GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— After splitting their final two home contests of the season last week, the 22
nd-ranked Colorado Mesa University Maverick men's wrestling team will close out the dual meet portion of the season on Friday night at 6 o'clock at arch-rival Western Colorado University in Gunnison.
The Mavericks are 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the RMAC while the Mountaineers are 9-5 overall and 3-2 in RMAC duals.
Maverick reserves and redshirts, will then cap their season there on Sunday, competing in the Rocky Mountain Open, slated to begin at 10 a.m.
Friday's dual and the tournament can be seen with a subscription
to the RMAC Network (more information below).
Live results will also be available on
TrackWrestling at this link..
Sunday's tournament will also be streamed on the
RMAC Network through Western Colorado's portal.
Live results can be
followed on FloWrestling.
Last Times Out
The Mavericks closed out the home portion of their schedule last week, defeating CSU Pueblo, 34-9 in their annual Bank of Colorado Battle in Brownson on Thursday before dropping their Senior Day dual, 22-12 to No. 17 Chadron State on Saturday.
The Mavericks won seven of the ten bouts
in Thursday's win over the ThunderWolves, recording a trio of first period pins.
On Saturday,
the Mavs fell behind 12-0, but managed three wins as seniors
Gabriel Carranza and
Ruben Samuelson capped the dual and their Senior Day with wins at 197 and 285 pounds in their final career home bouts.
Probable Lineup
Here is a look at the weight-by-weight look at the Mavs' probable lineup for Friday's dual, which has been unchanged in their last four outings. Each wrestler's 2025-26 overall and dual meet records are listed in parenthesis.
125:
Adonias Cantu (17-8 overall, 7-3 in duals)
133:
AJ Hague (13-6, 5-1)
141:
Apollo Cruz (10-10, 4-4)
149:
Alex Castaneda (12-8, 5-4)
157: #7
Owen Cline (8-2, 7-1)
165:
Will Alvarado (12-13, 4-6)
174:
Christian Pebley (12-9, 8-3)
184:
Noah O'Dougherty (10-10, 6-5)
197: #8
Gabriel Carranza (14-4, 7-1)
285:
Ruben Samuelson (11-6, 8-3)
Tournament Entries
The Mavericks have entered 21 men who will wrestle for the team in Sunday's tournament. They are expected to cover all ten weight classes.
It is likely that the Sunday's tournament will complete each wrestlers' season.
125 (1):
Riley Valdez
133 (3):
Murphy Harris,
Isaiah Sisneros,
Tanner Stone
141 (2):
Jorge Torres,
Bryan Yanase
149 (5):
Kyle Holtberg,
Camden Jacobson,
Patrick Preston,
AJ Salguero,
Keyton Young
157 (3):
Auston Eudaly,
Juan Garcia,
Sammy Mobly
165 (2):
Wil Moneypenny,
Tommy Thomas
174 (1):
Gunnar Neal,
184 (2):
Jack Hendricks,
Logan Noble
197 (1):
Brady Samuelson
285 (1):
Braden Zack
Looking at the rankings
The latest National Wrestling Coaches Association NCAA Division II Coaches Rankings were released on Jan. 22. After being ranked 18
th throughout the season, the Mavs dropped to 22
nd and now have two individually ranked wrestlers.
Owen Cline remained seventh in the rankings at 157 pounds while
Gabriel Carranza dropped a spot to eighth at 197.
Cline is currently 8-2 this season, posting a 7-1 record in duals. He has won six of his last seven.
Carranza is 14-4 overall and is 7-1 in duals He has won five of his last six.
Alex Castaneda had been ranked sixth in the previous set of rankings (Dec. 18) but fell out in this latest set.
Four RMAC teams in No. 16 Adams State, No. 17 Chadron State, the Mavs and co-No. 22 Colorado School of Mines are ranked.
About the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers have had a topsy-turvy dual season, but are generally on the rise. They have won three of their last four RMAC matches to move to 9-5 overall and to 3-2 in the RMAC. However, they won just one bout in their last dual at No. 16 Adams State last week.
They have one nationally-ranked wrestler in Vinny Cabral, ranked 11
th at 157 pounds. He could face CMU's seventh-ranked
Owen Cline on Friday.
The Prequel & Rivalry
Since 2017-18, excluding the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season, the Mavericks and Mountaineers have scheduled two duals against one another. They have wrestled in an early-season non-conference affair and then square off in the RMAC "counter" in February at the opposite location, helping both teams get extra duals and their fans additional opportunities to see the rivalry in person.
The Mountaineers won this year's early season meeting by a 21-17 margin on Dec. 4 in CMU's Brownson Arena and will go for their first season sweep since 2018-19 on Friday.
The Mountaineers hold a 18-13 lead in the series since the Mavs resumed their program in 2006-07 although the Mavs have won four of the last six meetings.
The Mavs are 6-8 against the Mountaineers in Gunnison, but were victorious in both of their trips during the 2024 calendar year during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
The teams split the series last season with each team winning on the road, a trend the Mavs hope to continue.
CMU had swept the series in 2023-24.
A look back to December
The Mavs won four matches in the December home dual with the Mountaineers, which came down to a stunning pin at 285 pounds.
Those wins came from
Adonias Cantu at 125 pounds,
AJ Salguero (141),
Christian Pebley (174) and
Gabriel Carranza (197).
Both teams' lineups have changed since then as only six Mavericks who wrestled in December are slated to go on Friday. That group went a combined 3-3 against their Mountaineer foes.
The Mountaineers could have as many as eight of the same men in Friday's lineup depending on who they go with in a few weight classes.
Standings Check
Friday's dual will be the second to last in all of the RMAC this season.
Adams State and the Colorado School of Mines have shared the RMAC title after both finished 5-1 in conference duals. Chadron State went 4-2 and will finish third.
A Mountaineer win on Friday, would allow Western to tie Chadron State for third.
Conversely, if the Mavericks are able to win, both they and the Mountaineers would finish in a tie for fourth.
New Mexico Highlands and CSU Pueblo will dual on Saturday. They are currently tied for last in the standings at 0-5.
The full standings can be seen here.
RMAC Network News
The RMAC Network has moved to a pay-per-view model for the 2025-26 season. This season, all RMAC athletic events broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members will only be available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league's membership to enhance their programs.
RMAC fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them with access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours.
Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price will be available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Purchasing options and pricing for individual RMAC Championships will be announced closer to each event.
Colorado Mesa turns 100
The CMU Century Celebration stands as the cornerstone of Colorado Mesa University's year-long centennial celebration. This ambitious initiative unites our community in honoring a rich heritage while boldly envisioning the next hundred years of academic excellence.
Led by the Steering Committee and six specialized sub-committees, we're orchestrating a transformative experience that will resonate through generations. Each committee brings unique expertise to create an unforgettable commemoration of our past, present and future.
To learn more about Colorado Mesa's 100-year celebration, visit
cmucentury.com.
Up Next
The Maverick starters will compete in the NCAA Super Region VI Championships on Feb. 28. This year's tournament will be hosted by the Colorado School of Mines in Golden and will feature wrestlers from 13 teams, including all seven RMAC squads.
The top three finishers in each weight class will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships on Mar. 13-14 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
