COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference released its' 2026-27 Men's Wrestling Preseason Coaches' Poll  and preseason all-conference squad on Tuesday afternoon with Colorado Mesa University finishing second in a tight battle with Adams State University in the poll while junior AJ Hague represents the Mavericks on the Preseason All-RMAC squad, which was announced in conjunction with the poll.
 
The Mavericks claimed three first place votes and two second place ballots while scoring 31 points in the poll, just one shy of Adams State's total of 32.
 
Each of the conference's seven head coaches were asked to rank their opposition one through six without voting for their own squad.  Six points were awarded for each first place vote, with five for second place and so on.
 
Adams State, which also received three first place votes, and the Colorado School of Mines, which picked up a lone top line mention, were the only other RMAC schools to receive a first place vote.  Mines was picked third in the poll with 28 points.
 
Western Colorado was behind the Orediggers with 23 points while Chadron State (13), CSU Pueblo (12) and New Mexico Highlands (8) rounded out the poll.
 
Hague, who earned Second Team All-RMAC honors at 133 pounds last season, returns after posting a 17-9 record and 71 percent bonus-point win rate last year.  He went 4-1 in RMAC duals and placed sixth at the NCAA Super Region VI Championships.
 
The six-man Preseason All-RMAC team is made up of the top returning vote recipient from last year's All-RMAC selection process at each weight class.  However, because there were no returning vote recipients, there were no preseason all-conference picks at 149, 184, 197 or 285 pounds.
 
The RMAC standings and title are determined by dual meets on a round-robin schedule with each school facing off with each other once.
 
In 2025-26, the Mavs qualified three men for the NCAA Division II National Championships and crowned an all-American in 157-pounder Owen Cline.  Alex Castaneda, who returns for his fifth year this year, was also a national qualifier.
 
The Mavs will host their annual Marron vs. White Intrasquad dual at 2 p.m. on Nov. 1 in Brownson Arena.
 
The Mavs will then officially open the season on Nov. 8 at the Mines Rookie Open and will compete in their first home dual against New Mexico Highlands on Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.