GUNNISON, Colo. (January 9, 2025) - The Colorado State University Pueblo wrestling team competed at the Western Colorado Open on Friday, highlighted by a runner-up finish from Mario Tafoya (Jr., Albuquerque, NM) at 184 pounds.

Tafoya turned in the top performance of the day for the ThunderWolves, placing second in his weight class and scoring 17.0 team points. He opened his tournament with a fall over Western Colorado's Gavin Sandoval (3:59), followed by a hard-fought 4-2 decision against Adams State's Mahkyi Smith in the quarterfinals. Tafoya continued his strong run in the semifinals, pinning Air Force's Talon McCollom in 1:17 to advance to the championship bout, where he finished second after a fall against Cy Fowler of Air Force.

Several ThunderWolves gained valuable mat time across a competitive field. At 149 pounds, Juell Sanchez (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) picked up a consolation-round fall over Minot State's Brayden Guerrero, while Tyler Hamm (Jr., Chandler, Ariz.) opened his day with a quick pin in 1:05 before facing tough opposition. Thales Rivas (Fr., Houston, Tex.) also earned a win at 149, securing a sudden-victory decision over Air Force's Augustus Maughan.

At 125 pounds, John Spence (Fr., Lafayette, Colo.) battle through a challenging bracket, while Niko Fernandez (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) (141), Vicente Sanchez-Vasquez (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) (165), Calvin Bahl (R-Sr., Vancouver, Wash.) (174) and Tyler Ziek (Jr., Grand Junction, Colo.) (184) each competed in deep weight classes against tough competition.

Up Next
CSU Pueblo will stay in Gunnison and compete in the Tracy Borah Duals on Saturday, and are scheduled against Vanguard, Menlo (CA), and Minot State.