PUEBLO, Colo. (Jan. 8, 2020) – The Colorado State University-Pueblo wrestling team opens the 2020 calendar year in Gunnison Colorado Jan. 10-11 at the Western Colorado Open Friday and the 30th Annual Tracy Borah Duals Saturday.  
 
THIS WEEKEND
 
Friday, the Pack will send 12 student-athletes to the Western Colorado Open, which is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. at Paul Wright Gym. 
 
Saturday opens the dual season for the ThunderWolves, as they compete in the 30th Annual Tracy Borah Duals, also at Paul Wright Gym on the campus of WCU. CSU-Pueblo will face one Division I foe and three Division II opponents that also competed at the 41st Annual Midwest Classic in December.
 
The Pack will begin the day at 9 a.m. against University of Indianapolis. UIndy is 1-3 this season in dual competition and finished 17th at the Midwest Classic. At 10:30 a.m., CSU-Pueblo will face NCAA Division I Air Force Academy. AFA is 0-2 in dual competition. Next on the docket will be Findlay University at 1 p.m., who are receiving votes in the national coaches' poll and has one wrestler ranked nationally, as Brandon Proudlock is No. 10 at 141. The Roughnecks are 0-1 in their lone dual this season and were 21st at the Midwest Classic. Finally, the Pack wrap the weekend against University of North Carolina Pembroke at 2:30 p.m. UNC Pembroke is receiving votes nationally and has the No. 8 wrestler at 125 in Nick Daggett. The Braves are 6-5 in duals and were 15th at the Midwest Classic. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Pack finished with 29.5 points at the 41st Annual Midwest Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana Dec. 14-15 to place 22nd. A total of 37 NCAA Division II teams participated in the tournament, as the Pack made their first-ever appearance at the Midwest Classic. 
 
At 174, junior Brendon Kelley (Evansville, Ind.) went 3-3 to finish sixth. He was the only placer for the Pack at the tournament. He started 3-0, but on day two he lost the championship semifinal 8-2 to the No. 5 wrestler in Division II and then suffered defeats in his final two bouts.  
 
Sophomore Elijah Valdez (Colorado Springs, Colo.) collected four wins and went 4-2 at 165. He suffered an injury just 16 seconds into a match on day two and was forced to end the contest by injury default. Junior Ruben Garcia (Selma, Calif.) totaled three wins at 157. 
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
 
The ThunderWolves dropped out of the top 25 in the second ranking of the regular season, which was announced Jan. 1, after sitting at No. 21 heading into the holiday break. 
 
NEXT UP
 
CSU-Pueblo begins Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual action Jan. 18 at Chadron State College. The 6 p.m. bout will feature an Eagles team that ranks T-19th nationally and has three wrestlers in the top 10 (No. 9 at 133, No. 7 at 157 and No. 6 at 197). 

- 30 -

As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.