The Colorado Mesa men's wrestling team is heading up into the mountains this weekend as they will compete in the Western Colorado Open and the Tracy Borah Duals at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. Several reserves and redshirt wrestlers will compete in the Western Colorado Open on Friday before the starters will compete in three duals on Saturday at the Tracy Borah Duals in Mountaineer Fieldhouse.
 
LIGHT WEIGHTS
Dayson Torgerson and Oran Huff have been solid in the light weights for the Mavericks as they are both 2-0 in duals with Torgerson possessing an overall record of 10-5 while Huff is 10-6 overall.
 
Torgerson, a true freshman, placed third at the Younes Hospitality Open earlier this season and went 2-2 at the ever-tough Midwest Classic. Torgerson will be tested soon with the teeth of the RMAC schedule coming up but could be in line for a solid seed when the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament rolls around.
 
Huff is more of a veteran of the lighter weights despite this being his first year as the starter. He placed fourth at the Mines Rookie Open and went 3-2 at the Midwest Classic with one of those losses to National Runner-up Elijah Lusk of Lander.
 
MIDDLE WEIGHTS
Juan Garcia and Owen Cline have had good seasons thus far in the middle of the Mavericks lineup. Both are in their first season as starters with Garcia transferring over from Wisconsin-La Crosse and Cline a redshirt freshman with little to no matches last season.
 
Garcia is 7-7 on the year with a second-place finish at the Mines Rookie Open and a 2-2 effort at the Midwest Classic with wins over wrestlers from Highlands and Lincoln Memorial.
 
Cline is 11-6 on the season with a fourth-place finish at the Mines Rookie Open and went 3-2 at the Midwest Classic with wins over McKendree, Limestone and Highlands. He also has the big win over Western Colorado veteran Ryan Wilson in the non-conference dual last month.
 
HEAVY WEIGHTS
We have discussed the success of Jason Bynarowicz (184), Gabe Carranza (197) and Tyler Doyle (285) at length this season and that trend continues. The group is a combined 40-12 this season and have placed in seven of the eight tournaments they have had opportunities in. Doyle was one match from placing at the Midwest Classic.
 
WESTERN COLORADO OPEN SNEAK PEEK
Most of the schools competing in the Tracy Borah Duals will be able to give their backups and redshirts a chance to wrestle to open the New Year as the Western Colorado Open will take place on Friday, a day ahead of the duals.
 
Currently, eight schools have entered participants including Colorado School of Mines, CSU Pueblo, Minot State, and host Western Colorado.
 
SCOUTING THE TRACY BORAH DUALS
Colorado Mesa is heading to the Tracy Borah Duals this year as opposed to the NWCA National Duals that they competed in the past two years. This year's duals will have a little different feel as the Mavericks will be competing against Simon Fraser and New Mexico Highlands with both counting in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings. They will also compete against Findlay to round out their three duals.
 
The Cowboys enter the weekend with a 2-3 record in duals as they have defeated Wayland Baptist and Trinidad State Junior College while falling to Fort Hays State, Northern Colorado, and Colorado School of Mines. 197-pounder Zach Ferris is their top wrestler as he enters with a 5-3 record with two of his losses coming to Maverick Gabe Carranza.
 
The Findlay Oilers enter the duals with a 1-1 mark having defeated Pitt-Johnstown and narrowly falling to No. 2 ranked West Liberty. The Mavericks have faced the Roughnecks in five previous times and are 1-4 all-time against them with every matchup coming in the Tracy Borah Duals. Logan Sanom (157) wrestled well at the Midwest Classic but fell one match short of placing. He will enter the weekend with an 8-6 record.
 
The Red Leafs enter the weekend with a 3-2 record in duals and are 0-1 in RMAC duals in their first season as a part of the conference. The Mavericks are 6-0 all-time against Simon Fraser in duals with the last two wins coming in Grand Junction in 2018 and 2019. 165/174 pounder Elijah Lazar is 10-6 on the season and is currently their top wrestler.
 
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
Colorado Mesa will return to dual action on January 12 as they travel to Alamosa for a dual with nationally ranked Adams State.
 
COLORADO MESA PROJECTED LINEUP FOR TRACY BORAH DUALS
125: Dayson Torgerson, Fr., Aurora, Utah (10-5 overall)
133: Oran Huff, RSo., Lyons, Colo. (10-6 overall)
141: Denim Torgerson, RSo., Aurora, Colo. (5-6 overall)
149: Juan Garcia, So., Johnstown, Colo. (7-7 overall)
157: Owen Cline, RFr., Orting, Wash. (11-6 overall)
165: Tanner Baumgartner, RSo., Keenesburg, Colo. (5-7 overall)
174: Gus Dalton, RSo., Emery, Utah (6-6 overall)
184: Jason Bynarowicz, RJr., Broomfield, Colo. (11-3 overall)
197: Gabe Carranza, RJr., Victorville, Calif. (15-5 overall)
285: #11 Tyler Doyle, So., Littleton, Colo. (14-4 overall)