Your future, our focus
By DAVID DICKEY
Powell Tribune Sports Editor
The Northwest College wrestling squad will face its biggest challenge of the season Saturday when they take part in the all-important West Central Zone Championships in Chanute, Kansas.
Saturday's competition serves as the qualifying event for the NJCAA National Championships in Rochester, Minn., Feb. 23-24. The top four finishers in each weight class will automatically earn a berth at the national championships. There also are a limited number of wild card spots available for wrestlers who fail to qualify, and those positions are decided by the coaches of the competing schools.
In addition to NWC, Saturday's list of competitors includes Western Wyoming, Labette, Colby, Pratt and Neosho.
Labette enters the event as the favorite and a lofty No. 2 national ranking. NWC is currently third, and Western Wyoming is eighth.
Zeigler said the West Central Zone is one of the most difficult to survive in each year because of the level of competition from top to bottom.
"It's brutal," Zeigler said. "There's nothing easy about this event. The wrestlers that come out of this zone often do very well at nationals, and it will likely be that way again this year."
Last year, seven Trappers qualified for the national championships while two more earned wild card spots. As always, Zeigler said the goal is to have all 10 wrestlers make the cut. However, he noted the competition will be as fierce as ever.
"If we qualify less than seven, it will be a disappointment," Zeigler said.
NWC enters the weekend with two wrestlers seeded at the top of their respective weight classes. Joe Woods, a sophomore who has not wrestled competitively since sustaining a broken hand in Dec., is the top seed at 184, while freshman Nathan Barzee is the top seed at 197. Woods and Barzee are ranked fifth and third, respectively, in the national standings.
Zeigler said Woods and Barzee are expected to do well this weekend. Woods' toughest competition likely will come from seventh-ranked Chris Sutton-Kearn of Colby. At 197, Elijah Martinez is the only other nationally ranked competitor. He checks in at No. 7.
At 125, the Trappers may be without the services of freshman Jeremy Ensley. Ensley, ranked third nationally, has been one of NWC's top wrestlers for most of the season. He sustained a knee injury during the Apodaca Dual Showdown late last month. Zeigler said final word on Ensley's availability for Saturday was to be determined Wednesday. His status was not known at presstime.
Whomever gets the nod at 125 for NWC will be facing a difficult weight class. Labette's Tim Elliott, ranked second in the nation, is the early favorite. Western Wyoming's Mike Wilding, ranked sixth, also figures to be a contender for a strong finish. Should Ensley compete, he will be a No. 2 seed.
Freshman Ryan Hecker is back in the lineup for NWC, and he will be facing a tough road at 133. That class boasts four nationally ranked competitors, including Labette's Josh Baldridge (No. 2), Neosho's Tanner Dawson (No. 5), Pratt's James Fox (No. 7) and Colby's Tyler Baker (No. 7).
NWC freshman A.J. Acebo will get the starting nod at 141. Two of the competitors in that weight class are ranked. Colby's Levi Younkin is sixth, while Labette's Marcus Bowman is eighth.
The 149-pound weight class has three nationally-ranked wrestlers in Labette's Willie Pendleton (No. 3), Western Wyoming's Cody Chipperfield (No. 4) and Pratt's Ryan England (No. 8). NWC's entry in that class with be redshirt freshman Justin Gardner.
At 157 Saturday, NWC freshman Jeb Clark will one of four nationally ranked wrestlers. Clark is fifth, while Pratt's Jason Nichols is third. Western Wyoming's Clatyon Cook checks in at No. 6, while Labette's Joe Yust is seventh.
Trapper sophomore Eric Coxbill is the No. 2 seed at 165. Coxbill, who recently returned from a knee injury, is seeded behind fourth-ranked Mikey Morgan of Labette. Coxbill and Morgan are the only ranked wrestlers in that class.
Julius Rios will be among the favorites at 174. Rios is second nationally behind top-ranked Tommy McCarty of Labette. Those two recently battled in the Apodoca Dual Showdown, and McCarty claimed a 7-4 win in that bout.
In the heavyweight division, Trapper Michael Freeman is one of four ranked wrestlers that will be competing in Saturday's event. Freeman is seventh behind Pratt's Carl Wilkinson (No. 4), Labette's Willie Weber (No. 5) and Western Wyoming's Brandon Rupp (No. 6).
"I'm looking forward to it," Zeigler said. "For the first time since we wrestled Western Wyoming and North Idaho College (Dec. 6-7), we have a fairly healthy lineup. It'll be a tough event, and I'm eager to see how we'll do."