1996-1997

.The 1996-97 season was a rebuilding year for the young Tigers.  Senior Jake Trybulski and Micah Kiffer led the team.  The year started HOT as the young Tigers won two of three matches at the Emmaus Team Tournament.  The rest of the season saw the Tigers lose some close matches, though they did succeed in winning two more matches late in the season to finish with a 4-16 record.  Although the youth of the team was evident, the improvement the wrestlers demonstrated was promising.  The team crowned two Jim Thorpe Tournament Champions, Zach Wehr and Jake Trybulski, and finished in the middle of the pack in team standings.

             Many wrestlers enjoyed an exceptional year on an individual basis.  The Trybulski brothers mirrored each other with 30-5 season.  Joel Trybulski and Zach Wehr both finished fifth and Jake second in the District XI Tournament.  At the Regional Tournament, Joel took third and Jake placed second, earning for himself a trip to States.  Justin Romanot, Micah Kiffer, Keith Watson, Rob Eschbach, Dave Frey, Troy Christman, Jason Fusselman, and Steve Brooks all showed improvement with several hard fought wins to help the team win the four matches that they did.  The early varsity experience for most of the wrestlers should pay huge dividends in the future of Northwestern wrestling.

             The outstanding Wrestler for the 1996-97 season was Jake Trybulski.  Jake had an outstanding senior year and was the team captain.  His record for the year was 30-5 with twenty pins.  Jake started the year on the right foot by winning the Jim Thorpe Tournament with three straight falls, the quickest coming in the finals.  During the regular season, Jake lost only one match. The post season was very rewarding for Jake.  He placed second in both the District XI and Southeast Regional Tournaments, which gained him a trip to Hershey and a chance to win a State Championship.  Jake won one match at Hershey and ended his high school year with a 67-44 record.

             Jake also excelled in the classroom, which was evident in his selection as the Scholar Athlete by the District XI Referees Association.  The scholarship was worth $700.  Jake was also chosen as a nominee for the District XI Coaches Association Scholar Athlete.

 Back to History