NWC WRESTLERS HEAD TO MONTANA

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

Northwest College wrestling coach Jim Zeigler is putting the health of his wrestlers above the team record.

"As a coach you gotta know when to swallow your pride to battle another day," he said.

Heading up to Montana this weekend, the Northwest wrestling team will be competing with a smaller squad, as injuries and illness will force the Trappers to compete without key positions in a pair of duals against Snow College and Dickinson State.

Northwest will head to Great Falls to take part in the Argo Duals on Friday to take on the two teams with a new lineup.

Avery McSpadden will feature at 125 pounds, followed by Jose Treyes at 133, Bobur Biridiyorov at 141 and Jake Olsen at 149 pounds.

"We don't want to stay at home, heal up and cancel," Zeigler said. "We are using it as a weekend to try and get better."

The lineup shifts at 157 pounds with Gus Harrison struggling with injuries suffered before Thanksgiving break, and Orrin Jackson remaining out at 165 pounds due to concussion protocol.

"We have to adjust our expectations for this week," Zeigler said. "We have a good team, we have a team that can be good. We have been able to fill weights in the first three duals but will not be able to this weekend."

Aziz Fayzullaev is questionable for the Trappers at 174 pounds after battling illness this week, Cody Todd will compete at 184 pounds but Ryker Blackburn will not compete at 197 pounds.

Blackburn is battling knee soreness after an offseason surgery and has the potential to remain out until January as Zeigler wants him to be healthy the final two months of the year.

Cody Pinkerton will compete in heavyweight for the Trappers.

"I am not going to put our health and wellbeing on the line to win these duals," Zeigler said.

McSpadden, Treyes, Olsen, Todd, Pinkerton and Leighton Jensen at heavyweight will compete for the Trappers on Saturday at the University of Providence Open in Great Falls.

Zeigler is hopeful to have Blackburn and Brady Lowry healthy in January as Lowry has returned to basic workouts and conditioning after sustaining injuries in the bear attack in October.