NJCAA Tourney gets underway FridaySix Northwest College wrestlers will begin pursuit of potential title runs Friday in the two-day, NJCAA National Championships at the UCR Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. This year's group of title young contenders from NWC includes just one sophomore — Anthony Varnell of Spokane, Wash. The remaining competitors from NWC are freshmen. Varnell, this year's Apodaca Award winner, is no stranger to the NJCAA National Championships. Just last year in Rochester, he notched a sixth-place finish at 141 and earned the distinction of being an All-American. This time around, Varnell will be competing in the 149-pound weight class. He will enter the national event ranked fourth and is coming off a runner-up finish at the West Central Zone Championships, which served as the qualifier for this week's national championships. At that event earlier this month, Varnell went 2-0 before enduring an injury default in the finals.“Leading into the national championships, the guys are looking at Anthony like they always have — as a quiet leader who sets the tone by example,” said Jim Zeigler, NWC head coach and athletic director. “He wrestles tough and he wrestles hard all the time. Our guys are using that, and they are looking to (assistant coach) Cort Petersen and me to get an idea of what to expect this week when we get (to Rochester).”Saul Guerrero of Ft. Lupton, Colo., and Landon Harris of Rexburg, Idaho, both are coming off championship efforts at the recent West Central Zone Championships. Despite being freshmen, they are expecting to challenge for national titles this week. Guerrero's title run at the West Central Zone Championships 133 saw him record a 2-0 mark. He currently is unranked in the NJCAA's individual standings. Harris, who boasts a No. 3 national ranking, also went 2-0 en route to a first-place effort in the heavyweight division. Joining Varnell as runner-ups at the West Central Zone Championships were first-year Trappers McCade Ford and Mak Jones. Ford, of Payson, Utah, currently is unranked at 141, and Jones, who is from Powell, will enter Rochester as the seventh-ranked wrestler at 197. Briston Brenton earned his ticket to the NJCAA National Championships by virtue of a third-place effort at 157 in the West Central Zone Championships. He is currently unranked, but Zeigler said the freshman from Casper is wrestling well and looks ready to end the 2008-09 season on a strong note.“This is a young group, but sometimes that can work to your advantage in a situation like this,” Zeigler said. “Because they don't know what to expect, sometimes a young group like this will go in and surprise you. It's a lofty goal, but I think we can go there and have six guys finish the week as All-Americans. If we can get all of them on the podium, we can even come away with a team trophy. For that to happen, we'll have to finish in the top six, but it's a possibility.”As a team, the Trappers, ranked 10th nationally, finished third behind Colby Community College and Labette Community College at the qualifier for the national event. Those two teams figure to be among the favorites to challenge for a strong placement in the final standings this week, as will overwhelming favorite Iowa Central Community College. Iowa Central finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in the NJCAA's team standings. Clackamas Community College and North Idaho College also are expected to be in the mix for the top spots. According to the tournament schedule, wrestling action will begin at 10:30 a.m. (MT) Friday and continue throughout the day, with the championship quarterfinals beginning at 7:15 p.m.Saturday's action is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. The championship finals are set for 8 p.m.Trapper fans can track the progress of the NWC wrestlers by visiting www.rochsports.org/2009njcaawrestling.php.“Right now, I feel really good about where we are,” Zeigler said. “We're where we need to be, and now it's just a matter of going there and seeing what we can do on the mats.”

NJCAA Tourney gets underway Friday

Six Northwest College wrestlers will begin pursuit of potential title runs Friday in the two-day, NJCAA National Championships at the UCR Sports Center in Rochester, Minn.

This year's group of title young contenders from NWC includes just one sophomore — Anthony Varnell of Spokane, Wash. The remaining competitors from NWC are freshmen.

Varnell, this year's Apodaca Award winner, is no stranger to the NJCAA National Championships. Just last year in Rochester, he notched a sixth-place finish at 141 and earned the distinction of being an All-American.

This time around, Varnell will be competing in the 149-pound weight class. He will enter the national event ranked fourth and is coming off a runner-up finish at the West Central Zone Championships, which served as the qualifier for this week's national championships. At that event earlier this month, Varnell went 2-0 before enduring an injury default in the finals.

“Leading into the national championships, the guys are looking at Anthony like they always have — as a quiet leader who sets the tone by example,” said Jim Zeigler, NWC head coach and athletic director. “He wrestles tough and he wrestles hard all the time. Our guys are using that, and they are looking to (assistant coach) Cort Petersen and me to get an idea of what to expect this week when we get (to Rochester).”

Saul Guerrero of Ft. Lupton, Colo., and Landon Harris of Rexburg, Idaho, both are coming off championship efforts at the recent West Central Zone Championships. Despite being freshmen, they are expecting to challenge for national titles this week.

Guerrero's title run at the West Central Zone Championships 133 saw him record a 2-0 mark. He currently is unranked in the NJCAA's individual standings. Harris, who boasts a No. 3 national ranking, also went 2-0 en route to a first-place effort in the heavyweight division.

Joining Varnell as runner-ups at the West Central Zone Championships were first-year Trappers McCade Ford and Mak Jones. Ford, of Payson, Utah, currently is unranked at 141, and Jones, who is from Powell, will enter Rochester as the seventh-ranked wrestler at 197.

Briston Brenton earned his ticket to the NJCAA National Championships by virtue of a third-place effort at 157 in the West Central Zone Championships. He is currently unranked, but Zeigler said the freshman from Casper is wrestling well and looks ready to end the 2008-09 season on a strong note.

“This is a young group, but sometimes that can work to your advantage in a situation like this,” Zeigler said. “Because they don't know what to expect, sometimes a young group like this will go in and surprise you. It's a lofty goal, but I think we can go there and have six guys finish the week as All-Americans. If we can get all of them on the podium, we can even come away with a team trophy. For that to happen, we'll have to finish in the top six, but it's a possibility.”

As a team, the Trappers, ranked 10th nationally, finished third behind Colby Community College and Labette Community College at the qualifier for the national event. Those two teams figure to be among the favorites to challenge for a strong placement in the final standings this week, as will overwhelming favorite Iowa Central Community College.

Iowa Central finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in the NJCAA's team standings. Clackamas Community College and North Idaho College also are expected to be in the mix for the top spots.

According to the tournament schedule, wrestling action will begin at 10:30 a.m. (MT) Friday and continue throughout the day, with the championship quarterfinals beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Saturday's action is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. The championship finals are set for 8 p.m.

Trapper fans can track the progress of the NWC wrestlers by visiting www.rochsports.org/2009njcaawrestling.php.

“Right now, I feel really good about where we are,” Zeigler said. “We're where we need to be, and now it's just a matter of going there and seeing what we can do on the mats.”