Mines vs. #9 Western Colorado, Thursday, 7 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Results]
 

---

THIS WEEK
Mines faces a tough RMAC test as they host #9 Western Colorado on Thursday at Volk Gym. The Orediggers are 4-0 in duals this season coming off two RMAC victories against #13 Chadron State and San Francisco State; the Mountaineers are 6-1 with their lone loss coming last week to #1 St. Cloud State. It will be Mines' final action of 2018 with the Orediggers breaking for finals and the holidays before returning at Adams State on Jan. 4.

LAST TIME OUT
Mines picked up a pair of big RMAC dual wins last Friday, upsetting #13 Chadron State 24-11 before cruising past San Francisco State 32-6. Mines was led by 2-0 nights from Matt Lavengood, Lukas Erickson, Keenan Willits, and Robert Gambrell; Lavengood and Noah Au-Yeung both scored wins over nationally-ranked opponents as Lavengood beat #9 Brandon Vu of San Francisco State and Au-Yeung topped #10 Jordan Gurrola of SFSU.

LEADING THE WAY
A third of the way through the season, Mines is co-led in wins by Robert Gambrell (7-1) and Ryan Fidel (7-3); Gambrell is 4-0 in duals, as is Keenan Willits. Brandon Saunders owns the team's most pins at four with Jake Feldman earning three; Willits' 20 dual points leads the squad ahead of Gambrell (19) and Lavengood (13).

LAST YEAR VS. WESTERN COLORADO
Western Colorado handed Mines one of its two dual losses last season, winning 34-9 in Gunnison. Jake Feldman beat Sammy DeSeriere at heavyweight and Jake Woods pinned Colby Duncan at 133 for Mines' only bout victories. The only anticipated rematch from that dual this week is at 149 points, where Noah Ottum matches up against JD Chenoweth; Chenoweth won a 12-8 decision last season.

IN THE RANKINGS
Mines received seven votes in the most recent NWCA Top 25 team poll, with Western Colorado showing at #9. Individual, Noah Au-Yeung dropped one spot to #7 nationally at 133; Western Colorado has #1 Brandon Supernaw at 174 and #2 Konnor Schmidt at 197. Mines has won four straight duals over nationally-ranked teams dating back to last year.

PROJECTED MATCHES – MINES VS. #9 WESTERN COLORADO
125 - Matt Lavengood (5-3) vs. Trent Piatt (4-3) 
Lavengood coming off a win over #9 Brandon Vu of San Francisco State  
133 - #7 Noah Au-Yeung (6-4) vs. Cody Fatzinger (4-4)                     
Au-Yeung beat #10 Jordan Gurrola in top-10 match-up last Friday
141 - Lukas Erickson (4-3) vs. Jason Hanenberg (9-5)
Erickson went 2-0 last weekend with a pair of decisions                  
149 - Noah Ottum (4-3) vs. JD Chenoweth (4-1)
Rematch of 2017-18 dual … Ottum named Preseason All-RMAC, went 1-1 last weekend                   
157 - Skyler Lykins (4-2) vs. Jason Slaughter (2-5)               
Lykins won his lone match last weekend 11-7      
165 - Keenan Willits (6-2) vs. Hunter Mullin (7-6)               
Willits is the team's dual points leader with 20
174 - Robert Gambrell (7-1) vs. #1 Brandon Supernaw (7-0)
Only one loss between the two as Gambrell faces the defending NCAA third-place finisher                              
184 - TJ Shelton (3-0) vs. Ruger Wyneken (7-4)   
Shelton the only unbeaten Oredigger in 2018-19 
197 - Jake Feldman (5-2) vs. #2 Konnor Schmidt (6-1)
Feldman faces defending regional champion in Schmidt                 
285 - Weston Hunt (4-2) vs. Sammy deSeriere (5-4)
Hunt has won twice this season on takedowns in the final 10 seconds