GOLDEN, Colo. (February 16, 2025) - Colorado State University Pueblo wrestling sent eight players on Sunday to compete at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open, hosted by Colorado School of Mines and return home following a strong showing at the end of competition.

Mario Tafoya (So., Albuquerque, NM) led eight Pack wrestlers to compete and took home a second place finish at 165 and went 3-1 on the day with one pin and two decision victories.

In Tafoya's journey to the 1st place match, he first faced Kaleb Valdez-Lemos from Colorado School of Mines and won by fall (5:31) with under 90 seconds to go in the third period.

In the quarterfinal match-up against William Alvarado from Colorado Mesa, Tafoya scored points in each period and earned a first period take down and in the second, Alvarado earned an escape point and was awarded a penalty point before Tafoya earned another take down in the final moments of the second period to take a 6-3 lead. 

Tafoya chose to start on bottom to begin the third period and escaped and built a 7-3 advantage and he would play strong defense in holding on for the four-point win.

In other matches for the Pack, AJ Gunn (Jr., Evergreen, Colo.) went 0-2 and lost first against Cole O'Brien from Mines and lost a 12-5 decision against Zack Flowers from Western Colorado.

At 149, Cole Bennett (Jr., Grapevine, Tex.) lost by forfeit against Cael Figueroa from Adams State and next battled Colby Ryan from Air Force and lost by a 12-5 decision.

For Brennon Joiner (Fr,. Westminster, Colo.) also wrestling at 149, he fell first against Carson Dulitz from Mines with a 5-0 decision and in the next match versus Justus Hulse from Fort Hays State, Joiner battled in a 5-3 defeat.

In the 157 pound bracket, Alfredo Mendoza (Fr., Salinas, Calif.) lost both his matches first by maj. 11-3 against Tommy Thomas from Colorado Mesa. In the next outing, Mendoza lost by fall (4:14) against Western Colorado's Chase Engelhardt.

Samuel Ramos (R-Fr., Goleta, Calif.) lost by TF against Colorado Mesa's Gavin Ramos and Tanner Baumgartner.

At 184, Tyler Ziek (So., Grand Junction, Colo.) lost by fall (1:29) versus Mason Diel from Mines and in the next match, lost by TF against WCU's Kai Saito.

Markel Nicholson (So., Brewton, Alabama) fell by fall (2:43) against Mines' Deandre Rucker and lost by fall (4:47) against Adams State's Benjamin Tonnessen.

Up Next
CSU Pueblo will turn its attention next to the NCAA West Regionals set for Saturday, March 1 hosted by Western Colorado in Gunnison, Colo. The top three finishers in each of the ten weight classes will clinch a spot at the NCAA DII National Championships, which will take place Mar. 14-15 in Indianapolis.