NIC WRESTLING PREVIEW: Cardinals reload for run at 15th NJCAA title
No, it’s not college football, where only the top four teams at the end of the season get the right to compete for a national championship.
Early tests — at the Powell (Wyo.) Open on Saturday, the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas in December, as well as a home opener against the NAIA’s fifth ranked team — will go a long way in helping the North Idaho College wrestling team find out where it stands when that time comes.
“We’re out to win each match,” said NIC coach Pat Whitcomb, who begins his 19th season as Cardinal coach. “But it’s not college football. We’re going to the national tournament with 0 points, just like every other team does when it starts. I think you’ve got to do what you can to prepare for that.”
NIC was ranked third in the final NJCAA poll of the 2014-15 season. The Cardinals finished fourth at nationals last year.
Dajour Reese, who finished as national runner-up last year at 165 pounds, returns, as well as Isaac Aguilar at 133 pounds.
“In some weights, we can afford to put the second or third guy in with our depth,” Whitcomb said. “In other weights like 184 and 197, we’re pretty shallow there. We’ve got some quality guys, but that’s all we’ve got.”
Freshman Killian Estes, a state 4A champion at Lakeland High, will wrestle at 197.
“He’s just a good athlete,” said Whitcomb of Estes. “He’s a local kid and knows what it takes to succeed here and what the culture is like. What I like about him is that he never quits coming at you. He’s always coming at you trying to get a pin. If he can endure a college season, I think he’ll do really well.”
Other projected starters include: Landon Bailey (125), Jordan Hall (141), Jaren Smanuang (149), Alex Aguilar (157), Khali Crowe (174), Jordan Lacelle (184) and Damien Trujillo (285). All are freshmen.
At Saturday’s Powell Open, all wrestlers except those redshirting for NIC will be eligible to compete.
Whitcomb expects sophomores Deondre Wilson (133/141) and Jordan Cooks (157) and redshirt freshman Phil Downing (157) to return to the lineup after the end of the semester.
“Deondre is coming off an ACL injury, but has been drilling along in the wrestling room,” Whitcomb said. “I wouldn’t be surprised not to see him challenging for a national title. Both Jordan and Phil won’t be eligible until next semester, but with them, I think we’re going to be pretty solid all the way through the lineup.”
The top three in each weight class — along with wild cards — advance to the NJCAA tournament Feb. 26-27 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Nationals will be in Council Bluffs the next three years.
NIC’s home opener will be against Montana State-Northern, ranked fifth in the NAIA, on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.
Among those expected in the lineup that night for the visiting Lights will be junior Taylor Kornoely, who won the NJCAA title at 285 for NIC last year, and former Coeur d’Alene High standout Garrett DeMers.
“They’re not necessarily a local team, but if you’re within 10 hours away, you’re local,” Whitcomb said. “They recruit a lot from us. Bringing a four-year school in with juniors and seniors, it really pushes us. Great Falls (who NIC will wrestle at Sentinel High in Missoula on Jan. 16), is always up there in the rankings. That’s why we’re bringing teams in like this. We’ll get better from this.”
NIC has added Tyson Springer, who wrestled at NIC in 2003, finishing fourth at nationals as an assistant coach.
“He was the head coach at Doane College (an NAIA school in Crete, Neb.) and we kind of stole him away,” Whitcomb said. “He’ll be another voice in the wrestling room and going to be the same as (NIC assistant coach) Keri (Stanley) and he’ll be a great recruiter.”