Each year one standout male and female student-athlete across all sports are recognized by the NJCAA with the highest honor. This year that award went to a Trapper, as Northwest College wrestler Austin Richens was named the winner of the David Rowlands Award — the first Trapper winner ever and the first Wyoming junior college student to ever be named to the award.

Richens, a 285-pound wrestler out of Vernal, Utah, was not prepared for when he first received the award in front of his fellow Trapper athletes at the Trapper Athletic Awards Ceremony on April 29.

“I was not prepared at all,” Richens said. “I was definitely shocked, I was not expecting it.”

The whole process for Richens to be nominated for the award went through several stages, as Trapper wrestling coach Jim Zeigler, athletic director Brian Erickson, Northwest College President Lisa Watson and many other departments coordinated together to submit his application.

Zeigler said he and Erickson found out about Richens receiving the award the day before the banquet, which led to quick coordination to allow for Richens’ mom to call in, and livestream the NJCAA presenting the honor to Richens during the banquet on the Northwest College Trapper Athletics YouTube channel.

“We were able to do it in an exciting fashion at the awards banquet,” Zeigler said. “It was awesome. It’s quite an honor.”

Richens enjoyed a strong 2025-26 campaign for the Trapper wrestling team, winning the national championship at heavyweight at the NJCAA Championships in March and being named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament at the event.

“I think especially, I don’t think I only got better at wrestling, but I got better as a man too,” Richens said.

He was also named the Male Trapper Athlete of the Year at the banquet, but receiving the highest honor for a junior college athlete was the highlight of the evening for the sophomore out of Vernal, Utah.

“It’s a huge honor, especially for the school. Being able to represent the school and my team and being able to bring attention to that is huge for me,” Richens said.

He is the first Wyoming junior college attendee to win the honor, and the second wrestler ever to win the honor after Alfredo Rodriguez of Iowa Lakes won it in 2014-15.

Zeigler added Richens is exactly the type of athlete that Northwest is trying to produce at the college.

“This symbolizes the good work that we’re doing. They couldn’t have picked a better student-athlete,” Zeigler said. “He’s a well-rounded young man. A good citizen, a good student, a good person and a good athlete. That’s what we strive to be here — producing the best athletes and the best people. If you can win championships along the way, that’s great.”

Richens said he will take plenty from his experience at Northwest, as he looks to compete at the four year level.

“I’m definitely gonna bring (coach Chris) Cooley’s sense of humor, and coach Zeigler’s wisdom and a bit of each of my teammates,” he said.