The Colorado Mesa women's wrestling team will head to Sin City for five duals as a part of the Desert Duals at the Flamingo Hilton Hotel and hosted by Wartburg College. The Mavericks are scheduled to take on three ranked opponents in the Desert Duals that begin on Sunday morning at 9:00am.
THE STREAK
The Mavericks have been winners in their last 12 straight duals dating back to the 2020-21 season. The streak started on January 30, 2021, with a 31-9 win over Schreiner in Brownson Arena and includes six wins that have come in Grand Junction.
This weekend the Mavericks will have a chance to extend the streak although the task will not be easy as they will be taking on their potential second, third and fourth opponents as a part of the streak in Tiffin, Simon Fraser, and Schreiner.
GETTING HEALTHY
This weekend, the Mavericks will welcome back to the lineup a pair of freshman phenoms in
Isabella Morales and
Israel Resendez. Both are returning from injuries and should make appearances this weekend for the first time since the Maverick Open back in the first weekend of December.
Morales went 5-0 during the opening weekend to take first in the 109-pound weight class at the Maverick Open while Resendez also went 5-0 and won the 116-pound weight class at the Maverick Open.
DIFFERENT LINEUPS
Colorado Mesa could feature very different lineups in each of the duals this weekend as a total of 22 different wrestlers have made the trip to Sin City. With five duals, the amount of wrestlers gives head coach
Travis Mercado flexibility to shuffle weights with some wrestlers and give others opportunities to see time on the mat.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
The Mavericks will take on three opponents this weekend that they have seen in one way, shape or form and two brand new teams they have yet to encounter. Colorado Mesa has defeated T-No.19 Schreiner (39-8) and Chadron State (41-3) while Ottawa AZ competed in the Maverick Open back on Nov. 5 in Brownson Arena.
Colorado Mesa will take on T-19 Tiffin for the first time in program history. The Dragons have one ranked wrestler in No. 7 ranked 109 pounder Jenavi Alejandro while they have another not ranked but waiting in the wings in 2022 101-pound national champion Olivia Shore.
The Mavericks will also be taking on the likes of No. 6 Simon Fraser. The two teams have yet to face-off with one and other in a dual in each school's history but the Red Leafs have a long and storied history of success with both Canadian and American women's wrestlers.
ON THE HORIZON
The Mavericks will take their mandated NCAA winter break next week but will be back in action shortly after as they head to Louisville for the NWCA National Duals. The last time the Mavericks competed at the National Duals was in 2019-20 when they took home the fourth-place plaque.
