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Northwest Wins One of Three
BY RANDAL HOROBIK
Tribune Sports Editor
The sixth-ranked Northwest College wrestling team finished 1-2 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Iowa over the weekend. The Trappers were upset in the opening round by No. 12 Southwestern Oregon, a team they defeated just last month, then fell to No. 13 Iowa Lakes in the consolation semifinals.
The Trappers scored their lone victory with a defeat of fellow West Central zone member No. 19 Colby (Kan.) in the match for seventh place.
Northwest was hindered throughout the weekend by a continuing void in their lineup at 125 pounds. Facing some of the nation’s top junior college programs, it was a handicap the team was unable to overcome.
Against Southwestern, the Trappers received victories from Jesse Hillhouse (133), Bobby Robins (149), Keithen Cast (174), Nick Petersen (184) and Sears Tiernan (285). Only Cast’s victory, a 19-4 technical fall that required less than four minutes of mat time to create, resulted in extra points for the team, however.
Southwestern Oregon countered with a win by fall at 165 pounds and picked up an extra point for a major decision victory at 197 pounds. Combined with the six points received due to the Trappers’ vacant 125-pound slot, it was enough to overcome Northwest’s 5-4 in matches wrestled and send the Oregon school through to the semifinals with a 22-17 victory.
The loss dropped the Trappers into the consolation bracket, where the team faced Iowa Lakes. Once again, the Trappers were winners in five out of the nine matches wrestled but ended up losing on the scoreboard, this time by a 25-18 final count.
Hillhouse opened with a 17-2 technical fall after the NWC forfeit at 125. Jake Budd added a 7-3 victory at 141 pounds for the Trappers, who didn’t win again until Cast stepped on the mat for a 7-5 victory at 174.
Petersen added a 10-2 major decision win at 184 and Ben Price followed with a 5-3 decision at 197 that pulled the Trappers within a point on the scoreboard. Iowa Lakes sealed the win by recording a rare win by fall over Tiernan at heavyweight.
Relegated to the seventh-place match after entering the competition as the No. 3 seed, the Trappers rolled to a 28-13 win over Colby (Kan.). The Trappers’ vacancy at 125 pounds was offset by a Colby void at 197 pounds, leaving eight matches to be contested on the mat.
Of those eight, Northwest came out victorious in six, starting with Hillhouse, who wrapped up an undefeated weekend with a win by fall at the 2:56 mark. Colby took a 13-6 lead with back-toback wins at 141 and 149, but the Trappers didn’t allow another point the remainder of the day.
Zach Oppenheimer scored his first duals win with a 6-3 victory at 157 pounds. Timber Holmquist followed suit with a 5-2 victory at 165.
Cast and Petersen each wrapped up unbeaten weekends in lopsided fashion. Cast rolled to a 20-8 major decision win. Petersen followed with a 3-0 shutout in his final bout.
Following Price’s win by forfeit at 197, Tiernan stepped on the mat for an 8-1 victory to wrap up the finish for Northwest College.
Northwest College returns to action this Thursday with a 7:30 p.m. home dual against the University of Great Falls. That will also mark the Trappers’ final home action until the season-ending Apodaca Duals on Jan. 28-29. Northwest also serves as the host for this year’s West Central zone championships in February.