SETTING A TRAP
NW Wyoming team to beat again in Junior College
After dominating the field at last year’s junior college national championships, this year’s question will be: what can Northwest Wyoming do for an encore" The Trappers of a year ago won the school’s first-ever team title by outdistancing runner-up Lassen by an overwhelming 66 points, the third-largest margin of victory recorded at the JUCO national tournament.
"Regardless of what anybody says, after you win a championship there seems to be a sense of tradition that didn’t exist prior to that," said Northwest Wyoming head coach Jim Zeigler. "We always had a quality program and a good team that had guys that have gone on and been successful. But I think a new sense of tradition is established when you win a championship. I’ve seen it in Iowa Central, North Idaho and Lassen and they continue to have great teams every year. I think we are going to be in that category."
Zeigler returns only two wrestlers from a team that saw eight wrestlers earn All-American status, three of whom were champions. The nucleus of the Northwest line-up will center on 125-pound runner-up Seth Wright and Kade Caturia, who placed fifth at 165. The Trappers will receive help from incoming Utah recruits Chase Walker and Spencer Bolwes. Walker, who will wrestle at 157, was a three-time state champ and a double All-American at this year’s Junior Nationals.
Bolwes, a one-time state champ, will replace two-time JUCO champion Tyler Rhodes at heavyweight."With my team I try to create reasonable expectations," said Zeigler. "Our goal is to win the national championship every year. Some years we’re going to have a better chance at it than others. We’re not going to worry about where we’re going to finish. We’re just going to worry about getting better."
Meanwhile North Idaho, the most storied program in the junior college ranks, looks to be in a good position to win the school’s 14th national title since the tournament started
| Northwest Wyoming's Seth Wright (left) lost in the 2004 finals to Labette's Earl Jones, who also returns this season. |
Traditional powerhouse Iowa Central will also look to make a run at the title but under new leadership. Former University of Iowa wrestler Luke Moffitt takes over as head coach, inheriting a team that placed third last year. Moffitt was a two-year starter for the Hawkeyes, winning a Big Ten title in 2002. He also won a JUCO national title for Iowa Central in 2000. Last year’s interim head coach Troy Bennett will remain on staff as an assistant.
"He’ll do a nice job and I’m certainly happy with the school’s selection," said Bennett. "He’s a good coach and a good recruiter, but he’s only 25-years old and a lot of these kids just watched him compete in college so they aren’t much younger than him. It’s going to be important for him to stay their coach."
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