The No. 16 Colorado Mesa men's wrestling team will head out on the road for a tough pair of matchups on Thursday and Friday. Tonight, they will take on the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys (3-7, 0-3 RMAC) at 6pm before a showdown with No. 14 Adams State (4-3, 2-2 RMAC) on Friday evening in Alamosa. This trip has been difficult in the past, but the Mavericks are riding into the week on a three-match winning streak.
 
SCHEDULE SHUFFLE
Colorado Mesa, Western Colorado, and Chadron State all shuffled their schedules around to ensure that all teams would be able to finish their regular season duals with each other. The Mavericks will now face Chadron State on Thursday February 10 at 6pm in Brownson Arena as the two teams couldn't compete on January 21 due to COVID 19 protocols within the Eagle program.
 
Chadron State will then take on Western Colorado on Friday February 11, the day that Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado were scheduled to compete. The two rivals will now face-off with each other on Wednesday February 16 in Gunnison.
 
NEW 285-POUNDER?
Redshirt freshman Kash Anderson has subbed in for the injured Gabe Carranza at 285 pounds the past five duals. The Mavericks have gone 4-1 in that span. Anderson hasn't necessarily seen the success in terms of winning matches and going 1-3 in those matches (Forfeit not factored in).
 
In three of those matches, he faced either a ranked or formerly ranked opponent, anywhere from No. 3 in the rankings to No. 11. In those matches, he lost by a combined six points including taking National Runner-up and No. 5 ranked Weston Hunt to overtime.
 
EYES ON THE PRIZE
With the win over No. 21 Colorado School of Mines, the Mavericks have the inside track to the RMAC Championship that is doled out to the team with the best record in duals throughout the season.
 
Colorado Mesa is in control of their own destiny with four duals to go. If the Mavericks win out, they will win the RMAC Championship for the second straight season. Last year, the Mavericks won on the account of their finish at the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament due to COVID canceling so many duals.
 
Nationally ranked Adams State stands in their way this week and Chadron State is also 4-0 heading into this weekend. Western Colorado and Mines each have one loss.
 
SCOUTING THE COWBOYS
New Mexico Highlands is under new leadership with Western Colorado grad Cody Cole at the helm. While the Cowboys haven't seen huge success in dual meets, they have had several individual highlights in opens and have a couple wrestlers to keep an eye on in a couple weeks at the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament.
 
Jonathon Trujillo is known name at 149 pounds and has had an excellent year thus far. Trujillo is 9-2 on the season with his losses coming to nationally ranked Noah Hermosillo of Adams State (4-1) and to Brody Lamb of Chadron State (4-3). He won the Doug Moses Open in December after pinning Grand Junction native Kieran Thompson of Adams State in the final.
 
174-pounder Allen Michel is 14-5 this year with placements at the Colorado Mesa Open and the Doug Moses Open. He was on an eight-match win streak before falling in his last two bouts to University of Mary and Chadron State.
 
SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES
Adams State is one of the perennial powers inside the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. While they may not always compete strongly in duals, they are always in the mix for a regional title and in the running for a high finish at the National meet. They have four wrestlers ranked in the NWCA national rankings and all could find their way onto the podium at the end of the year.
 
Noah Hermosillo is the highest ranked wrestler for the Grizzlies, checking in at No. 4 at 149 pounds. Hermosillo is 13-1 on the season and placed third at the prestigious Midwest Classic. The Gypsum native made the semifinals at last season's NCAA Championship meet and his lone loss came to now No. 2 Dominic Means of Gannon.
 
At 157 pounds, Grand Junction native Josiah Rider is 19-1 on the season and is ranked No. 6 with his lone loss of the year coming in the second round of the Midwest Classic. That loss came to……Colorado Mesa's Ryan Wheeler by pin in the first round at 2:06. Rider previously won the Younes Hospitality Open and wound up placing third at the Midwest Classic.
 
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 121-112 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 return home for a makeup date with Chadron State on Thursday at 6pm in Brownson Arena. The Mavericks will be honoring their seniors that night as the last regular season home night in Brownson Arena.
 
Projected Lineup
125 – #5 Dawson Collins, RFRr., Grand Junction, Colo., 15-2 overall
133 – #7 Collin Metzgar, RJr., Colorado Springs, Colo., 19-4 overall
141 – Erik Contreras, RSo. Berthoud, Colo., 7-9 overall
149 – Nick Gallegos, RFr., Denver, Colo., 14-6 overall
157 – Ryan Wheeler, RFr., University Place, Wash., 12-5 overall
165 – Alex Holguin, Fr., Arenas Valley, N.M., 13-8 overall
174 – Seth Latham, RJr., Grand Junction, Colo., 11-6 overall
184 – Nolan Krone, RJr., Henderson, Colo., 10-5 overall
197 – #10 Donnie Negus, RSr., Elizabeth, Colo., 16-3 overall
285 – Kash Anderson, RFr., Boise, Idaho, 12-7 overall