Six wrestlers return for the Northwest College wrestling team, joined by a number of Wyoming athletes as well as recruits from across the country.

Four of those six returners from last year’s team made it to the national tournament, as Dylan Sorenson went 3-2 at 125 pounds, but will be moving up to 133 pounds this season as he returns from Casper.

Colby Ducatt went 2-2 at the national tournament at 157 pounds last season. He returns from Bonney Lake, Washington, as coach Jim Zeigler noted he’ll remain at that weight as the Trappers continue to search for a team leader early in the season.

“I think Colby is developing into a leader for us. We lost four pretty good kids last year … These guys are doing a pretty good job of leading this group. No one guy has really taken the reins yet, but I think it’s Colby’s for the taking,” Zeigler said.

Devin Grossman returns from Billings at 149 pounds after going 1-2 at that weight at nationals; he will remain at that weight this season.

Porter Olson from Spanish Fork, Utah, is the final qualifier returning from last season. He went 0-2 at 165 pounds and will remain at that weight once again.

Ryan Nutt also returns from Pinedale, after he competed at 133 pounds last year he will bump up to 141 pounds this season. Jackie Meador returns for one final season after redshirting last year, as the Big Piney product will compete at 133 pounds.

“I think they (the sophomores) look good. I don’t know where they fit on the food chain in terms of being competitive nationally. New freshmen are coming in everywhere, so we’ll see,” Zeigler said. “They’re a year older. They’ve matured. Most of them moved up a weight class, showing their commitment to the weight room, trailing and lifting to our philosophy of bigger, faster, stronger. I’m pleased with them.”

One of the top recruits joining the Trappers Zeigler is excited for is Keegan Rager, who is a two-time state champion from Sheridan who will wrestle at 174 pounds.

“He’s a top guy … He was a nominee for the Wyoming Student Athlete of the Year. Fantastic, engineering student. Just a great kid,” Zeigler said. “I wasn’t sure if he was going to be 174 or 184, we loaded up a lot of guys in the middle, thinking that some guys would grow … He’s someone that I feel comes into the program, he embodies the spirit of things we want.”

Another Wyoming state placer who will compete in the middle weights is Blake Edwards from Gillette, who will compete at 157 or 165 after being a runner-up at state this past season.

“Blake’s not as developed yet as a wrestler. He hasn’t been wrestling as long, but a great kid, great leadership skills,” Zeigler said. “These are kids that make good decisions, carry themselves well, that have their priorities in line, have great work ethic. 

“I’ve always said that my best teams have Wyoming anchors on them, and if we can get a core group of Wyoming kids, I think it makes it easier for the out-of-state kids to learn the system and be a part of it. We want kids like Colby to come in here, we want to teach them our lifestyle and share with them how we do it in Wyoming … Having a good core of Wyoming kids makes a difference.”

Riley Dehaven also makes his way over from the northeast corner of the state, joining the Trappers from Moorcroft as a three time medalist at the 2A ranks, with Zeigler noting he has shown significant growth early to compete at 184 pounds.

“He’s growing right in front of our eyes,” Zeigler said. “He’s a really high-quality Wyoming kid … We like those ranch boys from over on the east side of the state, he’s a good one.”

Loomis Alexander makes the  trip to Powell to join the Trappers from Greybull after being a two-time state champion for the Buffs. Zeigler said he likely will compete at 165 pounds.

Daniel Romero is an out-of-state recruit for the Trappers from Greeley, Colorado, who was a state champion at 113 pounds. Zeigler said he’s jumped up in weight and will compete at 125 pounds for Northwest.

Zeigler was hopeful to have an Uzbekistan international at 197 pounds, but says they have been unable to get an appointment at the embassy in order for him to make the journey to the United States, with the coach uncertain of what they’ll do at the weight.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do just yet. It’s a little much for anybody to grow to. We have two heavyweights, one of them could make 197, but I think he performs better at heavyweight,” Zeigler said. “So we could have a vacancy at 197 throughout the season, which would hurt us in dual meets. We’ll just see how it shakes out.”

One of those heavyweights for the Trappers is Cooper Murray from St. Charles, Illinois, who was a state runner-up and despite being the lighter of the two heavyweights, Zeigler said he will likely be the starter for the Trappers.

The other heavyweight is another state champion Greybull competitor: Curtis Strohschein.

After several weeks of preseason conditioning, Zeigler said he likes the progress the Trappers have made and is happy to see the connection between the athletes at this time.

“They’re progressing really well. They had a great preseason. There’s a lot of things to look for; I think they’re definitely getting stronger and learning the wrestling part really well,” Zeigler said. “What I’m really impressed with is how well they’ve come together. Their chemistry, how much these kids seem to like each other and spend time together and enjoy each other’s time. They hang out together all the time, they eat every meal together, practice together … They’re just really in tune with each other, and that has the makings of a team that will continue to get better throughout the course of the season.”

Northwest once again starts the year on the road, making the trip for the Mines Rookie Open on Sunday in Golden, Colorado.

“I just want them to compete hard. I don’t want them doing too much thinking when they’re out there. I want them to rely on their instincts. We try teaching them here, but I don’t want them thinking too much while they’re out there,” Zeigler said. “They’re going to revert back to some of the things that they’re familiar with that might not be the best for the situation. But they’re going to make mistakes. So the main thing I want to see out of them is to be wrestling through those.”

Following a recent pattern, the Trappers have the following weekend off before heading back to Colorado and then into Nebraska for a dual and tournament, as Zeigler hopes to keep his team healthy in the early going.

The lone home action for the Trappers is scheduled for the final weekend of January with the Apodaca Duals.