TRAPPER WRESTLING HEADS TO NJCAA DUALS

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

After more than a month away from competition the Northwest College wrestling team will hit the mat this weekend, heading to Miami, Oklahoma, to take part in the NJCAA Coaches Duals on Friday and Saturday.

The last competition for the team came on Dec. 2 in Great Falls, Montana, and since returning to campus after a small winter break, the Trappers have been hard at work as classes have not yet resumed for the second semester.

"I love this time of year," coach Jim Zeigler said. "After the holidays we are here twice a day, all day, pretty much everything revolves around wrestling. We don't have to worry about the academic component at this time and it makes it fun. Once you put the academic component in and start going to classes it's a lot harder."

At the duals in Oklahoma, the Trappers will be competing against 24 other junior colleges from around the nation.

Northwest heads into the weekend ranked in a tie for the No. 6 team in the country in the most recent NJCAA poll, alongside one of the other teams in their pool in Triton College out of Illinois.

The other team in the pool with the Trappers and Triton is Cowley College out of Kansas, which is not ranked in the top 20.

Individually the Trappers have three wrestlers ranked in the top five for their respective weight classes.

Caleb Nadig is ranked fifth at 149 pounds, Aziz Fayzullaev is second at 184 pounds and Cody Pinkerton is ranked first at heavyweight in the most recent NJCAA poll as of Jan. 9.

"I don't know what my expectations will be in terms of how far we go in the dual tournament," Zeigler said. "I am more concerned about individual performances this week and seeing progress in our guys. We are so young and inexperienced."

After the dual tournament the Trappers will return to Powell, prepping for their major home event, the Apodaca Duals, Jan. 26 and 27.