The Fall Brawl was a success. The Colorado Mesa Women’s wreslting team pulled out their first team win of the season behind solid performances from Cindy Zepeda, Marissa Gallegos and Dalia Garibay.
The Mavericks found their dual win of the season against Midland University by a final score of 32-15. CMU saw wrestlers from Midland for the second time this season at some weight classes.
Freshman Dalia Garibay was looking for redemption over Tanalei Lewis as Lewis defeated Garibay at the Missouri Valley Open.
“It was exciting for [Dalia] to get that match back. We knew we could have beat that girl but it just wasn’t our best match Sunday and we had a great game plan coming into today,” Head Coach Travis Mercado said. “We knew she had to execute and she did that today.”
Redshirt-freshman Marissa Gallegos also wrestled the same Midland Warrior she saw in Missouri. After Thursday, Gallegos is 2-0 against Hailey Schiermeyer. Last weekend she beat Schiermeyer 6-1 and then topped her prior performance with a 8-0 decision win the second time around.
“Marissa performed really well, she moved her feet really well and she understands keeping the pace high especially her at home she feeds off of the energy she feeds off of the crowd,” Coach Mercado said. “She is dangerous from a lot of positions she can throw she can attack the legs.”
The freshman class of wrestlers continue to be a formattable force and a strong suit of the Mavericks.
Jennesis Martinez started off the night with the first pin that came against Esther Walker at the 1:43 mark.
Cindy Zepeda, a freshman, who has proved herself to be a strong competitor saw another win throwing down a pin against Avery Thomason at the 130-pound weight class. So far this year Zepeda is 6-1 and 1-0 in duals.
“Cindy, as a freshman, this girl is going to shock some people this year she continually gets better every time she steps on that mat and that is at practice as well not just competition. She is really starting to understand some freestyle things on the top position, she is doing good at putting her attacks and takedowns together.” Mercado said.
Alma Mendoza got the final win for the Mavericks in the 155-pound match with a pin against Kaelie Tomlin.
The Mavericks are continuing to get strong as individuals and as a team. The team’s approach between the Missouri Valley Open and the dual on Thursday changed during practice where Mercado’s squad has hit it hard early and only practiced between 50 and 90 minutes a day.
The workload will not stop heading into this weekend as the team hosts the Maverick Open on Sunday, Nov. 24 starting at 9 a.m. The team’s next big competition after Sunday’s open will be the USA Open and the Olympic Team Trials Qualifiers in Fort Worth, TX from Dec. 19-21.
