After losing 11 seniors over the past two years, one might think the Maverick wrestling team would take some time to get back to form. However, sitting at 7-1 with two dual wins against ranked teams, the reigning three-time RMAC champions once again find themselves atop the conference.
Head Coach Mike Mendoza was not entirely sure what to expect from this group of wrestlers going into the season.
“I don’t know if I had any set expectations for this year, like ‘we are returning conference champs, so let’s do it again this year’. I think every year is a new year, and this season we have a lot of new guys in our lineup. It’s such a different team. So, the feeling was like, ‘here’s our team and let’s see how good we can get’,” Mendoza said.
It quickly proved that, although young, these Mavericks had something special about them. They opened up with a convincing 24-17 win over archrival and then #22 ranked Western Colorado University. They then blew out their next three opponents with a combined score of 133-25 and placed 10 at the Western Open before falling back down to Earth during a 15-23 loss to perennial powerhouse Adams State University.
“Those matches that we lost against Adams were close. So we’re right there with some of the best in the nation. Looking at a situation like that, with some injuries we had and freshmen thrown into the lineup, that can bring nerves [out] but I think we’ll get over them moving forward at Regionals,” 197-pounder Gabriel Carranza said.
With any team, prolonged success depends on the ability to recruit well and being able to further develop that talent. This is certainly the case with Colorado Mesa University (CMU) and some of these new-look starters have actually been in the program for a couple of years to this point.
Mavericks like Carranza and Jason Bynarowicz at 184 pounds have found their footing this season after only limited mat time over the last few seasons.
Carranza and Bynarowicz are probably the two best Mavericks this season, as they have each been ranked or continue to be ranked and sport an impressive 18-6 and 15-3 records respectively. Carranza originally came into the program as a heavy-weight but made the cut to 197 pounds this season while Bynarowicz is building off what was formerly his best season yet with a 20-9 record and continues to be undefeated in RMAC duals.
“After last season, Carranza wanted to go to 197, and I thought it’d be too much of a cut. I think once I told him, ‘You can’t do that’, he worked even more to show me he could. 197 is a good spot for him and he can do really well. He’s still got to learn to transition back to wrestling a lighter class instead of heavyweights. I think when you’re giving up weight and you’re wrestling at heavyweight, you’re wrestling a little bit differently with some less movement,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza also mentioned how Bynarowicz has stepped up into a leadership role this season.
“When I came in here at first I was maybe one of the worst guys on the team and I’ve worked my way up, but I got to attribute that purely to the training partners I’ve had and the coaching that I’ve been given. I’ve had great guys beating the crap out of me for the past four years, and it’s gotten me to where I am, with Coach Mendoza being able to show me new techniques to give me the upper hand. I’m one of the oldest guys on the team but really it’s about acting right and setting a good example,” Bynarowicz said.
Fans should also keep an eye out on opening and closing wrestling bouts with Dayson Torgenson (125 pounds) and Tyler Doyle (285 pounds). Torgenson, a true freshman, has quickly made a name for himself with a 13-6 record. Similarly, Doyle sits at 18-4 and was ranked earlier in the season.
“Doyle really excels mentally and is also very strong. He’s very good. And he’s going to just continue to jump levels; his ceiling is sky-high. And Torgenson is a true freshman doing really well. I have been very impressed with how he’s wrestling. And I don’t think he has even wrestled to his full ability quite yet. He is another guy with a lot of potential,” Mendoza said.
Outside of those four, the team is filled with younger wrestlers getting their first shot at starting. And while the depth may not be as complete as years past, this iteration of Mavericks puts in the work behind the scenes. The team even has the highest GPA in program history, sitting at 3.37 last semester.
“It’s already such a good culture. And even just within that, we have a ton of area to grow in it. They’re young and figuring out what hard work looks like, what commitment looks like and growing in both those areas. I think your commitment can be good but there’s always another higher level of commitment. You can work hard, but there’s always another level of hard work. So they’re continuing to grow and get better in those areas,” Mendoza said.
Most recently, CMU dropped two close duals against Colorado School of Mines, 18-19, and then no. 15 Chadron State 15-25. While the upper weights continue to be the strength of the lineup, some of the lower-middle weights struggled to find consistency in their matches. Despite the losses, men’s wrestling can still get back to form during their next two RMAC duals against Colorado State University-Pueblo and then Western Colorado University on Feb. 13.
“It’s a tough conference. I mean, Western was fourth in the country. Adams was fifth in the country last year. So those were tough teams to be. And I think what has helped us in the last few years is our depth, which is not quite there this year,” Mendoza said.
After the Mavericks complete their regular season, they will wrestle in the regional tournament which will determine who they qualify for nationals. CMU has a realistic shot to qualify 5-6 with wrestlers like Torgenson, Bynarowicz, Carranza, Doyle and maybe some strong showings from some of the other starters.
