GREAT FALLS — The Providence men's wrestling team features seven athletes currently ranked as top-25 competitors across all weight classes — two of which are ranked in the top three, and the duo is a pair of brothers.
Sawyer and Hunter "Pig" Hobbs currently hold NAIA rankings of No. 3 and No. 1 in the 184- and 157-pound weight classes, respectively. The two have been competing alongside one another their whole lives.
"Every single day growing up, we'd wrestle," Sawyer, a senior, said Wednesday at UP's wrestling facility. "I'd start on my knees and he'd be standing up and I'd have to go easy, and then ends up I'm going as hard as I can and next thing you know he beats me half the time.
"Ever since we were like 4 or 5, 6 years old, it's always been competitive."
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"We used to really beat up on each other a lot, especially him beating up on me," said Pig, a junior. "That confidence is just if I can hang in there with my older brother, I can hang in there with anyone else out there."
Pig is ranked as the top wrestler at 157 pounds, and Sawyer currently owns the No. 3 ranking at 184.
The nickname Pig is not one heard every day.
"When I was 2, I just downed a bottle of milk really fast and then my dad just started calling me 'Pig,'" Pig said with laughter.
He then went on to say that it stuck ever since.
"I'm always laughing about it," Sawyer said. "It's always funny when people ask what his real name is."
The brothers are big supporters of each other on the mat, they said.
"I stress out so much when Pig's wrestling, like way more than I do from my own matches," Sawyer said. "It's just fun being able to wrestle together and be here for each other."
"Whenever (Sawyer's) wrestling, I'm always screaming and yelling," Pig said. "I've looked up to him pretty much my whole wrestling life, so I got to give him the same support he gave me."
At the end of last season, both finished as NAIA All-Americans, with Sawyer capturing fourth at 184 and Pig finishing fifth at 157. Head coach Steve Komac had nothing but good things to say regarding the brothers.
"You need to be tough in our sport to succeed and those two are about as tough as I've coached," Komac said. "They're a pleasure to work with. They've been raised extremely well. They're just great kids."
With Sawyer being a year older, he was a help in recruiting Pig to UP, Komac said.
"(Sawyer's) like, 'Hey, you should recruit my brother,' and I'm like I'm happy to recruit your brother," Komac said. "Pig chose to join us and those two have won a lot of matches for us."
"As soon as (Sawyer) committed ... my attention was mainly this school," Pig said. "Just found out everyone was pretty cool and then ended up loving it here."
The Hobbs brothers and Providence return to action for a home dual Saturday afternoon against Eastern Oregon.
