The No. 3 Colorado Mesa women's wrestling team will head back out on the road for their first competition since the NCAA mandated winter break. They will travel to Louisville for the NWCA National Duals in search of their first-ever National Dual title with wrestling scheduled to begin at 9:30am on Friday at the Kentucky Convention Center.
 
THE STREAK CONTINUES
The Mavericks extended their winning streak in duals to 18 after a perfect 6-0 day at the Las Vegas Desert Duals, hosted by Wartburg College at the Flamingo Hotel by Hilton. The Mavericks picked up wins over Pacific University, Grays Harbor College, No. T-19 Tiffin, Ottawa Arizona, and No. T-19 Schreiner along with the maybe the biggest dual win in program history when they upended No. 6 Simon Fraser 26-19.
 
The streak started back on January 30, 2021, when they defeated Schreiner 31-9 in Brownson Arena during the COVID shortened season. The streak has included wins over NAIA No. 9 Menlo College, No. 13 Texas Woman's along with the three ranked opponents in Las Vegas.
 
Colorado Mesa is 11-0 on the season and is set to face all ranked opponents at the National Duals this weekend.
 
IT ALL STARTS AT THE BEGINNING
Redshirt sophomore Jennesis Martinez has been starting the Mavericks lineup off with a bang all season. She is 17-2 on the year with 16 of her 17 wins coming by bonus points with either a win by forfeit, technical fall or fall. She went 6-0 at the Desert Duals in Las Vegas and 2-0 at the Texas Tri-Dual. Two of those wins came against Odelia Lopez, a previously ranked wrestler and two-time National Championship qualifier.
 
Her losses have come against No. 2 ranked NAIA Erin Hikiji of Providence at the Maverick Open and the University of Iowa's Sterling Dias.
 
FIRE IN THE MIDDLE
Colorado Mesa has relied a lot on the fire power they have in the middle of the lineup with three top four ranked wrestlers at 123, 130, and 136. The Mavericks have yet to drop a dual match at those three weights
 
Redshirt junior and top-ranked 123-pounder Marissa Gallegos is 13-0 on the season and has surrendered just three points on the year which all came at the Las Vegas Desert Duals.
 
Freshman phenom and No. 4 ranked Hailey Chapman and Lizzie Miller have split time at 130 pounds. The duo is 29-5 combined on the season with Chapman going 14-2 with both losses coming at the Missouri Valley Open. In Las Vegas, the Lake Arrowhead, Calif. native avenged one of her two losses as she pinned No. 4 Marquesis Haintz of Simon Fraser in 54 seconds after losing to her by technical fall at MoVal.
 
Redshirt sophomore and No. 4 ranked Holly Beaudoin rounds out the crew at 136 pounds as she is 8-0 on the year as she has missed some time with injury and other misfortunes. All eight of her wins have come by bonus points including three by pin.
 
GETTING IT BACK
Redshirt sophomore Dalia Garibay is still working her way back from injury but so far, so good. The 2020 national runner up at 136 pounds is 8-0 on the season at 155 pounds and ranked No. 2 in the country. Five of her eight wins have come by technical fall.
 
She is now 34-9 in her career and will be gunning for her second all-American honor in March.
 
GOOD THINGS COME AT THE END
Colorado Mesa has been blessed with solid wrestlers at the backend of the lineup over the years and this season is no different as sophomore Jayleen Sekona is 13-5 on the season and is ranked No. 3 at 191 pounds.
 
The match against Simon Fraser all came down to Sekona and the Alaskan came through in a big way. She earned a 4-2 win over No. 4 Katja Osteen of Simon Fraser to secure and extend the Mavericks dual win streak against Simon Fraser. Sekona improved to 2-0 in her career against her tough opponent from the Red Leafs.
 
SCOUTING THE FIELD
The Mavericks are making their second appearance at the NWCA National Duals where they placed fourth during the 2019-20 season after defeating Limestone and then-No. 4 Emmanuel College before falling to No. 1 McKendree and No. 3 King.
 
Colorado Mesa will take on No. 14 seed Lindenwood to open the tournament on Friday. The Mavericks are 2-0 all-time against the Lions. Win or lose, the Mavericks will take on either No. 11 seed Presbyterian or No. 6 seed Adrian both of which the Mavericks have never faced in a dual.
 
The Mavericks enter the bracketed dual tournament as the No. 3 seed behind top-seeded King and second-seeded North Central.
 
ON THE HORIZON
The Mavericks will be on the road again next week at the York Open in Nebraska where a select group of wrestlers will compete in the tournament. The following week they will get back on the dual road with a matchup at Chadron State on January 19 at the Chicoine Center.
 
PROJECTED LINEUP
101: #3 Jennesis Martinez, RSo., Albuquerque, N.M. (17-2 overall)
109: Isabella Morales, Fr., Toppenish, Wash. (6-2 overall)
116: #5 Israel Resendez, Fr. Denver, Colo. (6-1 overall)
123: #1 Marissa Gallegos, RJr., Denver, Colo. (13-0 overall)
130: #4 Hailey Chapman, Fr., Lake Arrowhead, Calif. (14-2 overall)
136: #4 Holly Beaudoin, RSo., Poulsbo, Wash. (8-0 overall)
143: #6 Celina Cooke, Fr., Sparks, Nev. (11-3 overall)
155: #2 Dalia Garibay, RSo., Brentwood, Calif. (8-0 overall)
170: Melena Jones, RSo, Kansas City, Mo. (9-3 overall)
191: #3 Jayleen Sekona, So., Anchorage, Alaska (13-5 overall)