The Women’s Wrestling Team is one of the newest athletic programs at Colorado Mesa University(CMU).
Going into only their fourth year, the coaches, faculty and athletes have built the program from the ground up, transforming the team into a perennial powerhouse.
One of the early challenges was not having the same accolades as some other schools. Nonetheless, the team has pulled some great recruiting classes, seemingly out of thin air.
“We stuck to the philosophy of making sure that we have the right people here and the girls that we are recruiting want to be here,” Women’s Wrestling Head Coach Travis Mercado said. “We have had great recruiting classes, and it makes it easier when we have a great campus and athletic department who have a vision of excellence and want to build that winning tradition.”
The program’s heavy investment in culture building has paid off.
Over the last three years, the women’s team qualified 16 National Collegiate All Americans, eight of which came this past season. As a team, the women have placed fourth at Nationals the past two years.
“There’s been great community support not only just on campus within our amazing faculty, but within the Grand Valley as a whole. [The Valley] is really wrestling savvy; they know wrestling and get a chance to watch some of the best in their own backyard, ” Mercado said.
Junior lightweight wrestler Jennesis Martinez was a part of the second ever women’s recruiting class at CMU. Martinez earned All-American honors her first two years here, and has placed top four in the nation twice over that same period of time.
“My experience here has been great. Being a part of the team has helped me grow as a person, being surrounded by teammates that want to grow and want to be the best they can be… Being in a room with Coach Travis [Mercado] and [Assistant] Coach Amanda [Hendey] and those girls help push us as a team,” Martinez said.
This season, the Maverick women are coming off their strongest recruiting class yet, nearly doubling their roster from 20 to 39 this year.
“There are a lot more girls in the room which is great. A lot more partners for everyone and me, and we constantly get different looks. I think we’re all getting along well and this year is going to be really good,” Martinez said.
Students and the Grand Junction community will have plenty of opportunities to come and watch one of the most exciting and successful programs on campus.
The women’s team will start the season with a team scrimmage on Oct. 27, here at Brownson Arena. They will then head to Park City, Kan. for their first road matches of the season in the Falcon Invite.
