The Colorado Mesa women's wrestling team opens the 2022-23 campaign this weekend in Grand Junction as they will host a pair of teams on Friday in a double dual before the annual Maverick Open on Saturday.
 
PRESEASON RANKINGS
Colorado Mesa enter the NWCA National Preseason Rankings at No. 3 this season and had eight wrestlers receive a ranking at their respective weight. The Mavericks trail only preseason favorite North Central who had a nation-high 13 wrestlers ranked and King who had 11 wrestlers ranked.
 
THAT NUMBER ONE SPOT
The Mavericks had two wrestlers land the top spot at their respective weight in the NWCA Preseason National Individual Rankings.
 
Marissa Gallegos is ranked No. 1 at 123 pounds and is the hands down favorite to win the National Championship at the weight this year. Gallegos was 25-2 a season ago and is now 66-8 in her Colorado Mesa career.
 
At 191 pounds, Jayleen Sekona checked in at No. 1 at 191 pounds after a unsuspecting run to third-place at the weight a year ago. Sekona went 22-10 a year ago and defeated four highly ranked wrestlers at the National Championship tournament in Adrian, Mich.
 
THE RETURN
Two Colorado Mesa standout wrestlers are scheduled to make their return to the mat this weekend. Jennesis Martinez and Dalia Garibay have both fully recovered from injuries that have kept them out of the lineup, and the mat, for the past year.
 
Martinez is 29-14 in her career and has won two all-American awards finishing third her freshman season and fourth in her COVID sophomore season. She enters the season ranked No. 3 at 101 pounds in the preseason NWCA rankings behind returning national champ Olivia Shore of Tiffin and Lizzette Rodriguez of McKendree.
 
Garibay was injured in her COVID sophomore national tournament but is now back at full strength. The Brentwood, Calif. native is 26-9 in her career and was the national runner-up at 136 pounds in her freshman season. Garibay will be up a couple weights this year at 155 pounds where she enters the season ranked No. 2 by the NWCA preseason rankings behind Marlynne Deede of Augsburg. Deede is the sister of Colorado Mesa women's basketball player Lauryn Deede.
 
SENIOR RECOGNITION
The Mavericks will honor several of their wrestlers in between the two duals on Friday evening as they are graduating from school this year. Jennesis Martinez, Kaylie Catalano, Marissa Gallegos, Lizzie Miller, Holly Beaudoin, and Caylee Collins will all be recognized on Friday.
 
All six wrestlers have years of eligibility remaining.
 
FRESHMAN IN THE LINEUP
Four freshmen could make their debuts for the Mavericks in Friday evening's duals. Isabella Morales (109), Israel Resendez (116), Hailey Chapman (130) and Jada Llamido (143) could all make their first appearance as a Maverick in one of the two duals.
 
Morales, a Toppenish, Wash. native, will likely make her debut in both duals on Friday evening at 109 pounds. The two-time Washington State Champ has been praised heavily by coach Mercado in the early going and will likely be the Mavericks No. 2 wrestler at 101 pounds during the postseason.
 
Resendez, a Denver native and two-time Colorado State Champion, could see a match at 116 pounds this weekend.
 
Chapman, a Lake Arrowhead, Calif. native, has shined in the early going of the season. Chapman is a two-time California state placer and a two-time all-American at the Folkstyle National Tournament.
 
Florida native Jada Llamido will compete at 143 pounds on Friday evening. Llamido is a three-time Florida state placer and was the state champion during the 2020 state tournament. She finished third at the prestigious Super 32 tournament last year.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
On Friday, the Mavericks are set to take on second-year program Chadron State and first-year program Texas Woman's from Denton, Texas. The Eagles had just seven wrestlers a year ago and now they boast upwards of 25 wrestlers and are slated to have a full lineup. Chadron state had one girl ranked in the preseason rankings, Taylor Lindstrom at 101 pounds, but she is not scheduled to wrestle this weekend.
 
Texas Woman's is in their first year and will be competing in their first-ever dual on Friday evening against Colorado Mesa. They are slated to have nine of the ten weights filled with 17 wrestlers making the trip to Grand Junction for the weekend.
 
The Maverick Open is in its third year of existence and has steadily grown over the years. This year is scheduled to have around 125 wrestlers, the most ever, and feature seven full teams and several other individual. Chadron State, Texas Woman's, Minot State, Snow College, Ottawa AZ, and NAIA power Providence are scheduled to appear in the field.
 
ON THE HORIZON
The Mavericks will make one of their longest bus journeys of the season for their next competition. They will travel to Marshall, Mo. for the nationally attended Missouri Valley Open on November 18-19.
 
PROJECTED LINEUP
101 –   #3 Jennesis Martinez (RSo., Albuquerque, N.M.) or #7 Kaylie Catalano (RJr., Thornton, Colo.)
109 –   Isabella Morales (Fr., Toppenish, Wash.)
116 –   Israel Resendez (Fr., Denver, Colo.) or Carissa Epling (So., Tremonton, Utah)
123 –   #1 Marissa Gallegos (RJr., Denver, Colo.)
130 –   Lizzie Miller (RSo., El Dorado Springs, Mo.) or Hailey Chapman (Fr., Lake Arrowhead, Calif.)
136 –   #3 Holly Beaudoin (RSo., Poulsbo, Wash.)
143 –   Jada Llamido (Fr., Oviedo, Fla.)
155 –   #2 Dalia Garibay (RSo., Brentwood, Calif.)
170 –   Melena Jones (RSo., Kansas City, Mo.) or Samantha Vasquez (So., Durango, Colo.)
191 –   #1 Jayleen Sekona (So., Anchorage, Alaska)