The goal of every wrestling coach is putting together a team where each weight has a realistic shot at qualifying for the national tournament.
The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) women’s wrestling team has multiple wrestlers at a single weight class with that capability. Considering that the program was only established six years ago, this level of dominance is truly remarkable.
At the end of the regular season, the Mavericks have nine wrestlers ranked in the top 10 of their respective weight classes and overall sit at fourth place as a team. This is a common position CMU finds themselves in, as they have finished as a top five team the last four seasons and totaled seven All-Americans at last year’s national tournament. This depth sets the Mavericks apart from other programs.
“Looking back six years we had nine girls on the team. Depth doesn’t always come from just sheer numbers but depth also comes from the willingness of teammates to work with each other and help each other achieve their individual goals as we strive for our team goals. It is super important, because in our sport, injuries happen, people get sick, skin infections, whatever it may be. It allows us to be flexible within our lineup,” Head Coach Travis Mercado said.
Mercado, who is the reigning back-to-back Regional Coach of the Year, highlighted the importance of having a competitive team beyond the starting wrestlers.
“At 101 pounds right now we have Jennesis Martinez and Isabella Morales, who are two All-Americans that wrestle with each other daily which just elevates them. You look at our room, we have eight returning All-Americans at some point in our lineup. And that’s awesome especially with the group of incoming freshmen. That’s something that they’re looking forward to and they’re excited about. It’s not so much like, ‘oh man, I have to sit behind somebody’ as much as it is ‘I get to compete with some of the best in the country’,” Mercado said.
CMU went into winter break 5-0 but still had to go through the toughest part of their schedule during the Desert Duals on Dec. 17 and then the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 15. In total, the Mavericks went 7-4 and wrestled against seven top-25 teams, including a tough 20-25 loss versus number one Iowa. They finished eighth place during national duals, which is respectable but not quite where the team wants to be.
“Eighth place was honestly a little disappointing after we finished higher in years’ past. But wrestling against a lot of the top teams and having a tough schedule this year was honestly really helpful. I think getting to see teams like McKendree and Iowa early on gives us a point to see where we’re at early on in the season and then we can learn from that in order to make adjustments if we need to before nationals where it really matters,” Martinez said.
After overcoming some injuries and sickness, CMU looks to be at full-strength for a postseason run.
Former national runner-up Dalia Garibay (155 pounds) missed some time due to injury but currently is the highest ranked Maverick at no. two and has a 6-3 record. Martinez, who has finished as top four wrestler every year of her career, is looking for her first chance at a national title and sits at third while Morales is right behind her at eighth.
“I have the right training partners, great coaches and we work with a mindset coach and I think he’s really helped me to believe in myself and just know that I just need to perform my best for really two days, and I can win it. I believe that I can win it every year. But unfortunately I haven’t yet, but I think I think this year I do have a really good chance and I just have to come in with a confident mindset,” Martinez said.
Jayleen Sekona at 191 pounds is also ranked no. three, while other 191-pounder Isabeau Shalack sits at no. eight and Holly Beaudoin (136 pounds) is seventh. Beaudoin has previously placed sixth the two previous years and also looks to break through this year.
“I think I just need to stay focused, keep working hard and remember my goals that I want to accomplish before I leave CMU and at least get better than six. Taking six nationals twice in a row is kind of a bitter taste,” Holly Bedouin said.
More wrestlers to keep an eye out for include no. eight Adriana Gomez, who has a chance to become the first 109 pound Maverick All-American, eighth-ranked Hailey Chapman at 130 pounds and no. 10 Kiely Tobaldo (116 pounds).
“I think what gets missed by fans is the culture we have behind the scenes. A lot of us are going through a lot of things this year, whether it’s injuries or like personal stuff. But having teammates that we can really talk to and count on is something that helps a lot and knowing that we’re not just wrestling for ourselves, but we’re wrestling for each other,” Martinez said.
The Mavericks finished their regular season with a dominant 44-4 RMAC win over Adams State University. This is the first year women’s wrestling competed in a conference and won all RMAC duals except the one against no. seven Simon Fraser University (SFU), who went on to win the title outright.
“Adding the RMAC for women’s wrestling is something that’s really exciting. It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to just getting our own championship. Overall, it doesn’t mean that much but it’s because nationals is the main goal, but I think it’s pretty cool to have a championship for the women’s side. You know, the men’s team has had it for years and watching them it’s always been really cool,” Martinez said.
CMU has a chance to make things even against SFU during the RMAC Tournament on Feb. 3, before gearing up for a regionals run on Feb. 24. Last season, the Mavericks qualified 12 for the national tournament and look to break that record with a deep team this year.
