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Young NWC Wrestling Squad Tested in First Event of 2007-08 Season
By DAVID DICKEY
Powell Tribune Sports Editor
The Northwest College wrestling team got its first test of the season Saturday at the annual NWC Open in Powell, and the Trappers had a number of grapplers earn solid finishes during the event.
Overall, eight Trappers finished fifth or better during the event. Of those finishes, the efforts turned in by sophomore Jeremy Ensley at 125 and freshman Mason Peebles at 165 were the best for NWC. Ensley and Peebles each went 3-1, and their losses came in the championship finals.
Ensley posted wins via pins against Montana State University- Northern's Alan Armstrong and Josh Stedman of the University of Great Falls during his first two bouts. He followed with a major decision over Forrest Bouge of Great Falls to earn a spot in the championship bout. In the title match, Ensley dropped a 6-1 decision to MSUNorthern's Cory Borges.
Peebles started the event by defeating Great Falls' wrestlers Foster Orton and Josh Mathis by major decisions. After winning his third bout by injury default, Peebles suffered a 7-0 loss to MSU-Northern's Austin Ouellette.
NWC also had five wrestlers in bouts for third place, but each of those matchups failed to go in the Trappers favor as Tyler Osborn (141-pound weight class), Anthony Varnell (149), Keenan Funk (165), Darren Lewis (174) and Corey Green (184) suffered setbacks.
Osborn, a freshman and five time state champion in high school, went 2-2, and Varnell, a former high school All American, posted a 3-2 mark to open his freshman season. Funk, a sophomore, was 2-2 Saturday, while Lewis, a redshirt freshman, was 1-2. Green, a returning starter from last season, recorded a 2-2 record in the event.
Freshman Michael Vigil rounded out the top placers for NWC by registering a fifth place effort in the 125-pound weight class.
"I saw some things I liked, but there also are some concerns," Trapper head coach Jim Zeigler said following the event. "The good thing is, the concerns center around mistakes that can be fixed. As far as the things I liked, I was impressed with the competitive attitude our guys showed. I liked the toughness I saw, and the guys listened and were very coachable all day long."
Zeigler noted that of the seven NWC wrestlers who found themselves in bouts for either first or third places, none came out on the winning end. He said part of that could be attributed to the Trappers running out of gas as the day played out.
Zeigler said it's not uncommon for that to happen early in the season because he believes in gradually building his wrestlers' conditioning regimen as the season progresses.
"It gives them incentive to grow," Zeigler said. "It gives them something else to shoot for as we continue to go through the season."
The Trappers had wrestlers compete in all but one weight class - the 197-pound division. The absence of a Trapper from that division was due to an injury to sophomore and 2007 All- American Nathan Barzee. Barzee suffered a dislocated elbow during practice prior to the season opener. He is expected to begin practicing in December and competing in January.
Other teams competing in the NWC Open included Dickinson State University, Idaho State University, MSU-Northern, Great Falls and Western Wyoming Community College. The field also consisted of unattached wrestlers from Northern Colorado, Jamestown College, North Idaho College, Utah Valley State and the University of Wyoming.
Up next: The Trappers next match will be Thursday, Nov. 8, at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs. NWC also is slated to compete in the Cowboy Open at the University of Wyoming, Saturday, Nov. 10.