COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University women's wrestling team has been picked second in a tight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll and had a pair of wrestlers named to the preseason all-conference team, which was announced in conjunction with the poll on Thursday afternoon by conference officials.
The Mavericks finished second in last year's RMAC Regular Season and Tournament standings, third at the NCAA Super Region VI Championships and eighth at the inaugural NCAA Championships and return three of their four national qualifiers and all-Americans in
Mia Zuniga,
Adriana Gomez and
Lorianna Piestewa.
CMU picked up two first place votes and three second place votes in the coaches' poll, which had the six RMAC's head coaches rank their opposition one through five without voting for their own squad.
Defending RMAC Champion Simon Fraser received four place votes, including CMU Head Coach
Travis Mercado's vote, and were tabbed third on another ballot to top the poll with 23 points. The Mavs were right behind with 22 points, receiving five points for each of the first place votes and four for each of their three second place votes.
Chadron State was picked third in the poll with 15 points, just ahead of Adams State (14). Texas Woman's, which received 11 points was picked fifth while Western Colorado, sponsoring the sport for the first time in 2026-27, rounded out the poll with five points.
The 10-woman Preseason All-RMAC team is made up of the highest returning finisher in each weight class from last year's RMAC Championships.
The Mavericks' two representatives are Gomez at 110 pounds and
Sophia Cornish at 117.
Gomez set a CMU single-season record for wins last year, going 32-15. She won the RMAC title as part of an 8-match winning streak and went on to take second at the NCAA regional. The Laveen, Arizona native then won three matches and placed eighth at the NCAA Championships.
Cornish, who is a junior in 2026-27, also won the RMAC title and finished fifth at the NCAA regional. She had a 25-11 overall record last year.
Piestewa is returning for her junior year after going 27-8 and taking fourth at the NCAA Championships to earn her second straight all-America honor. She finished third at last year's RMAC Championships after suffering an upset in the semifinal round.
Zuniga finished eighth at the NCAA Championships and went 23-9 but sat out of the RMAC Championships last year.
Simon Fraser has five selections to the Preseason-All-RMAC team. Adams State has two while Chadron State has one.
The Mavericks will host their Intrasquad Showcase on Friday, Oct. 30 and will then officially open the season with the Fall Brawl dual against Texas Woman's on Saturday, Nov. 7.
