Your future, our focus
The Northwest Trappers wrestling team went 1-2 against three ranked NAIA opponents in Havre, Mont., last week.
The Trappers beat No. 8 Southern Oregon 24-21 Nov. 22, and lost 24-13 to the No. 6 University of Great Falls Argos that same day. The Trappers also fell to No. 2 Montana State University- Northern Lights 27-18 on Nov. 21.
Head coach Jim Zeigler said it was a disappointing weekend, though there were some positives.
“I was pretty frustrated with the results,” Zeigler said. “I did not feel like we wrestled well as a team. We definitely didn’t wrestle like the No. 1 team in the nation.”
Zeigler took the brunt of the blame, saying he didn’t get his team to wrestle with intensity.
“I wasn’t emphasizing this trip,” the coach said. “In my mind it’s just not one of those important duals, but it is important to wrestle well.”
Four wrestlers stood out to Zeigler.
“There were a couple of really good things that happened this weekend,” the coach said. Jeff McCormick (3-0), Cole McArthur (3-0), Diorian Coleman (2-0) and Jon Wixom (2-1) all enjoyed a successful road trip.
Northwest went 6-3 against Southern Oregon and forfeited the 141-pound bout.
Cody Vichi won at 125 pounds, Brenden Turner won at 133, McCormick won at 157, Coleman won in a triple overtime bout at 165, McArthur won at 174 and Wixom won at 197.
“That sealed the deal for us,” Zeigler said of Wixom’s win.
Kaelen Loveless lost at 149, Miles Nixon was pinned at 184 and heavyweight Gabe Escobedo lost.
Northwest won three of the eight bouts against the Lights. Two bouts were forfeited, one by each team.
Ben Jorgensen won by fall at 133 pounds, McCormick won by an 8-3 decision at 157 pounds and No. 9 McArthur won in a tight 3-1 decision in overtime.
Jorgensen pinned the No. 2 ranked Duell Stadel in 4:42 to score six points for the Trappers.
“Ben caught him in a situation and put him to his back and finished the deal,” Zeigler said.
Four Trappers who are ranked in the top 10 in their weight class fell victim to the Lights.
No. 3 Vichi lost to No. 1 Aaron LaFarge by a 9-5 decision in the 125 match.
No. 1 Zac Loveless lost by a 11-5 decision to No. 4 Cameron Neiss at 141 pounds.
“That was a huge, huge upset,” Zeigler said.
No. 1 Nixon was pinned in 2:47 by No. 6 Kody Reed in the 184-pound match.
No. 10 Wixom, 197 pounds, was pinned in 6:25 by No. 4 Toby Cheff.
Trapper heavyweight Gabe Escobedo lost by a 4-0 decision.
Coleman and Wixom each found themselves with their arms raised the following day against the Argos.
Coleman beat Shawn Lau by a 4-3 decision. Lau beat Coleman twice last season. Jon Wixom beat Dylan Lemery in a 8-6 decision.
McArthur won by a 11-1 major decision over Taylor Vaughn, who was 4-0 against McArthur prior to Friday’s bout.
McCormick’s triumph came in a 8-4 decision over Nicholas Schmidt.
Vichi lost in a 7-3 decision to Luke Schlosser.
Ben Jorgensen lost by a 9-3 decision to the Argos’ Jared Berlinger.
Turner, who usually wrestles at 133, competed at 141 pounds Saturday. Turner lost by technical fall 20-3 in 5:15.
“He was overmatched wrestling at 141,” Zeigler said.
Kaelen Loveless lost 10-2 at the hands of Ryan Martin.
Nixon was pinned for the third time in two days, this time by Kamron Jackson in 1:06.
Escobedo lost by a 6-3 decision to Sheldon Page.
The Trappers don’t wrestle again until Dec. 6, when they travel back to Great Falls, Mont., for duals against Oklahoma City University and Menlo University. Northwest will then take part in the University of Great Falls Open on Dec. 7.