GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa wrestling team officially opened the season today (Nov. 3) as they sent a small contingent of younger wrestlers to the Mines Rookie Open at Steinhauer Fieldhouse on the campus of Colorado School of Mines.
 
The Mavericks finished with three wrestlers that placed inside the top-six of their respective weight class.
 
Redshirt freshman Tanner Stone finished as the runner-up at 125 pounds after going 4-1. Stone fell to Western Wyoming's Sefton Douglass in the final after rattling four straight wins to begin the season. All four of his wins came by decision including a 13-9 win over Trinidad State's Jay Everhart in the semifinals.
 
Redshirt sophomore Alex Castaneda finished in sixth place at 149 pounds after running into his match limit on the day. Castaneda went 5-1 on the day with his only loss coming to eventual weight champion Antonio Avila of Wyoming in the second round.
 
After the Eaton, Colo. native fell in that match, he went on a terror as he pinned his next four opponents in a row which only took a total of five minutes and 45 seconds of mat time to accomplish.
 
The Mavericks had one other wrestler who competed unattached place in the tournament.
 
Colorado Mesa will be back in action with many of the starters next weekend when they travel to the Bay Area for a pair of duals against former RMAC member San Francisco State and new NCAA member Menlo.