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Wrestlers Crown Three Champions
The Northwest College wrestling team returned to action over the weekend at the Utah Valley University open tournament. The Trappers crowned champions at 133, 149 and 197 pounds, and narrowly missed adding a title at 157 pounds to that list.
None of the wins were bigger than in the 197-pound division, where Jarrett Baker cut a path of destruction through the division.
Prior to the break, the upper weight classes had been a source of struggle and concern for the Trappers. Baker reversed that trend in Utah, however, pinning three opponents en route to the championship.
Baker topped Western Wyoming’s Riley Argyle in 2:22 to cinch the championship. His first two trips to the mat ended in similar fashion as he pinned opponents from Dixie State and Southern Nevada, needing just a collective 10-1/2 minutes to wrap up the title.
T.J. Guild’s path to the title was similarly impressive. After a 10-0 major decision over a Utah Valley wrestler, Guild went on to shut out his semifinal opponent, Western Wyoming’s Caleb Walker, by a 3-0 count. That put him in the title match against the University of Wyoming’s Sean O’Leary, whom he pinned just past the midway point of the second period.
In the 149-pound division, Colby Kloetzer’s only challenge came in the semifinals against the Pokes’ Jake Elliott, which ended in a 7-4 decision in Kloetzer’s favor. Other than that, it was a 15-8 victory in the prelims, a five-minute win by fall in the quarterfinals and an even shorter championship win by fall in a time of 2:17 over Western Wyoming’s Dillon Karjanis.
Colton Thornton narrowly missed giving the Trappers a fourth champion. Wrestling against the University of Wyoming’s Tanner Miller, Thornton dropped a 6-5 decision in the title match. Prior to that, Thornton had enjoyed an 8-3 victory in the quarterfinals and a 5-2 decision in the semifinals after starting his day with an opening-round bye.
The Trappers flew from Salt Lake City to Kansas for a series of duals. Northwest faces Colby and Neosho tonight (Tuesday). The team’s Kansas swing continues Wednesday with duals against Pratt and Labette.
Northwest College will be back on the home mats next week with a Jan. 15 dual against the University of Great Falls and a Jan. 17 dual against Montana State-Northern. The Trappers host the Apodaca Duals on Jan. 25-26, the team’s final action before the Northwest District Tournament in Portland, Ore.
125 — Cody Vichi went 2-2 and placed fourth overall.
Mitchell Heap went 2-2 and did not place.
133 — T.J. Guild went 3-0 to finish as the tournament champion.
Ben Jorgenson went 3-1 to place third overall.
Brenden Turner went 2-2 to place fourth overall.
141 — Zach Loveless went 3-1 and placed third overall.
149 — Colby Kloetzer went 4-0 to finish as the tournament champion.
Jake McCormick went 2-2 and did not place
Cormick Eaton went 0-2 and did not place.
157 — Colton Thornton went 2-1 and finished as the tournament runner-up.
165 — Diorian Coleman went 2-2 to finish in place fourth overall.
174 — Cole McArthur went 1-1 and was withdrawn from the tournament due to medical forfeit.
197 — Jarrett Baker went 3-0 to finish as the tournament champion.