The No. 25 Colorado Mesa men's wrestling team will host the Adams State Grizzlies on Saturday afternoon in Brownson Arena for a crucial Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual beginning at 2pm. The Mavericks are in the hunt for the RMAC Regular Season Dual Title with the Grizzlies in the thick as well and both teams are hungry for this win.
WHAT 'CHA GONNA DO BROTHER?
The Torgerson Boys played a big role in the Mavericks 21-19 win over reigning RMAC Champion Chadron State last week. Dayson, ranked No. 7 in the most recent NWCA rankings, started the dual off with a pin of Yusef Nelson at the 2:11 mark of the first period to improve his record to 14-4 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in RMAC matches.
Just two weight classes over at 141-pounds, his older brother Denim scored a pin over Cyrus Wells at the 2:47 mark of the first period. That win improved his record to 8-5 on the season and 2-1 in RMAC duals.
The two pins proved to be a big difference in the team score as the Mavericks eeked out the two point win to remain unbeaten in duals.
RIVALS AND FRIENDS
Colorado Mesa head coach Mike Mendoza and Adams State head coach Jason Ramstetter have a long history together. Both wrestled on the same team together at Cal State Bakersfield and both went onto coach at Adams State together with Ramstetter the head coach and Mendoza the graduate assistant coach.
As head coaches of the two programs, they have faced off with each other twice with Mendoza and the Mavericks earning the win in 2023, 30-20 in Brownson Arena on their way to the RMAC title while Ramstetter and the Grizzlies earned the win last season in Alamosa 23-15.
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
The Grizzlies enter this week's matchup with a 3-2 overall dual record and 2-1 in the conference. They are riding a two-match win streak having defeated both San Francisco State (31-16) and New Mexico Highlands (45-3) in the last two weeks.
The Grizzlies have a pair of wrestlers to keep an eye on in 125-pounder Isaiah Gamez and 157-pounder Aaden Valdez. Gamez comes into the matchup ranked No. 5 in the most recent NWCA rankings with a record of 14-2 with a runner-up finish at the Midwest Classic. He has won his last five matches with three of those coming by fall.
Valdez is a returning All-American that has dropped down from 165 pounds to 157 pounds this season. He is 10-1 this season and has won his seven matches that dates back to the Younes Hospitality Open in November. He skipped the Midwest Classic likely as a part of his weight decent plan to 157-pounds.
Grizzly 149-pounder Kieran Thompson is a Grand Junction native making his return to the Grand Valley on Saturday.
COACHING STAFF
Head coach Mike Mendoza enters his sixth season with the program and third year as the head coach of the Mavericks. 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 while in his second season he coached the Mavericks to a third-place finish at the NCAA Super Region VI meet and sent six wrestlers to the NCAA National Championship meet.
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.
Kyle Greenwald is now the head assistant at Colorado Mesa after spending last season as one of the lead assistants at former Division II school Mercyhurst. He wrestled for Division I Clarion from 2014-18 and spent time coaching for NAIA power St. Thomas University in Florida.
Bo Pipher is still an assistant for the program but is now in a lesser role with the program focusing more on the practice plans and training. This will be his fourth season with the program. Pipher, a three-time Colorado State Champion, wrestled for Cael Sanderson at Penn State for four seasons before graduating.
Donnie Negus, Tim Romero, Joe Ritzen, Collin Metzgar, Jacob Seely, Jared Johnshoy, and Konnor Schmidt are all assisting with the program as well.
WHAT'S NEXT
Colorado Mesa will have a week off before stepping back onto the mat for a pair of road duals beginning on Thursday February 6. Their quest for the RMAC dual title will take them to Colorado School of Mines on February 6 before heading down I-25 for a matchup with the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves on Friday February 7.
COLORADO MESA PROJECTED LINEUP
125: #7 Dayson Torgerson, So., Aurora, Utah (14-4 overall)
133: #14 Oran Huff, RJr., Lyons, Colo. (12-7 overall)
141: Denim Torgerson, RJr., Aurora, Utah (8-5 overall)
149: Alex Castaneda, RSo., Eaton, Colo. (16-7 overall)
157: Owen Cline, So., Orting, Wash. (6-2 overall)
165: Will Alvarado, RFr., Fort Lupton, Colo. (2-10 overall)
165: Wil Moneypenny, RFr., Berthoud, Colo. (8-6 overall)
174: Gus Dalton, RJr., Emery, Utah (6-8 overall)
184: #15 Jason Bynarowicz, RSr., Broomfield, Colo. (14-4 overall)
197: #10 Gabe Carranza, RSr., Victorville, Calif. (9-6 overall)
285: #13 Tyler Doyle, Jr., Littleton, Colo. (15-4 overall)
