OPEN
133 – Tim Romero, Jr., Thornton, Colo., 0-2 overall
141 – Eduardo Penha, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., 0-0 overall
149 – Daniel Van Hoose, RFr., Grand Junction, Colo., 0-0 overall
157 – #11 Payton Tawater, Jr., Arvada, Colo., 0-0 overall
165 – #12 Jason Buhr, Sr., La Jara, Colo., 0-0 overall
174 –  Seth Latham, Fr., Grand Junction, Colo., 0-0 overall
184 – Nolan Krone, RFr., Henderson, Colo., 4-2 overall
197 – TJ Lodermeier, Sr., Hinton, Okla., 1-2 overall
285 – Clayton Voytilla, Jr., Grand Junction, Colo., 0-0 overall