The No. 16 Colorado Mesa (11-2, 6-0 RMAC) men's wrestling team will close out the regular season on Wednesday when they travel to Gunnison, Colo. to take on their rivals, the Western Colorado Mountaineers (8-7, 5-1 RMAC). The Mavericks are looking for their second straight outright Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title and will get it with a win over the Mountaineers.
 
THE SCENARIOS
The Mavericks are on the verge of claiming their second straight and third overall Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship outright. With a win, they would finish the RMAC season unbeaten and claim their second 'dual' conference championship and their first since 2015.
 
Standing in their way is their rivals from Western Colorado. With a Mountaineer win, they would claim a three-way share of the title with the Mavericks and Colorado School of Mines
 
QUEST FOR 20
Senior Donnie Negus is in search of his 20^th victory of the season with this dual and the regional tournament guaranteed on the schedule. He would join teammate Collin Metzgar as 20 match winners this season with a couple others that could join him soon.
 
Dawson Collins sits at 18 wins this year and could reach the mark at the regional tournament.
 
PIPHER VS. PIPHER IX
Colorado Mesa head coach Chuck Pipher will be squaring off against his son in Western Colorado head coach Charlie Pipher for the ninth time on Wednesday evening. Charlie owns a 6-2 edge on his father but Chuck's Mavericks got the best of Charlie's Mountaineers in the matchup in December
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Other than the Mavericks, there may be no hotter team in the RMAC then Western Colorado. The Mountaineers have won five duals in a row after falling to No. 21 Colorado School of Mines to open the RMAC dual season.
 
Colorado Mesa defeated Western Colorado 33-6 back on December 9 in Grand Junction. The Mavericks won eight of the ten bouts on their way to their most lopsided win over the Mountaineers.
 
Cody Fatzinger (125) and Jason Hanenberg (149) dropped close matchups recently but still have posed problems for the Mavericks in the past. Fatzinger remains as one of No. 5 Dawson Collins' two losses of the year and Hanenberg remains one of the top wrestlers in a loaded 149-pound weight class in the region.
 
COACHING STAFF
Head coach Chuck Pipher returns to the bench for his 15^th season with Colorado Mesa. Last season, Pipher led the Mavericks to the RMAC Championship as the top placing team at the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament. He had two wrestlers qualify for the NCAA National Championships and was able to come home with two all-Americans in Donnie Negus at 197-pounds and national champion at 165 pounds in Fred Green.
 
Pipher has amassed a 124-112 record in duals since the program was brought back in 2006. He has also had an all-American in 10 straight seasons which is the longest running streak in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
 
Also returning to the bench is assistant coach Mike Mendoza who is entering his third season in the program after successful coaching stints at Adams State, Cal State Bakersfield, Boise State and Northeastern Junior College. He brings over 20 years of coaching experience to the staff.

New to the coaching staff this season is another Pipher. Bo Pipher is in his first season on the staff after spending the past five years competing and earning his degree at Penn State. Pipher wrestled for the Nittany Lions under Cael Sanderson and amassed a 27-31 record in his time. 
 
THE RETURN OF THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
The Mavericks are once again slated to host the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament and it is looking more and more like it will be a full field. Last season, Simon Fraser and New Mexico Highlands did not compete at the regional tournament due to COVID restrictions in New Mexico and Canada.
 
The tournament is scheduled to be on Saturday February 26 in Brownson Arena.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Colorado Mesa will host the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament on Saturday February 26 in Brownson Arena. The Mavericks are slated to have a full lineup entered in the tournament and will be one of the favorites for the tournament title. The top three place winners at each weight will qualify for the NCAA Championship Tournament in St. Louis.
 
Projected Lineup
125 – #5 Dawson Collins, RFRr., Grand Junction, Colo., 18-2 overall
133 – #7 Collin Metzgar, RJr., Colorado Springs, Colo., 21-5 overall
141 – Erik Contreras, RSo. Berthoud, Colo., 9-10 overall
149 – Nick Gallegos, RFr., Denver, Colo., 15-8 overall
157 – Ryan Wheeler, RFr., University Place, Wash., 14-6 overall
165 – Alex Holguin, Fr., Arenas Valley, N.M., 15-9 overall
174 – Seth Latham, RJr., Grand Junction, Colo., 14-6 overall
184 – Nolan Krone, RJr., Henderson, Colo., 13-5 overall
197 – #10 Donnie Negus, RSr., Elizabeth, Colo., 19-3 overall
285 – Kash Anderson, RFr., Boise, Idaho, 14-8 overall