Best of the Best

Matt Majewski and Dane Campbell • May 12, 2023

The Maverick baseball team enjoys the firework show at Suplizio Field on Star Wars Night on May 4. CMU steamrolled the Grizzlies 17-5 with a 12-run third inning.

Colorado Mesa University (CMU) and the athletic department once again achieved an outstanding year of performances; one marked with a plethora of conference championships and even a couple national championships.

While the 26 NCAA sponsored programs (and many more non-NCAA sponsored programs) at CMU each have had some special moments this year, these are the Mavericks that we feel accomplished the most during the 2022-23 school year.

Madigan Munro- Cycling

There may not have been a more accomplished athlete this year other than Munro, as she brought home not one, not two, not three, but four national championships in one season. Her efforts helped the Mavericks win the Mountain Bike and Cyclocross team championships as well.

Munro started her monster campaign by winning both the Cross Country and Short Track Female National Championships during the wider Mountain Bike Championships in Oct. The junior then went on to take first in the Collegiate Cyclocross Nationals in Dec., followed by teammate Katie Close who took second. Even more impressively, Munro also won the U23 Championship, which encompassed a wider range of riders than the collegiate-only race.

[/media-credit] Munro is already a four-time national champion with another year of eligibility still left.

Munro and the Mavericks are now 33 points ahead of Marian University (MU) in the National Team Omnium standings- which add the total scores from each of the five disciplines. CMU beat out MU for the last Omnium Cup in September, which broke their 16-year streak.

Marissa Gallegos- Women’s Wrestling

Gallegos had one last shot to win a national title after finishing third, second and third, respectively, in her first three years of wrestling. This season, however, Gallegos dominated the whole way through, being ranked first overall from the start of the year, and posting a 24-0 regular season record.

At nationals, Gallegos breezed through the competition and became the program’s first-ever national champion after defeating Amani Jones of North Central College 7-2 in her last collegiate match.

[/media-credit] Gallegos wraps up a “leg-lace” to turn her opponent over her back for 2 points. Gallegos went a perfect 28-0 in her final season.

Gallegos finished her illustrious career as a four-time All-American and a 94-8 career match-record. Gallegos, who nearly qualified for the 2022 World Team Trials, plans to hopefully compete for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

Chris Hanks- Head Baseball Coach

Now in his 25th season as the skipper for the baseball team, this might be the best coaching job Hanks has ever done.

Last year, the Mavericks had a great season, reaching the NCAA super regionals. In the off-season, six of the best seven Maverick position players either graduated or were drafted into the MLB, leaving a mystery for the 2023 season.

[/media-credit] Chris Hanks looks onward before a game against Adams State University. Earlier this season, Hanks became the fastest coach to reach 1,000 wins in DII history.

After a slow start with an almost entirely new starting lineup, the Mavericks have won 36 of their last 40 contests, and are ranked second in national rankings.

The team also went 30-2 in conference, winning the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) regular season championship. By winning the RMAC regular season, Hanks and the Mavs will now host the RMAC playoffs and are a serious threat to win the first national championship in program history.

Ben Sampson- Men’s Swim and Dive

In his third season in the program, redshirt sophomore Ben Sampson has already etched himself as one the best swimmers in program history.

After watching Lily Borgenheimer dominate for the women’s team the last two years, Sampson made a huge splash this season. The Arvada, Colorado native took home two national championships this season in both the 200 meter individual medley and backstroke races.

[/media-credit] Ben Sampson poses with one of his two national championship trophies. Samspon was named as the male NCAA division II swimmer of the year last fall.

With Sampson’s two national championships, he joins former CMU diver Ammar Assan as the only athletes with two NCAA championships in school history. With at least two more years of eligibility, Sampson has a chance to prove himself as one of the greatest Maverick athletes ever.

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