NIC WRESTLING: Back by the lake ... Cardinals qualify all 10 for nationals, claim first district title since 2013

ROSEBURG, Ore. — For the first time in 11 years, a district wrestling title is coming back to the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

North Idaho College, with five individual champions, captured the West District (formerly the Region 18) championship with 117 points, the program’s first title since 2013. 

“It means a lot,” said first-year NIC coach Derrick Booth, who wrestled on the Cardinals last NJCAA championship team in 2013. “To me, the coaching staff (both assistant coaches Cooper Thomas and Bryce Parson also wrestled at NIC), and the alumni. It really takes an army to get that done, and it really means a lot to us. It’s really exciting for us because we’ve been in their shoes.”

Clackamas, ranked second in the latest NJCAA poll, was second with 106.5 points.

Freshmen Hunter Bidelman (141 pounds), Porter Craig (157), Conan Northwind (174) and Noah Poe-Hatten (184), and sophomore Bradley Whitwright (197), won titles, with four other Cardinals finishing second.

“I think we flipped a switch a little after that home loss (to Clackamas on Jan. 31),” said Booth, who was also named West District Coach of the Year. “We just focused on getting better as a whole. We knew we had to do a better job of preparing them as coaches, and they just came out and wanted it more today. The guys wrestled hard and deserved everything they got.”

NIC qualified all 10 wrestlers for the NJCAA Championships March 1-2 at the Mid-American Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

TEAM SCORES — 1, North Idaho 117. 2, Clackamas 106.5. 3, Snow 78. 4, Southwestern Oregon 39. 5, Umpqua 16.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES 

125 — Ane’e Vigil, Clackamas, md. Elijah Cater, NIC, 15-5. 133 — Cesar Avelar, Clackamas, p. Kasey Curtis, Snow, 1:54. 141 — Hunter Bidelman, NIC, d. Tim Lopez, Clackamas, 4-1. 149 — Reggie Raiz, Clackamas, md. Jermiah Zuniga, NIC, 13-0. 157 — Porter Craig, NIC, p. Josh Hannan, Clackamas, 5:00. 165 — Austin Raby, Clackamas, md. Travis Waldner, NIC, 10-2. 174 — Conan Northwind, NIC, tf. Paul Ortiz, Clackamas, 16-0. 184 — Noah Poe-Hatten, NIC, d. Chandler Thompson, Snow, 7-2. 197 — Bradley Whitwright, NIC, d. Christian Slack, Snow, 7-5. 285 — Rylee Creasey, Snow, tf. Tominiko Takafua, NIC, 16-1.

THIRD-PLACE MATCHES

125 — Kyler Pace, Snow, p. Mikey Doerr, Southwestern Oregon, 2:55. 133 — Kobi Johnson, NIC, p. John Paul Lavarias, Umpqua, 3:36. 141 — Will Korth, Snow, p. Jacob Navarro, Southwestern Oregon, 1:44. 149 — Brian Galeno, Umpqua, d. Karsten Jensen, Southwestern Oregon, 10-9. 157 — Daniel Jaramillo, Southwestern Oregon, p. Benjamin Cooper, Umpqua, 1:11. 165 — Varrius Scanlan, Umpqua, d. Caleb Marx, Snow, 10-7.  174 — Cael Smith, Snow, p. Micaiah Montalbin, Southwestern Oregon, 3:25. 184 — Braden Pease, Clackamas, md. Maika Kahele Akeo, Southwestern Oregon, 10-1. 197 — Asaiah Kamplain, Clackamas, d. Dalton Reed, Southwestern Oregon, 6-3. 285 — Jayden Dobson, Southwestern Oregon, p. Maddox Griggs, Clackamas, 6:53.

FOURTH-PLACE MATCHES

125 — Mikey Doerr, Southwestern Oregon, d. Nicholas Garza, Umpqua, no challenge. 133 — John Paul Lavarias, Umpqua, d. Dingiswayo Nyirenda, Southwestern Oregon, by medical forfeit. 141 — Jacob Navarro, Southwestern Oregon, d. Kellen Kolka, Umpqua, no challenge. 149 — Karsten Jensen, Southwestern Oregon, d. Xavier Perez, Snow, no challenge. 157 — Benjamin Cooper, Umpqua, d. Chance Mangrum, Snow, no challenge. 165 — Caleb Marx, Snow, d. Michael Ager, Southwestern Oregon, no challenge. 174 — Micaiah Montalbin, Southwestern Oregon, d. Trey Munn, Umpqua, no challenge. 184 — Maika Kahele Akeo, Southwestern Oregon, p. Anthony Thomas, Umpqua, 1:30. 197 — Dalton Reed, Southwestern Oregon, d. Hunter Hammer, Umpqua, no challenge. 285 — Maddox Griggs, Clackamas, d. Brody Spurlock, Umpqua, by medical forfeit.