The Colorado Mesa men's wrestling team will make the trek to the Steel City for the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament on Saturday (Feb. 28) at CSU Pueblo in Massari Arena beginning at 10:00am. The top three finishers at each weight will qualify for the NCAA National Championship Tournament in two weeks in Park City, Kan.
 
FIRST TIMERS
Colorado Mesa is scheduled to have six first timers competing in the NCAA Super Region VI Tournament on Saturday. Only Tanner Baumgartner, Gus Dalton, Jason Bynarowicz, and Gabe Carranza have competed in a Super Region Tournament prior to this year.
 
Of the 10 wrestlers the Mavericks currently have entered in the tournament, eight of those are sophomores or younger. Out of the newcomers, Oran Huff and Tyler Doyle should be seeded the highest entering the tournament as both could receive No. 3 seeds at their respective weights.
 
FIRST TIMERS 2.0
The Mavericks are in another unique situation that hasn't occurred in several years as they don't have a returning NCAA National Tournament qualifier. This means that anyone who qualifies for the NCAA National Championship will be making their first trip to the tournament.
 
Last season, the Mavericks had three NCAA National Qualifiers. Dawson Collins (125), Collin Metzgar (133), and Kash Anderson (197) all qualified for the tournament and are no longer with the program.
 
ALL-AMERICAN STREAK
With postseason wrestling in full swing, Colorado Mesa will be looking to extend one of the more impressive streaks going in Super Region VI and more specifically the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
 
Colorado Mesa has had an All-American for 13 straight seasons which is more than any current Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member. Kash Anderson was able to extend the streak last season with a seventh-place finish at 197 pounds during the NCAA National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
THE FIELD
The NCAA Super Region VI field is comprised of the nine Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schools and then the addition of a pair of former RMAC schools, now MIAA schools, Nebraska-Kearney, and Fort Hays State. The Lopers are a perennial power in all of NCAA Division II but could be challenged by RMAC regular season champion Chadron State, Adams State and Western Colorado for the regional crown this season.
 
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
Those that finish in the top three of their respective weight classes will advance to the NCAA National Championship meet in Park City, Kan. The top-eight place winners at the NCAA National Championship tournament will become All-Americans.
 
COLORADO MESA PROJECTED ENTRIES AT NCAA SUPER REGION VI TOURNAMENT
125: Dayson Torgerson, Fr., Aurora, Utah (15-8 overall)
133: Oran Huff, RSo., Lyons, Colo. (15-9 overall)
141: Denim Torgerson, RSo., Aurora, Colo. (10-9 overall)
149: Juan Garcia, So., Johnstown, Colo. (11-11 overall)
157: Owen Cline, RFr., Orting, Wash. (13-7 overall)
165: Tanner Baumgartner, RSo., Keenesburg, Colo. (8-12 overall)
174: Gus Dalton, RSo., Emery, Utah (11-7 overall)
184: Jason Bynarowicz, RJr., Broomfield, Colo. (18-4 overall)
197: Gabe Carranza, RJr., Victorville, Calif. (22-6 overall)
285: Tyler Doyle, So., Littleton, Colo. (22-4 overall)