From a returning All-American, national rankings and a recognized RMAC Men’s-Wrestler-of-the-Week, the CMU Men’s Wrestling lineup is working hard to finish the season strong.
After a tough loss against Colorado School of Mines, CMU Wrestling has an overall record of 4-3. The team hopes to turn around their scoring during the Battle in Brownson on Feb. 5.
The week following the Tracy Borah Duals on Jan. 10, redshirt senior heavyweight Rueben Samuelson was named RMAC Men’s-Wrestler-of-the-Week. Samuelson says this is a great accomplishment.
“It is just a way for me to see if I am where I want to be as far as performance goes. I am honored, but there are greater goals that I have set for myself,” Samuelson said.
The heavyweight aims to claim an All-American title by the end of the season. Since it is his last, he wants to go all out. To achieve this, Samuelson said that he is always physically preparing for matches.
“I try and make sure I am tired when I get home at night. I do active recovery and try to make myself the best athlete possible,” Samuelson said.
On the mental side of preparation the student-athlete gives himself two reminders:
“1. I am going to give 100% of what I got, and the pieces will fall where they may. 2. Trust the training, it will take care of itself.”
Head Coach Michael Mendoza offered insight on the team’s mentality through wins and losses. He said that it is easier to cope with losses that were hard-fought and 100% effort was given compared to matches where athletes are left wondering what more they could have done.
“There’s two ways you can look at it. You can dwell on it, feel sorry for yourself or take action. What do you need to do to change the outcome next time?” Coach Mendoza said.
Regarding the Maverick heavyweight, Mendoza said that he has turned a corner and is really excited for him.
There are a few wrestlers on the CMU roster that Mendoza highlighted: 149-pound Alex Castaneda and 157-pound Owen Cline. Castaneda had a monumental win against Mines’ Cody Thompson, who is ranked No.3 in DII for the 149 weight class.
As of Jan. 22 Cline is ranked No. 7 in NCAA DII. He is also returning from the 2024 season All-American title.
Coach Mendoza believes they have a solid lineup as the season progresses. He also mentioned that the freshmen and younger CMU wrestlers are promising.
“We got some young guys that are getting some good experience. They are really gamey and good,” Mendoza said.
As the team enters the tail end of the season, they have three dual matchups before Regionals and Nationals, including Chadron State on Jan. 31. and CSU Pueblo on Feb. 5. Mendoza is excited for a competitive dual meet against solid lineups.
