The No. 9 Colorado Mesa women's wrestling team will host the Adams State Grizzlies on Saturday at 4pm in Brownson Arena. The Mavericks will honor their three seniors prior to the matchup where all three are expected to compete.
THE 91st SPORT
The NCAA Convention brought about good news for the NCAA sponsored women's wrestling programs across the country last week as a near unanimous vote made women's wrestling the 91st sponsored championship by the NCAA beginning in 2026.
Read the story from head coach Travis Mercado, Hailey Chapman and Sophia Cornish.
SENIOR NIGHT
The Mavericks will honor three seniors who will be competing in their final dual at home in Brownson Arena on Saturday. Jennesis Martinez (103), Erica Smith (145) and Isabeau Shalack (207) will be honored prior to the matchup and all are expected to compete.
Martinez is 79-21 in her career and a current four-time All-American gunning for her fifth this season while Smith earned All-American status in 2024 at 143 pounds and is 62-45 in her career.
Shalack earned All-American honors in her freshman season and has battled injuries since. She is currently 31-17 in her career.
BACK IN THE LINEUP
Freshman Lorianna Piestewa is back in the lineup, up a weight at 124 pounds now. Piestewa, a Gallup, N.M. native, was injured in her first dual against Fort Hays State and has battled back into the lineup.
She is now 4-1 on the season after placing third at the York Open last weekend.
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
The Grizzlies enter the weekend with a 3-3 record and have been able to produce a full lineup a majority of the season as they are the second year of the program. Former men's All-American Kyle Sand is heading the program and has continued to recruit more girls for the program.
The Grizzlies have a pair of standouts in Austria Holland at 110 pounds and Corrie Williams at 145 pounds. Holland made the round of 12 at last season's National Championship just one round away from becoming an All-American. She is 5-1 on the season with her only loss coming to Maddie Mackenzie of Simon Fraser.
Williams is 17-2 on the season and has big potential. She won the Maverick Open in November and the Chadron State Open in December with a runner-up finish at the Bob Smith Open in Kansas in between. Last week, she defeated No. 3 ranked Jade Trolland of Simon Fraser to move their head-to-head record with each other to 1-1 on the season.
THE NEW WEIGHTS
One of the changes to this year's season are the new weight classes. There are still 10 weight classes but have allowed for growth to help encapsulate more women competing in the sport. The new weight classes are as follows: 103, 110, 117, 124, 131, 138, 145, 160, 180, 207.
RMAC CHAMPIONSHIP HAS A HOME
After careful consideration and weighing several bids, the tournament will be in the Olympic City and home to the Olympic Training center in 2025. The RMAC Championship Tournament will be contested at the Reed Gymnasium on the campus of Colorado College this year on February 1. The site was originally supposed to be at the Air Force Academy's East Gym but switched due to the heightened security at the Academy.
The Mavericks will have the opportunity to send 15 wrestlers to the tournament and will look to defend their unofficial title as they finished with a tournament-high six champions and nine medalists. Texas Woman's, Adams State, Chadron State and Simon Fraser will also be in the field.
RMAC PRESEASON POLL
Colorado Mesa checked into the RMAC preseason poll at No. 2, just one-point behind 2023-24 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Champion Simon Fraser. The Mavericks garnered 14 points and two first place votes while the Red Leafs picked up 15 points and three first-place votes.
Adams State, Chadron State and Texas Woman's tied for the third position with seven points.
The RMAC Tournament has been set for Saturday February 1 at Colorado College. Colorado Mesa collected six individual championship and had nine medalists (top-3) in the inaugural event last season held at Regis University.
THE STAFF
Head coach Travis Mercado is in seventh season in charge of the program and is the only coach the program has ever had. He is 53-21 in dual matches and returns a solid lineup with six returning All-Americans in Jennesis Martinez, Isabella Morales, Erica Smith, Jayleen Sekona, Hailey Chapman, and Isabeau Shalack. He has had 35 All-Americans since starting the program ahead of the 2018-19 season and has had an All-American every season.
Marissa Gallegos enters her second season on the coaching staff and will assist in the day-to-day operation with duties including but not limited to work-out plans, recruiting, and advanced scouting. Gallegos capped her career with an undefeated season and the program's first National Champion.
Also returning to the staff is volunteer assistant Jolynn Harris who is in her second season. Harris is a former Maverick wrestler and diver from 2019-22 who earned NWCA Scholar All-American honors during her career.
WHAT'S NEXT
Colorado Mesa will head to Colorado Springs for the second annual Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships at Colorado College. The Mavericks will take 15 wrestlers to compete in the Championship with eyes on a podium finish that would earn them All-RMAC honors.
COLORADO MESA PROJECTED LINEUP
103: #8 Jennesis Martinez, RSr., Albuquerque, N.M. (3-0 overall)
110: Isabella Morales, Jr., Toppenish, Wash. (9-2 overall)
117: Jojo McDaniel, Fr., Orting, Wash. (21-9 overall)
124: Lorianna Piestewa, Fr., Gallup, N.M. (4-1 overall)
131: Hania Halverson, Jr., Kalispell, Mont. (17-7 overall)
138: Valerie Glenn, So., Gilroy, Calif. (2-4 overall)
145: Erica Smith, Sr., Nuevo, Calif. (15-6 overall)
160: #10 Gretchen Donally, Fr., Ballantine, Mont. (19-5 overall)
180: #10 Alison Evans, Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (13-6 overall)
207: #9 Isabeau Shalack, RJr., Evergreen Park, Ill. (8-5 overall)
