The Colorado Mesa men's wrestling team has a pair of duals at home this weekend as they welcome in the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers on Saturday at 4pm before a Sunday matinee against Chadron State at 2pm.  
 
THE STREAK IS OVER
Colorado Mesa snapped a long-standing winning streak following their last dual. The Mavericks fell to Adams State in an RMAC dual which snapped a 17-match winning streak in RMAC duals which dated back to January 23, 2021 when they fell to then No. 18 Colorado School of Mines 24-18 in Golden.

Colorado Mesa will have a chance to start a new streak this weekend with a pair of home duals. 
 
ANCHOR IN THE BACK
Prior to the dual with Adams State nearly three weeks ago, the Mavericks had been unbeaten in duals on the year and despite the loss one weight remained unbeaten for them this season.
 
Tyler Doyle is 18-4 on the season and remains unbeaten in duals at 6-0 and is the lone Maverick to accomplish that feat. The Highlands Ranch native has been in and out of the rankings this season and will have two tough opponents this weekend in Cade Whish of Mines and nationally ranked Mason Watt of Chadron State.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
If you had a chance to watch the dual with Adams State, you may have seen something that doesn't happen very often in a match. Redshirt junior Jason Bynarowicz surrendered a takedown in the first period to Grand Junction native Hunter Tobiasson roughly 45 seconds into the first period. From his down position, Bynarowicz was able to sit out and deployed a 'crab position' holding Tobiasson on his back from a defensive position which earned him a defensive pin.
 
The rare feat moved Bynarowicz to 15-3 on the season and ranked No. 7 in the recent NWCA rankings.
 
SCOUTING THE OREDIGGERS
Colorado School of Mines started off the year hot as they won their first four duals of the season including wins over Fort Hays State and San Francisco State. The last two weekends have been tough though as they have run into a tough Western Colorado squad and the favorite to win the conference as of now in No. 12 Chadron State with both resulting in losses.
 
Grayston DiBlasi leads the Orediggers from his spot at 141 pounds. The two-time NCAA National Qualifier is 14-5 on the season and ranked No. 8 in the latest NWCA national rankings. He placed seventh at the Midwest Classic in December and fifth at the Younes Hospitality Open at UNK in November.
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Chadron State alum and head coach Brett Hunter has quietly been building the Eagle program back up and this year they have the inside track to claim the RMAC regular season title but have a difficult road stretch this weekend with trips to Gunnison and Grand Junction. They are 5-1 on the season with their lone dual loss to nationally ranked Nebraska-Kearney.
 
The Eagles have four wrestlers ranked in the most recent NWCA national rankings but 133 pounder Quen Campbell is a man on a mission. He is ranked No. 2 at the weight and is 13-1 on the season with his only loss coming to a wrestler from Montevallo in the Midwest Classic final.
 
COACHING STAFF
Head coach Mike Mendoza enters his fifth season with the program and second year as the head of the program. Mendoza was named the RMAC Coach of the Year and the Super Region VI Coach of the Year in his first year as the head coach of the program as he led the Mavericks to their third straight RMAC Championship by going a perfect 7-0 in conference duals and a 9-4 overall dual record.
 
Mendoza has been with the program since 2019 after making stops at Northeastern Junior College, Boise State, Cal State Bakersfield, and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe Adams State. He spent time as the head coach at Northeastern JC where he elevated the program from an 0-6 dual record when he took over to an 11-3 mark in his final season. He was also the head coach at Boise State the year prior to the school dropping the program.
 
Bo Pipher is back as the top assistant for his second season and third overall with the program. Pipher, a three-time Colorado State Champion, wrestled for Cael Sanderson at Penn State for four seasons before graduating.
 
Donnie Negus, Joe Ritzen, Tim Romero, and Collin Metzgar are also helping the program in the wrestling room.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Mavericks will host CSU Pueblo for the annual Bank of Colorado Battle in Brownson on Friday February 2 at 6pm in Brownson Arena. It will be the final home dual of the regular season and the Mavericks will honor their seniors prior to the dual.
 
COLORADO MESA PROJECTED LINEUP
125: Dayson Torgerson, Fr., Aurora, Utah (13-6 overall)
133: Oran Huff, RSo., Lyons, Colo. (12-8 overall)
141: Denim Torgerson, RSo., Aurora, Colo. (8-7 overall)
149: Juan Garcia, So., Johnstown, Colo. (10-8 overall)
157: Estevan Maldonado, RJr., Arvada, Colo. (6-5 overall)
OR   Owen Cline, RFr., Orting, Wash. (11-6 overall)
165: Tanner Baumgartner, RSo., Keenesburg, Colo. (6-10 overall)
174: Gus Dalton, RSo., Emery, Utah (10-6 overall)
184: #7 Jason Bynarowicz, RJr., Broomfield, Colo. (15-3 overall)
197: Gabe Carranza, RJr., Victorville, Calif. (18-6 overall)
285: Tyler Doyle, So., Littleton, Colo. (18-4 overall)