Trojans Use Jet Open as mid-Season Tune-Up Ahead of Key Dual Stretch
January 4, 2026
The Colby Community College Trojan wrestling team returned to competition on January 4 by taking part in the Jet Open at Newman University in Wichita, using the event as an important reset point following the holiday break and a lead-in to a busy stretch of dual competition.
Colby finished 10th in the team standings with 26.5 points in a field that featured a deep mix of junior college programs and four-year institutions, including NCAA Division II and NAIA schools. Central Oklahoma captured the team title with 201 points, followed by Pratt Community College and Northeast Oklahoma rounding out the top three
For the Trojans, the Jet Open served less as a results-driven tournament and more as a test of conditioning, toughness, and match readiness after time away from competition. Head coach Joseph Cornejo said the team met internal expectations given the timing of the event.
“I think we did what was expected,” Cornejo said. “We did not lose to anyone that shouldn’t have probably beat us. We wrestled tough, even in the matches we lost.”
Click here for more information
Colby sent multiple wrestlers across the weight classes, with several athletes picking up key wins and bonus-point victories. At 133 pounds, Talon Suttles (Winfield, KS) put together one of the stronger runs of the day for the Trojans. Suttles earned a fall over Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa’s Teyton Burns before recording a major decision over Ottawa University’s Jayden Nowell. He later faced nationally tested competition, falling to Western Colorado’s Zachary Bates and Cowley College’s Cam Kiser in the consolation rounds, but still contributed six team points.
At 149 pounds, Scotty Engle (Venango, NE) delivered multiple momentum-building victories in the consolation bracket. Engle secured back-to-back falls over Friends University’s Thomas Vasquez and Northeast Oklahoma’s Ethan Pappan before being eliminated by Newman’s Bryce Kegley, finishing with five team points.
Gunner Owens (El Dorado, KS) also turned in a productive performance at 174 pounds, earning two first-period falls to open his tournament. Owens pinned Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa’s Sidney King in 44 seconds and followed with another quick fall against Northeast Oklahoma’s Jagger Caldwell. After a semifinal loss to Newman’s Skyler Geer, Owens battled through the consolation side and finished with seven team points.
Other Trojans recorded individual victories throughout the day, including Sebastian Rodriguez (Garden City, KS) at 141 pounds with a first-round fall, Kash Alley (Las Cruces, NM) at 184 pounds with a narrow decision win, and heavyweight Robert Tatum (Tullahoma, TN), who earned a sudden-victory win in the consolation bracket. Overall, Colby wrestlers showed flashes of explosiveness and competitiveness across multiple bouts
Cornejo emphasized that the tournament’s role was about rebuilding match sharpness after the break, rather than peaking early in January.
“It was expected because we came back from break and had 12 practices before we wrestled the tournament,” Cornejo said. “But that was to get back in shape from break. Then that tournament was to get them back in competition mindset so we are ready for duals this week.”
That preparation will be tested immediately, as Colby is set to wrestle four duals against four-year NAIA programs in the coming weeks. According to Cornejo, those matchups are a critical step toward the team’s long-term goals.
“Our expectations are to prepare for conference duals coming soon and be as sharp as we can be by the beginning of February for our region tournament,” he said. “Everything is set up for us to peak at the right moment in the year.”
With the Jet Open now in the books, the Trojans shift their focus toward dual competition, using the early-January test as a foundation for continued growth as the postseason approaches.