Lady Trojans Host Historic First Home Event, Gain Valuable Experience in Inaugural Season

The Colby Community College Lady Trojan wrestling team made history over the weekend, hosting the program’s first ever home competition inside the Colby Event Center. The two-day Dust Bowl Duals and Dust Bowl Open, held November 14 and 15, marked a milestone for the brand-new program while also giving Colby athletes a chance to test themselves against established junior-college and four-year programs.

Friday’s Dust Bowl Duals brought teams from Schreiner University, Murray State, Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa, and Iowa Lakes to Colby. Although the Lady Trojans entered the dual tournament at a numbers disadvantage due to injuries, redshirts, and athletes awaiting eligibility, head coach Michael Ruiz emphasized that the weekend was more about development than the scoreboard.

Ruiz noted that his young roster includes only one sophomore and that roughly half the team is competing in collegiate freestyle for the first time. Unlike high-school folkstyle, college women’s wrestling uses international freestyle rules, which emphasize exposure points, rapid scoring sequences, and more fluid upper-body attacks. Matches are also wrestled in two three-minute periods, and athletes can score quickly through turns such as leg laces and gut wrenches. For a roster comprised mostly of true freshmen adjusting to the increased pace, the event was an important learning opportunity.

Across Friday’s duals, the Lady Trojans picked up victories from several key contributors. Freshman Isabella Garrity went 3-2 on the day and earned wins over Schreiner, Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa, and Iowa Lakes. At 145 pounds, Destiny Gonzalez earned a dominant 18-6 technical fall against Schreiner, and 160-pounder Atavia Cain continued to emerge as one of CCC’s top early-season performers with technical fall wins against both Schreiner and Murray State. The Lady Trojans also received bonus-point victories from Emma Parker and Jazrine Nieto in the final dual of the day against Iowa Lakes.

Despite giving up 24 points in forfeits each round, Colby remained competitive in stretches and closed Friday with one of its best outings of the day, a 35-28 battle with Iowa Lakes.

Saturday’s Dust Bowl Open brought an even larger field, including nearly two dozen high-school competitors who were placed into the collegiate brackets. The open format suited Colby well, and several Lady Trojans finished high in their respective weight classes.

Cain reached the championship match at 160 pounds, finishing as runner-up after a strong run that included decision wins over opponents from Chadron State and Dakota Wesleyan. At 180 pounds, Aime Hernandez Perez also reached the finals after a dominant 9-0 semifinal victory over Schreiner’s Tracy Linklater. Catherine Dutton delivered Colby’s first tournament title of the young season, winning the 207-pound championship behind a technical fall, a pin, and a 7-4 decision in the finals.

As a team, the Lady Trojans placed 11th overall in the 14-team field, scoring 20 points on the strength of their three finalists and several additional consolation wins. The team standings show Schreiner winning the event, followed by William Jewell, Chadron State, and Murray State.

Beyond results, Ruiz said the weekend served an important purpose in establishing Colby as a future host site for women’s collegiate wrestling. Visiting programs expressed strong interest in returning next year, and the event drew high-school athletes from Kansas, Oklahoma, and beyond. One of the youngest wrestlers in the field was seventh-grader Haley Zabel, who won her opening match before facing two nationally ranked college opponents.

For the Lady Trojans, the first home competitions in program history provided a clear picture of progress and potential. With more experience ahead and the heart of the season still to come, the foundation laid this weekend marks a significant step forward for Colby’s newest athletic program.