GOLDEN, Colo. - Four falls by Colorado School of Mines led an inspired effort to upset #19 CSU-Pueblo, 37-13.
Mines earned six bonus-point results overall, including falls by Travis Torres, Jacob Gerken, #6 Paul Wilson, and Ian Cheatum. Rocky Michaelson added a major decision, and Zachary Gracia was awarded a forfeit victory at 125 pounds.
Spotted a 6-0 lead to start the match, Mines saw its advantage cut to 6-5 after Sam Hughes' tech fall victory over Noah Au-Yeung at 133. But pins in each of the next two matches blew the meet open, starting with Torres' 1:04 stick of Kyle Fantin at 141. Fantin scored first on an early takedown, but Torres reversed him at the edge and rolled for the pin in the first period.
At 149 pounds Gerken earned pin over Dixon Richins with six seconds remaining after a tight match. Tied 8-8 heading into the third, Gerken took down Richins for the lead and earned a stalling point before turning Richins just before the buzzer.
Despite it being a loss, the match of the night may have been Ethan Ruby's gutsy performance against #4-ranked and RMAC champion JaCobi Jones at 157 pounds. Ruby set the tone with a big early lift and despite Jones gunning for an early tech fall with quick takedowns and escapes, Ruby shot for a second-period takedown that changed the complexion of the match entirely. In the end, Ruby held Jones to a decision, 14-7, keeping bonus points off the board.
John Crowley cruised to a 10-5 win over Kyle Bateman at 165 pounds, scoring takedowns in every period after Bateman's early two to begin the match. Michaelson followed that up with a 12-3 major decision against Joshua Castellano, scoring six third-period points to get the bonus-point victory.
Pueblo got points back at 184 with John Lewis' tech fall over Brandon Saunders, but Mines finished it off in style with consecutive pins by Wilson and Cheatum. Wilson dominated start to finish to improve to 19-2 this season, scoring a takedown seconds in and stopping Keith Karnes at 2:38; Cheatum shot for a takedown on the edge that he turned into a 1:08 pin of Taren Welch.
Mines will end the regular season at home Friday night, hosting Adams State at 7 p.m.
Colorado School of Mines 37, CSU-Pueblo 13
125: Zachary Gracia (CSM) by forfeit
133: Sam Hughes (CSUP) over Noah Au-Yeung (CSM) (TF 15-0 5:00)
141: Travis Torres (CSM) over Kyle Fantin (CSUP) (Fall 1:04)
149: Jacob Gerken (CSM) over Dixon Richins (CSUP) (Fall 6:54)
157: JaCobi Jones (CSUP) over Ethan Ruby (CSM) (Dec 14-7)
165: John Crowley (CSM) over Kyle Bateman (CSUP) (Dec 10-5)
174: Rocky Michaelson (CSM) over Joshua Castellano (CSUP) (MD 12-3)
184: John Lewis (CSUP) over Brandon Saunders (CSM) (TF 16-0 4:39)
197: Paul Wilson (CSM) over Keith Karnes (CSUP) (Fall 2:38)
285: Ian Cheatum (CSM) over Taren Welch (CSUP) (Fall 1:08)