Northwest Hoops slips from top 20

The Northwest College wrestling team rose from 12th into a tie for eighth place in the first update to the junior college wrestling rankings this season. Seven members of the Trappers’ roster are listed among the individual rankings.

Despite battling a bevy of injuries during the season’s first month, the Trappers did enough to move up four places in Tuesday’s updated poll. Northwest College is tied with Colby at No. 8. Colby hasn’t budged since coming in with the No. 8 ranking during the preseason.

Both schools are part of the North Central region. Fourth-ranked Labette is also part of that grouping, as is No. 16 Western Wyoming.

Returning national runner-up Keithen Cast, sidelined much of November with a severe ankle sprain, remains the nation’s top-ranked junior college grappler at 174 pounds. Also ranked for Northwest are Justin Gardner (fourth at 133), Cody Mansur (sixth at 197), Nathaniel Carcia (10th at 149), Bernie Dupuy (11th at 165), Colton Thornton (12th at 141) and Miles Nixon (12th at 184).

The news was not as cheerful for the Trapper men’s basketball team. After cracking the top 20 a week ago, Northwest suffered its first losses of the regular season to slide back out of the top 20.

Northwest, now 12-2 on the season, still received 17 votes in this week’s poll, good enough to place the Trappers 22nd in the overall voting. The team will have a chance to make its case for reinstatement to the top 20 this Saturday when Sheridan College comes to town.

The Generals, undefeated at 11-0, debut at No. 18 in the poll this week. Western Wyoming, another Region IX school, is ranked No. 14.

Here’s a complete rundown of the latest NJCAA wrestling, men’s and women’s basketball polls.

NJCAA wrestling

1. Clackamas, 2. Iowa Central, 3. Lincoln, 4. Labette, 5. Nassau, 6. North Idaho, 7. Highline, 8. (tie) NORTHWEST and Colby, 10. Muskegon, 11. Southwestern Oregon, 12. Neosho County, 13. Mercyhurst, 14. Iowa Lakes, 15. North Iowa Area, 16. Western Wyoming, 17. Gloucester County, 18. Niagara County, 19. Rend Lake, 20. Harper.

Others: Middlesex County, Pratt, Alfred State, Triton, Rochester, Iowa Western, Waubonsee.

Trappers ranked nationally — Justin Gardner, fourth at 133; Colton Thornton, 12th at 141; Nathaniel Garcia, 10th at 149; Bernie Dupuy, 11th at 165; Keithen Cast, first at 174; Miles Nixon, 12th at 184; Cody Mansur, sixth at 197.

NJCAA men’s basketball

1. Monroe 10-0, 2. Northwest Florida 10-0, 3. Indian Hills-Ottumwa 10-0, 4. South Plains 11-0, 5. Salt Lake 9-0, 6. Coffeyville 10-1, 7. Chipola 11-0, 8. Barton 14-0, 9. Palm Beach State 10-1, 10. Vincennes 13-1, 11. Hutchinson 11-1, 12. Southern Idaho 10-1, 13. Eastern Oklahoma State 12-1, 14. Western Wyoming 11-0, 15. Kansas City-Kansas 11-0, 16. Shelton State 8-1, 17. Odessa 12-1, 18. Sheridan 11-0, 19. Howard 8-2, 20. Northeast Mississippi 7-1.

Others: NORTHWEST, Midland, Otero, Garden City, Cowley County, Pensacola State, Central Arizona, Delgado, North Dakota State College of Science, Hagerstown, Waycross, San Jacinto-Central, Kankakee, Eastern Utah, Arizona Western, McLennan, Olney Central, Dodge City, Colby, Gordon, Lamar State-Port Arthur, Three Rivers (Mo.), Seward County, Connors State, Jackson State, Kaskaskia, Sauk Valley.

NJCAA women’s basketball

1. Trinity Valley 8-0, 2. Northwest Florida 10-0, 3. Hutchinson 10-0, 4. Central Arizona 9-1, 5. Pensacola 8-1, 6. Casper 9-1, 7. Gulf Coast 9-1, 8. Weatherford 10-0, 9. Northern Oklahoma-Enid 9-1, 10. Walters State 9-1, 11. Seward County 9-2, 12. Independence 7-1, 13. Shelton State 8-0, 14. Chipola 9-3, 15. Arizona Western 10-1, 16. North Idaho 6-2, 17. Jefferson 8-2, 18. Paris 10-1, 19. Middle Georgia 10-0, 20. Hill 14-0.

Others: Otero, Southwest Tennessee, State Fair, Midland, Malcolm X.

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