Zeigler hoping all 10 Northwest grapplers qualify for nationals

The Northwest College wrestling team flies today (Thursday) to Kansas City in preparation for its regional tournament. According to head coach Jim Zeigler, the team is in the best shape that it has been all year.

“I feel the best about our team that I have all year,” said Zeigler. “Our practices have been crisp. The kids are looking sharp. Their attitude is really good. We’re chomping at the bit to get down there.”

The nation’s pollsters would seem to agree with Zeigler’s assessment. In the final poll of the regular season, the Northwest College Trappers rose from a No. 7 ranking to a co-No. 4 ranking with Lincoln College. Iowa Central, Labette and Clackamas are the only schools in the nation projected to finish ahead of Northwest.

“I’m harder on the team than anyone else,” Zeigler said of the new ranking. “We’re constantly striving for perfection in the room every day. Other people who have seen us have told me that we might be better than we’re getting credit for and better than our record would indicate.”

The Trappers’ record is certainly deceptive. The team fought through a rash of first-semester injuries that required a jury-rigged lineup for the squad’s earliest duals. Once Northwest returned from the holiday break, the team was able to operate at relatively full strength for its appearance at the National Duals, where Northwest placed fourth overall.

The injury bug re-surfaced, however, when 2011 national runner-up Keithen Cast went down during an exhibition match with an injury. The sophomore, who has already signed with Division I American University, sat out the remainder of the team’s regular season as a result.

“Keithen’s healthy and running good,” Zeigler said, updating the status of his 174-pounder. “He’s been working at full speed since before the Apodacas and, in a pinch, we could have wrestled him there.”

But Zeigler will be the first person to say there wasn’t a need for that sort of measure.

“I can see past the tip of my nose,” said Zeigler. “He’s a kid that has a chance to win a national title and you just have to know what’s more important. Keithen is a winner. He’s made some adjustments. He’ll find a way when he’s on the mat.”

Finding a way is what it all boils down to this Saturday when the regional tournament begins in Chanute, Kan. The top 70 percent of the field advances to the national championship tournament, which takes place later this month in Rochester, Minn. The percentage means at least the top four in each weight class will move forward. Depending on the overall number of competitors entered, the fifth place finishers could also qualify automatically. At the very least, the regional will receive a number of wildcard slots for the national tournament which the coaches are allowed to apportion to those not automatically qualifying within their weight bracket.

“I’m hoping we can get all 10 of our guys through this weekend,” said Zeigler. “I think we have a good shot to take our whole team with us when we go to nationals.”

The national pollsters would seem to agree with Zeigler. Eight of Northwest College’s 10 wrestlers carry individual rankings into Saturday’s regional tournament. Among them, none will have a more challenging day than redshirt freshman Kamron Day at 125 pounds.

“The 125-pound bracket is the toughest class there,” said Zeigler. “It’s probably the toughest bracket in the nation.”

So tough that Day, ranked No. 5 in the nation, will only be the fourth-best 125-pound wrestler at Chanute, according to the rankings. The second, third and fourth-ranked 125-pound wrestlers in the nation also compete in the Trappers’ region.

“I’m not sure where Kamron will be seeded on the bracket down there, but it really doesn’t matter,” Zeigler said. “Those top four are all so close. I don’t know where he’ll place. Hopefully he’ll win it. He’s capable of it. The nice thing though is that they’ll all be in different quarters of the bracket once we hit the national tournament.”

Other ranked wrestlers looking to prove the national pollsters right and advance to the NJCAA championships will be Whitey Gardner (No. 8 at 133), Colton Thornton (No. 8 at 141), Nathaniel Garcia (No. 4 at 149), Jaksen Cotterell (No. 6 at 157), Bernie Dupuy (No. 3 at 165), Cast (No. 2 at 174) and Miles Nixon (No. 12 at 184). Ben Price (197) and Sean Sullivan (285) round out the Trappers’ lineup for the postseason.

“Wrestling is a little different,” Zeigler said. “Most sports, you’re looking to qualify at the end of the year. For us, it’s more of a process of elimination. We’re looking to get rid of the kids that clearly don’t belong at the national tournament. Looking at our lineup, I hope to get our entire team through this weekend.”

If Zeigler’s assessment is correct, the weekend will likely come down to a head-to-head battle with No. 2 Labette Community College. No. 11 Colby, No. 12 Neosho and No. 18 Pratt will also be in Chanute looking to challenge for a team title. Northwest Kansas Technical College and Western Wyoming will also be in attendance and received points in the final regular-season national poll.

This could be the Trappers’ final season competing against the likes of Labette and Colby at the regional level. Changes to the junior college landscape could prompt the NJCAA to juggle postseason assignments in future years.

“We have a new school from Arkansas joining the region this year,” Zeigler said. “I don’t know much about them or how many kids they’ll bring this weekend. Northeast Oklahoma recently announced that they would be adding wrestling, so that would make a ninth team in that region.”

With only five schools currently competing in the Pacific Northwest region, Zeigler notes that it is certainly a possibility the Trappers could find themselves heading west, rather than east, in future seasons.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Zeigler. “It’s just as far to Portland, Ore., as it is to Kansas City from here.”