GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa women's wrestling team will be at home for the first time during the 2019-20 season. They will host Midland University on Thursday for Fall Brawl at 6pm followed by the Maverick Open on Sunday at 9am in Brownson Arena.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Colorado Mesa competed at the prestigious Missouri Valley Open on Sunday and came away with a sixth place finish with 104 points as a team. The Mavericks had three wrestlers finish in the top six at their respective weight.
 
The Mavericks were the third NCAA team in the rankings behind first-place McKendree and second place King. They did finish in front of Emmanuel College and DIII North Central for NCAA schools in the tournament.
 
Cindy Zepeda was the highest placer, finishing as the runner-up at 130 pounds with Marissa Gallegos placing fifth at 123 pounds. Freshman Jennesis Martinez placed sixth after medically forfeiting her fifth-place bout.
 
PIN MACHINE
Freshman Cindy Zepeda had her best performance of her young career after placing second at 130 pounds at the Missouri Valley Open last weekend. After receiving a first round bye, Zepeda faced Hayden Lowe of King and pinned her in just a minute and 11 seconds for her first victory of the open.
 
In her next match, she would pin Shania Murray of McKendree in just a minute and 34 seconds to move onto the quarterfinals. In that match, she would pin Jocelyn Murphy of the host Missouri Valley in a minute flat.
 
In her semifinal bout, Zepeda would pin Anesia Ramirez of Southern Oregon in two minutes and three seconds to advance to the final. Ramirez entered the bout ranked sixth at 130 pounds in the NAIA Rankings.
 
The Palm Springs native fell to third-ranked Allison Petix of King in the championship bout and finished the tournament 4-1.
 
STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM
Freshman Jennesis Martinez will open up the dual at the lowest weight of 101 pounds. Martinez placed sixth at the Missouri Valley Open after medically forfeiting her fifth place match with a minor injury as she wrestled six matches on the day. She went 4-2 in those matches with two coming by way of pin.
 
Martinez, a Cadet Folkstyle national champion and two-time New Mexico State Champion, is 4-3 on the season.
 
FULL LINEUP
Barring any injuries during the week, Colorado Mesa will be putting out a full lineup on the mat against Midland University on Thursday. It will be there first dual with a full lineup in the program's two-year history if it occurs.
 
In their first dual this season, the Mavericks bumped up Mayte Villada from 170 pounds to the 191 pounds in that dual, leaving a void at 170 pounds.
 
Senior Emily Clawson is slated to make her season debut at 191 pounds this week for the dual and the open.
 
HISTORY WITH MIDLAND
The Mavericks and the Warriors will be meeting for the first-time in the two schools history on Thursday for the Fall Brawl dual.
 
Midland is an NAIA school located in Fremont, Nebraska. They are in their ninth season with a women's wrestling program and placed ninth at the NAIA National Championships last season.
 
The Warriors have competed in the Waldorf University Open and the Missouri Valley Open where they placed 16^th in the 34 team field.
 
THE MAVERICK OPEN
Colorado Mesa will host their first open tournament this Sunday in Brownson Arena. Seven schools are slated to compete in it making it a smaller tournament but younger wrestlers should get good matches that they may not get in other big tournaments.
 
Texas Wesleyan, Schreiner, Life Pacific and York College are all scheduled to compete in the tournament which begins at 9am on Sunday morning.
 
THE COACH
Second-year head coach Travis Mercado has the Mavericks prepared for the season ahead. Mercado led Colorado Mesa to a 2-6 mark in the inaugural season. This season should be different with a full lineup and a roster of over 20 girls.
 
Prior to Colorado Mesa, Mercado was an assistant coach at King University in Tennessee where he oversaw the women's program and assisted with the men's team. At King, Mercado trained ten USA Olympic Trials competitors and nine USA Junior National Team members.
 
Projected Lineup
101: Jennesis Martinez, Fr., Albuquerque, N.M. (4-3 Overall)
109: Elexis Kalar, Fr., Austin, Texas (3-3 Overall)
116: Anja Tschohl, Fr., Andover, Kan. (3-3 Overall)
123: Marissa Gallegos, RFr., Denver, Colo. (8-2 Overall)
130: Cindy Zepeda, Fr., Palm Springs, Calif. (5-1 Overall)
136: Dalia Garibay, Fr., Brentwood, Calif. (1-3 Overall)
143: Alma Mendoza, So., Sequim, Wash. (4-2 Overall)
155: Kira Gilliland, Fr., Centennial, Colo. (0-2 Overall)
170: Mayte Villada, Jr., Downey, Calif. (2-3 Overall)
191: Emily Clawson, Sr., Paonia, Colo. (0-0 Overall)