THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: March 5, 2014
For all of the takedowns, pinfalls and other events around Saturday's championship finals of the NJCAA wrestling tournament at the Spokane Convention Center, one North Idaho College wrestler stole the show in a matter of minutes.
Sure, sophomore V.J. Giulio won in impressive fashion, pinning Jonathan Wixom in 1 minute, 31 seconds in the 197-pound final, but it might have been what happened following the match that had everyone's attention.
GIULIO CELEBRATED his championship by doing something a little unexpected to the rest of his coaches.
He proposed to his girlfriend, NIC student Jordan Moyer, on the podium after receiving his first-place medal.
"None of really knew anything about it until right at the end," NIC coach Pat Whitcomb said. "I was kind of wondering what happens if she said no."
Don't worry coach - she didn't.
"It's definitely V.J.'s personality to do something like that," Whitcomb said. "I wish them all in the luck in the world with that championship and proposal."
Giulio was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler as well and will continue his wrestling career at Division II St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minn., where his fiancee will also attend.
Before the finals started, both Whitcomb and former NIC wrestler Kenny Rucker were inducted into the NJCAA wrestling Hall of Fame for their contributions to the sport.
"It definitely made the weekend special," NIC athletic director Al Williams said. "It was pretty cool that they got in during a time when we actually had it at home and I think both were very deserving."
While at NIC, Rucker led the Cardinals to back-to-back national championships in 1985 and '86 and was the school's first two-time individual champion. Whitcomb won back-to-back titles in 1986 and 1987 as a wrestler at NIC, leading the Cardinals to a 33-1 record in two years at the school. He has led NIC to four national titles as Cardinals coach.
"I think Kenny getting in was long overdue," Williams said. "Pat, with the run he's had, it was time for him too. I was pleased with how the whole tournament went off. Out of any place we've had this in, this was the nicest place by far."
LEADING INTO into the tournament, Whitcomb could tell that following an injury days before the tourney to Jeremy Golding, who was the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds entering the tournament, it might be tough to repeat as champions this year.
"We could kind of tell during practice," Whitcomb said. "The guys still worked hard and believed, but after Golding's dislocated elbow, they still thought, 'yeah, we can still win this,' but I really think it took the air out of them.'"
NIC finished sixth with 72 points - 28 coming from Giulio on his way to his title. Taylor Kornoely, who finished sixth at 285, had 12 points and Derrick Booth (sixth at 174) had 11 team points.
"I think some of them were thinking, 'we've got a huge chore in front of us,'" Whitcomb said. "It kind of took the edge off getting there, but you can't have excuses. Congratulations to those guys that competed."
NIC HAS placed a bid to host the NJCAA tournament again in 2017, something that will be voted on at the NJCAA meeting in April according to Williams. NIC has hosted nationals twice, in 2011 and '14, both at the Spokane Convention Center.
"Even if we were to have those realignments, we'd still be a part of the NJCAA," Williams said. "They have to have a host institution and we could continue to host."
Clackamas, Highline and Southwestern Oregon - who belong to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges - compete in wrestling only as NJCAA schools in the same region as NIC.
"We're not going to be affected by this either way," Williams said of NIC's proposal to move all its athletic teams except for wrestling to the NWAACC. "We'll stay at the same level for wrestling."
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.