Your future, our focus
P O W E L L, W y o. - Jordan High School graduate Trevor Moss helped the Northwest College Wrestling Team to the 2004 national championship.
Wrestling in the 174- pound weight class, Moss paced the NWC Trappers of Powell, Wyo., as they rewrote the record books at the National Junior College Athletic Association Wrestling Championship tournament Feb. 27 and 28 in Rochester, Minn.
The Trappers posted 155.5 points to claim top dog honors, the most recorded by a single team during the entire 44- year history of the tournament. California's Lassen College was a distant second, posting 89.5 points, followed by Iowa Central Community College (87.5), North Idaho College (82) and Kansas' Colby Community College (78.5).
The NWC grapplers were ranked first in the nation before they even hit the mats this season and never surrendered their position. And for the first time in its history, Northwest College qualified a wrestler for the national tournament in all 10 weight categories.
Moss figured prominently in that success story. He ended his NWC wrestling career as an All- American with a 18- 16 record for the season.
" Unfortunately, Trevor didn't place at the national tournament," NWC Wrestling Coach Jim Zeigler said, " but he had two victories and those two victories were more significant to the team than people might realize. In his wins, he was handing losses to the teams that were threatening us the most. Each of the kids who are a part of our team takes a significant role in this championship, and Trevor's is no less than anyone else's, not even our three individual champions. One of the local newspaper reports really hit the heart of Trevor's contribution at the national tournament when he said Trevor got the ball rolling for us. He had one of those early victories that we had to have over Iowa Central, one of the most threatening teams."
Zeigler regrets that Moss has finished his wrestling career at Northwest. " We tried to get Trevor to wrestle with us last year after he graduated from high school, but he was an All- State football player and decided to play ball for Snow College instead," Zeigler said. " When he decided to switch to wrestling this year, he had only one year of NJCAA eligibility left."
Even though he only spent a year at Northwest, Moss slid easily into the wrestling program, according to Zeigler. " Trevor was what we considered to be a great fit for our group and the chemistry we already had established on the team. He's an outstanding student and citizen. We had two brothers on the team this year who were good friends with Trevor, and I'm sure his presence may be the only thing that kept those two from killing each other. Just as he made them better people, he made everyone around him better."
Getting that special kind of chemistry on his team is important to Zeigler, who was named the 2004 national coach of the year. During his 11 years at Northwest, he's carved a reputation for his coaching philosophy, which includes monthly team/family dinners, regular off-the-mat team/family activities and weekly (sometimes twice- weekly) compulsory academic study halls for the whole team. He recruits young wrestlers on the basis of their character and athletic potential. When Zeigler selects a prospective wrestler, it's a holistic endorsement of all the attributes and qualities of the young man.
After graduating from Northwest College in May, Moss will go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and afterward wants to continue wrestling at an NCAA Division I School.
His collegiate success follows an outstanding high school career that in addition to his All-State football status, included a state wrestling championship and All-America designation.
Moss' parents are Jeanette and Alan Moss of Sandy.