GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines wrestling got its new season off to a terrific start, taking bonus points in eight matches to beat Otero JC 46-3 in the season opener.

The Orediggers collected five falls in the match, four coming in the first period thanks to Matt Lavengood, Noah Ottum, Skyler Lykins, and Robert Gambrell. The match was also notable for the returns of several Orediggers as Lavengood and Gambrell notched wins coming off redshirt seasons a year ago, and Lykins hit the mat in a Mines singlet for the first time since 2014-15.

Lavengood got things started at 125 pounds with a 2:42 fall over Marco Rivera, but Otero got its lone points in a tight 133 bout as Dessmund Prospero decisioned Noah Au-Yeung 7-5.

It was all Orediggers after that as Lukas Erickson worked an 8-0 major against Alexzander Simmons and Ottum and Lykins put together back-to-back falls at 149 and 157. Keenan Willits dominated Diego Vigil-Reyes to earn a 17-2 technical fall in the third period, and Gambrell returned at 174 to pin Fritz Doublas in 2:02.

One of the best matches of the night was at 184 pounds as TJ Shelton beat Jaylon Chiles 9-6; Chiles made a late surge but four escapes in the match proved decisive for Shelton as both men had a pair of takedowns. Anthony Spallino blanked Noah Dohm 8-0 at 197, and Brandon Saunders capped the dual with a dramatic fall over Connor White-Shrum at heavyweight. Up 6-5 after two periods, White-Shrum chose down for the third, but Saunders worked a tilt into a pin with 52 seconds left to win from behind.

Mines will be back in action Saturday as they head to the Cowboy Open at the University of Wyoming.
 

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Colorado School of Mines 46, Otero JC 3 [Scoring]
125: Matthew Lavengood (MINES) over Marco Rivera (OTERO), Fall 2:42
133: Dessmund Prospero (OTERO) over #6 Noah Au-Yeung (MINES), Dec 7-5
141: Lukas Erickson (MINES) over Alexzander Simmons (OTERO), MD 8-0
149: Noah Ottum (MINES) over Johhny Lopez III (OTERO), Fall 2:48
157: Skyler Lykins (MINES) over Jordan Alcala (OTERO), Fall 2:46
165: Keenan Willits (MINES) over Diego Vigil-Reyes (OTERO), TF 17-2 5:29
174: Robert Gambrell (MINES) over Fritz Doublas (OTERO), Fall 2:02
184: TJ Shelton (MINES) over Jaylon Chiles (OTERO), Dec 9-6
197: Anthony Spallino (MINES) over Noah Dohm (OTERO), MD 8-0
285: Brandon Saunders (MINES) over Connor White-Shrum (OTERO), Fall 6:08