NIC ties with Labette, brings home 14th national title

DES MOINES, Iowa - Ten years in the making, the North Idaho College wrestling team has brought the NJCAA championship back home.

But just like with coach Pat Whitcomb's first title in 1998, they'll have to share it.

NIC and defending champion Labette Community College of Parsons, Kan., finished tied with 120 team points at the NJCAA tournament on Saturday night at the Jacobson Exhibition Center.

"It's been a nutty, nutty weekend," Whitcomb said. "It was back and forth all day today (Saturday), but it ends with a national title, and that's a good thing."

NIC last won the championship in 2003 and also won in 2001, both coming under Whitcomb and now has 14 in program history.

"It's been a while," Whitcomb said. "To bring it home the same way as we did in '98, it's almost fitting. It was a heavyweight fight with us and Labette. We'd get a pin, they'd get a pin. It was great to watch."

NIC could have won the title outright, but defending national champion Devin Aguirre of Labette defeated NIC sophomore Ryan Zumwalt in the 165-pound championship match. Then Labette could have won it outright, but a loss at 184 pounds by a Labette wrestler left the teams tied.

"It was just kind of a crazy deal," said Zumwalt, who because of knee surgery hadn't wrestled this season prior to the Region 18 tournament, when he won his weight class. "Before the match, Pat started to calm me down and told me 'I'm Ryan Zumwalt, and I'd take care of it,' and that pumped me up. Having to share the title makes it a little bittersweet and it's tough, but we know we deserve it."

Sophomore Jarrett Morrill (141) and freshman V.J. Guilio (197) came back through the consolation bracket to finish third for NIC.

“I suffered a little bit of a setback in the quarters to the guy that won it,” Morrill said. “It was disappointing, but I did my best to pick myself up and then just kind of got on a roll. Once things got going, it started to carry over into the last couple of matches.”

Three of Guilio’s four wins came by pin on Saturday.

“He probably scored more points finishing third than he would have winning the thing,” said Whitcomb of Guilio. “Our guys look like they’ve been hit by a cement truck. They’re hobbling right now, but that’s how you should feel after winning a national title.”

Brock Banta (125) finished fourth, Mike Carreon (133) and Jeremy Golding (149) each placed fifth, and Caleb Rivera (184) was sixth.

Nassau finished fourth and won the non-scholarship team trophy. Labette coach Joe Renfro and Nassau’s Paul Schmidt (non-scholarship) were named National Coach of the Year.

TEAM SCORES — 1 (tie), North Idaho, Labette 120. 3, Clackamas 97.5. 4, Nassau 95. 5, Iowa Central 70.5. 6, Northwest 70. 7, Lincoln 59.5. 8 (tie), Rend Lake, Western Wyoming 58.5. 10, Harper 55.5. 11, Rochester 50. 12, Ellsworth 49.5. 13, Neosho County 46. 14, Southwestern Oregon 45.5. 15, Muskegon 44.5. 16, Colby 44. 17, North Iowa Area 43. 18, Springfield Tech 39.5. 19, Iowa Western 38. 20, Niagara 31.

NIC results

Championship

Finals

165 — Devin Aguirre, Labette, d. Ryan Zumwalt, North Idaho, 11-7.

Semifinals

133 — Mizam Tamaradze, Springfield Tech, d. Mike Carreon, North Idaho, 8-5.

149 — Josh Tardy, Harper, d. Jeremy Golding, North Idaho, 7-6.

165 — Ryan Zumwalt, North Idaho, d. Greg Gainey, Minnesota West, 4-2.

184 — Landon Keiswetter, Pratt, p. Caleb Rivera, North Idaho, 5:42.

Consolation

Placing matches

125 — Josh Walker, Labette, d. Brock Banta, North Idaho, 10-3 (third-fourth)

133 — Mike Carreon, North Idaho, p. Eric Hughes, Labette, 2:44. (fifth-sixth)

141 — Jarrett Morrill, North Idaho, d. Steven Ruppert, Muskegon, 8-1. (third-fourth)

149 — Jeremy Golding, North Idaho, d. Kyle Wade, Nassau, 5-2. (fifth-sixth)

184 — Basil Minto, North Iowa Area, d. Caleb Rivera, North Idaho, 9-2. (fifth-sixth)

197 — V.J. Guilio, North Idaho, d. Joe Bunne, Rochester, 8-3. (third-fourth)

Semifinals

125 — Brock Banta, North Idaho, d. Tim Prescott, Neosho, 6-3.

133 — Cody Tow, Northwest Kansas Tech, d. Mike Carreon, North Idaho, 8-6.

141 — Jarrett Morrill, North Idaho, p. Eric Tozzi, Rend Lake, 6:55.

149 — Colby Kloetzer, Northwest, d. Jeremy Golding, North Idaho, 5-2.

184 — Dylon Braun, Colby, d. Caleb Rivera, North Idaho, 5-0.

197 — V.J. Guilio, North Idaho, p. Shakiem Chapman, North Iowa Area, 3:54.

Round 5

125 — Brock Banta, North Idaho, d. Michael Nguyen, Southwestern Oregon, 10-6.

141 — Jarrett Morrill, North Idaho, d. Quinn Johnston, Southwestern Oregon, 6-1.

197 — V.J. Guilio, North Idaho, p. Jarrett Baker, Northwest, 1:47.

Round 4

125 — Brock Banta, North Idaho, tf. Seth Nehls, Colby, 20-3.

141 — Jarrett Morrill, North Idaho, d. Blake Santi, Harper, 3-1.

157 — Irvin Buck, Niagra, d. Nicholas Moreno, North Idaho, 8-4.

197 — V.J. Guilio, North Idaho, p. Cash Drylie, Colby, 3:41.