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Apodaca Dual Showdown Celebrates 10th Anniversary
By DAVID DICKEY
Powell Tribune Sports Editor
The Northwest College wrestling team once again will celebrate the life of former Trapper Christopher Brooks Apodaca beginning Friday when the annual dual showdown bearing his name gets under way at 5 p.m. at Hank Cabre Gymnasium on the NWC campus.
The event, which is entering its 10th year of existence, is a tribute to Apodaca, who died in a one-vehicle accident in 1998. For NWC head coach Jim Zeigler and those who knew the young man from Riverton, the showdown has proven to be a fitting tribute to Apodaca, whose life was cut tragically short.
According to Zeigler, each version of the showdown has been special in its own way. And as expected, this year's event will carry a special place in the heart of Zeigler because it marks the 10-year anniversary of the tournament's creation.
"It is special to me," Zeigler said. "You always want an annual event to be consistent. And to me, when you hit that 10-year mark, it means it's established. The event means a lot to us, and it means a lot to the teams that come here to be a part of it because they understand what it's all about."
And unlike early season tournaments that often serve as tune-ups for the late stages of the wrestling season, the Apodaca Dual Showdown has plenty riding on it because of the time of year in which it is held. With the regional and national tournaments looming on the horizon, Zeigler said teams come into the event determined to show they are close to performing at their peak level.
"The time of the season, the level of the competition, the location and spirit of the event are all right for a top-notch performance," Zeigler said. "Those things combine to make for a situation where teams want to perform at their very best."
But for the Trappers, there's even more riding on the event. They also want to wrestle well in the memory of a fallen member of the Trapper wrestling family.
"Our main goal is to wrestle in the spirit of Brooks Apodaca," Zeigler said. "We want our guys to give everything they have from the depth of their souls to win and push themselves more
than they ever have before."
Zeigler said the showdown takes on added importance for the Trappers because of Apodaca's time as a member of the NWC squad, but he also said the spirit of the event isn't overlooked by the teams that often travel great distances to be a part of the tournament. This season, teams will travel from as far away as the West Coast and the Midwest to be part of the sixteam field.
"This event is a good opportunity for a team to discover itself," Zeigler said. "It's a chance for them to find out what they are truly capable of doing."
Zeigler pointed to Iowa Central Community College as a perfect example of what a solid showing in the Apodaca Dual Showdown can lead to down the stretch.
In recent history, Iowa Central had one of the top teams in the country early in the season. However, injuries and other obstacles caused the Tritons to slip in the rankings. Before they entered the Apodaca Dual Showdown, however, the Tritons made up their minds to show they were still the team to beat. By the time they left Powell, they had notched a 4-0 mark at the expense of NWC, North Idaho College, the University of Great Falls and Western Wyoming. And not only did they win, they won in impressive fashion.
"A month later, they won the national title," Zeigler said. "They were a team that was struggling, but they found themselves in the cold and snow of Wyoming."
This year's field of teams, in addition to the host Trappers, will include NJCAA powers Iowa Central, Clackamas Community College, North Idaho College and Western Wyoming Community College. Also scheduled to compete are the Argonauts from the University of Great Falls. UGF will enter the showdown with the No. 2 ranking in the NAIA standings. As for the junior college squads, Iowa Central has the top ranking of this year's field. They currently are No. 1 in the NJCAA rankings. Also, more than three dozen of the competitors in the six-team lineup are ranked.
"Year in and year out, more times than not we have the No. 1 team (in the NJCAA) competing in this event," Zeigler said. "One year we had the first-, second-, third- and fourth-ranked teams here. The level of competition is always impressive, and that just adds to it. There also will be plenty of bouts between guys with strong rankings."
Zeigler noted that day one of the showdown is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. with a pair of matches involving Iowa Central, Clackamas, Western Wyoming and North Idaho. At 7 p.m., all teams will be introduced and the annual Apodaca Award for Leadership and Excellence will be presented to the Trapper deserving of the honor.
Zeigler said the choice will be a well-guarded secret and the recipient will not be revealed until the award ceremony, which will include a number of former Trappers and Apodaca's parents, Ray and Carla Apodaca.
"The award doesn't necessarily have to go to a starting guy," Zeigler said, noting that last year's award winner was Nick DeWitt, who served as the team's manager. "It's going to go to a guy who is the best example of that true, unselfish, team guy."
Following the short award ceremony, two more matches will be conducted, one of which will pit the Trappers against Clackamas.
On Saturday, competition will get under way with a high school matchup between the Powell High School Panthers and Lander at 10:30 a.m. That contest, which was originally scheduled to be held Saturday afternoon at PHS, was moved to NWC in order to enhance the wrestling experience for those in attendance. Following the conclusion of that match, the college squads will begin day two of their competition.
Zeigler noted that regular admission charges will apply on Friday. However, because of the high school match (which do not carry an admission charge), Saturday's entire day of wrestling will be free for those who want to attend.
Following the conclusion of Saturday's 4 p.m. matches, NWC will conduct Trapper Overtime at the DeWitt Student Center Lounge. Hot hors d'oeuvres will be served, and fans will have the chance to meet with Zeigler and the Trapper wrestlers. The hour long event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Apodaca Dual Showdown
Friday, Jan. 25
5 p.m.: Iowa Central vs. Clackamas; Western Wyoming vs. North Idaho.
7 p.m.: Introduction of teams and award ceremony.
7:30 p.m.: Northwest vs. Clackamas; Iowa Central vs. Western Wyoming.
Saturday, Jan. 26
10:30 a.m.: Powell High School vs. Lander High School
Noon: Northwest vs. Iowa Central; Clackamas vs. Great Falls.
2 p.m.: Iowa Central vs. North Idaho; Western Wyoming vs. Clackamas.
4 p.m.: Northwest College vs. North Idaho; Iowa Central vs. Great Falls.