PUEBLO, Colo. (February 16, 2024) - The Colorado State University Pueblo wrestling team picked up its second consecutive dual win after posting a 27-13 win over New Mexico Highlands in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual inside Massari Arena.

The Pack's Cyruss Meeks (Jr., Casper, Wyo.) earned his fourth win in a row at 157 and was one of five match wins for the Pack.

Tyler Hamm (Fr., Chandler, Ariz.), Elijah Valdez (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Solomon Arnds-Volcin (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.), Donn Greer (So., Soledad, Calif.) and Ben Gould (Sr., Canyon Country, Calif.) all picked up victories for the ThunderWolves.

Prior to the match, CSU Pueblo Head Coach Dax Charles and his coaching staff recognized and honored four athletes competing in their final regular season home duals this week. Anthony Nichols (R-Sr., Grand Coulee, Wash.) and Tytus Coombs (Meeker, Colo.), along with Gould and Valdez were each highlighted.

In the annual team awards handed out by Coach Charles and staff, Gould and Valdez were selected as the 2023-24 Integrity Award recipients while Coombs was awarded the Commitment Award.

Starting the match, Decker Milender (Fr., Superior, Mont.) suffered a 18-0 TF loss against Rhys Sellers at 125 pounds.

Hamm put the ThunderWolves on the board in the next match at 133, winning by pin (5:29) over Julius Kohn, scoring six team points.

At 141, AJ Gunn (So., Evergreen, Colo.) lost a 9-5 decision and at 149 pounds, Nichols dropped an 8-5 overtime match-up against Joseph Misitano.

Meeks was up next on the bout at 157 and he defeated Evan Killgore 5-1. In the match, Meeks earned a first period takedown and carried the lead into the next frame. 

In the second period, Killgore started on bottom and was able to escape to avoid the shutout. Later in the period, Meeks was awarded a point by the official after a penalty called against NMHU. During the final period, Meeks elected to start on bottom and quickly earned an escape and finished the dual with the four-point victory and three team points.

In the 165 match-up, Valdez wrestled to a one-point victory over Ivan Smith. Valdez was awarded one point after two stalling calls went against Smith in the first period. 

During the second, Smith was able to escape the bottom starting position and tied the match at 1-1.

In the last and decisive period, Valdez scored an escape point and benefited from another stalling point before the referee called stalling twice against Valdez before the final horn sounded, giving Valdez the 3-2 win.

Arnds-Volcin appeared at the 174 pound match for the ThunderWolves and pinned Tom Tolbert at 4:56 and scoring six more team points for the ThunderWolves.

At 184, Greer bested Zack Small 6-2 and in the dual he earned a pair of first period takedowns and was able to avoid a takedown to come away with the victory.

In the next bout at 197, Gould earned a first period pin (2:44) over Jacob Castillo and added six more team points for the ThunderWolves.

At 285, Henry Sturn (Fr., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) lost 4-2 against NMHU's Jayden Johnson.

Up Next 
CSU Pueblo will close out the dual season with another RMAC match-up against San Francisco State on Saturday starting at 2 p.m. inside Massari Arena.