LEBANON, Ill.— Top-ranked Marissa Gallegos continued her undefeated season as she claimed the 123-pound weight class as one of six Colorado Mesa University Mavericks to place in the top four at Sunday's Bearcat Open women's wrestling tournament held here in McKendree University's Melvin Price Convocation Center.
 
Gallegos, now 21-0, won two matches by 10-0 technical fall margins before pinning Adrian's Isabella Richardson in the semifinals and Lindenwood's Amanda McAleavey in the final of what was CMU's final tune-up for the upcoming championship portion of the season.
 
Meanwhile, Dalia Garibay went 3-0 and placed second in the 155-pound bracket, forfeiting the final.
 
The Mavs also had two third place finishers in Hailey Chapman (130) and Samantha Vasquez (170).  Celina Cooke (143) and Jayleen Sekona (191) placed fourth as the 14 Mavs in action combined for 30 total wins.  Thirteen of the Mavs claimed at least one victory.
 
Chapman, ranked seventh nationally, went 4-1 on the day, defeating No. 3 Alexandra Fitzgerald of Sacred Heart by a 10-0 margin in the consolation semifinals after dropping her only match of the day to top-ranked Cameron Guernin of the host squad in the main draw semis.
 
Vasquez went 2-1 and also bounced back from a semifinal loss to win her final two bouts.
 
Cooke and Sekona both reached the semifinals as well.   Both went 3-2 throughout the day.
 
The Mavericks will now return home to host the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship (NCWWC) Region 5 Tournament for the first time in program history in two weeks on Sunday, Feb. 19.  That tournament will qualify four wrestlers in each weight class for the Mar. 3-4 NCWWC National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.