GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa wrestling team trailed all evening but when crunch time came around, they pulled through to defeat Western Colorado 21-17 in the Bank of Colorado Battle in Brownson on Thursday (Feb. 9) evening. The win gave the Mavericks at least a share of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title for the third straight season.
 
The two teams split the first two bouts with Patrick Allis picking up a win over Dawson Collins 9-5 at 125 pounds while Collin Metzgar exacted some revenge on Alex Alvarez with a 4-1 decision victory.
 
Western Colorado won four of the next five bouts with Ryan Wheeler picking up the only victory at 157 pounds with a 4-1 win over Ryan Wilson. The near crushing blow came at 174 pounds where Mountaineer Cole Hernandez delivered a 21-5 technical fall win over Braeson Lewis to make the dual 17-6 in favor of Western.
 
The Mavericks needed three wins in the final three bouts and the got all of them.
 
Jason Bynarowicz started the run with a 5-3 victory over Hayden Johnson at 184 pounds to cut the Mountaineer lead to 17-9. That meant the Mavericks needed two more victories and likely needed bonus points in both.
 
Kash Anderson stepped on the mat and delivered. He nearly earned a pin at the end of the first period as the official's hand slapped the mat the period ended almost simultaneously. After a review, it was determined the pin came after the horn, but Anderson was as determined as ever to get the pin.
 
A minute and 34 seconds later, Anderson used an arm bar with a wrist to earn the pin at 4:34 in the match leaving it up to his teammate Ruben Samuelson at 285 pounds.
 
It was a winner-take-all at 285 pounds as Western clung to a 17-15 lead. After not much doing for two periods things got interesting in the third period.
 
After Western Colorado's Zach Schraeder earned his escape, both guys were not eager to make the first move. With roughly one minute to go in regulation, Samuelson made a move and wound up locked in a bear hug but couldn't get Schraeder off the mat. The Mountaineer lost his footing and wound up on his back which ultimately gave Samuelson two takedown and four-nearfall but the redshirt freshman tried that much harder for the pin and got it at the 6:35 mark of the match giving the Mavericks the win and the championship.
 
Colorado Mesa will now travel to Chadron, Neb. for a makeup dual on Saturday at 11am. With a win, the Mavericks will claim the outright title.
 
Bout-by-Bout Results
125: Patrick Allis (WCU) dec. #6 Dawson Collins, 9-5
133: #9 Collin Metzgar (CMU) dec. Alex Alvarez, 4-1
141: Dean Noble (WCU) dec. Andrew Silva, 9-3
149: #4 Jason Hanenberg (WCU) dec. Daniel Magana, 6-2
157: #6 Ryan Wheeler (CMU) dec. Ryan Wilson, 4-1
165: Hunter Mullin (WCU) dec. #9 Gus Dalton, 3-1 (SV1)
174: #9 Cole Hernandez (WCU) tech falls Braeson Lewis, 21-5
184: Jason Bynarowicz (CMU) dec. Hayden Johnson, 5-3
197: Kash Anderson (CMU) pins Pratt Williams, 4:34
285: Ruben Samuelson (CMU) pins Zach Schraeder, 6:35