GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado Mesa opened up the season on Thursday (Dec. 10) with a triangular dual with perennial national power Nebraska-Kearney and Western slope rival Western Colorado in Brownson Arena. The Mavericks came out on the wrong end of both duals that were decided by a combined three points.
 
Nebraska-Kearney used a three-bout run from 157 to 174 to fuel a 23-21 victory over Colorado Mesa in the first of two duals for the Mavericks.
 
The run for the Lopers began at 157 pounds when Talon Sietz earned a pin of Dylan Ranieri that was followed by a 16-0 technical fall win for Matt Malcolm at 165 pounds. The run ended when Terrell Garraway earned a pin of Seth Latham in overtime after the two finished regulation tied at 5-5. The run slingshotted the Lopers into the dual lead after trailing 12-3 after the 149-pound bout to a 20-12 lead with three bouts remaining.
 
Cian Apple and Collin Metzgar earned decision victories for the Mavericks at 125 and 133 pounds respectively.
 
Erik Contreras earned a pin of Teonte Wilson at 149 pounds at the 52 second mark of the bout.
 
Gabriel Carranza finished the dual off with a hard-fought win over Lee Herrington 3-0 in the 285-pound bout. Carranza earned a pair of stalling points after riding the Loper for nearly two periods and garnered the riding point when time expired.
 
In the nightcap, the Mavericks and Mountaineers split the bouts five and five but a major decision by Mountaineer Jason Hanenberg proved to be the difference as Western Colorado eeked out a 25-24 win in the non-RMAC dual.
 
Cian Apple, Collin Metzgar and Daniel Magaña opened the bout with three straight wins for Colorado Mesa. Metzgar highlighted the early run with an 8-6 sudden victory win over highly ranked Patrick Allis. Metzgar had never beaten Allis heading into the bout.
 
The Mountaineers went on a four-match run that included three bonus point victories to take a 19-12 lead in the dual.
 
Nolan Krone and Donnie Negus kept the Mavericks alive with back-to-back pins at 184 and 197 pounds.
 
Western took the 285 bout by pin to seal the dual victory.
 
Colorado Mesa will be off until after the break. They will travel to Hay, Kan. for a pair of duals against Fort Hays State and Newman on January 8.
 
Bout-by-Bout Results vs. Nebraska-Kearney
125: Cian Apple (CMU) dec. Jackson Nielsen, 9-3
133: Collin Metzgar (CMU) dec. Alec Segarra, 5-0
141: Wesley Dawkins (UNK) dec. Daniel Magaña, 9-8
149: Erik Contreras (CMU) pins Teontae Wilson, :52
157: Talon Sietz (UNK) pins Dylan Ranieri, 2:02
165: Matt Malcolm (UNK) tech falls Hayden Harris, 16-0 (6:21)
174: Terrell Garraway (UNK) pins Seth Latham, 7:20
184: Nolan Krone (CMU) inj. Default Hayden Prince, 0:24
197: Joseph Reimers (UNK) dec. Donnie Negus, 15-13
285: Gabe Carranza (CMU) dec. Lee Herrington, 3-0
 
Bout-by-Bout Results vs. Western Colorado
125: Cian Apple (CMU) pins Seth Lisowski, 0:32
133: Collin Metzgar (CMU) dec. Patrick Allis, 8-6 SV1
141: Daniel Magaña (CMU) dec. Dean Noble, 9-8
149: Jason Hanenberg (WCU) maj. dec. Zander Condit, 8-0
157: Tannen Kennedy (WCU) dec. Dyllan Fuchs, 4-3
165: Cole Mortenson (WCU) pins Hayden Harris, 4:15
174: Cole Hernandez (WCU) pins Seth Latham, 3:26
184: Nolan Krone (CMU) pins Cole Gray, 3:59
197: Donnie Negus (CMU) pins Stanley Suter, 1:54
285: Sammy Deseriere (WCU) pins Gabe Carranza, 1:45