Nic Wrestlers In Second, Advance Four To Semifinals

North Idaho College advanced four wrestlers into the semifinal round of the 37th annual National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament at Bismarck State College.

Defending champion Lassen (Calif.) College grabbed the team lead on Friday with 39 points and has six semifinalists.

NIC, ranked No. 1 in the final NJCAA poll, sits second in the 40-team event with 29. Lincoln, Ill., is third with 25 and Iowa Central is fourth with 24. Lincoln and Iowa Central each have four semifinalists.

The double-elimination tournament concludes today.

Two Cardinals knocked off Lassen foes in the quarterfinals.

NIC freshman Jason Moaney (34-3) literally did just that to Lassen’s Marques Nelson at 167 pounds in a victory declared by injury default in the second period.

“Moaney knocked him dizzy,” NIC assistant coach Bill Pecha said. “(Moaney) reversed him so hard the kid tried to wrestle and he was falling over.”

Cardinals’ sophomore Orlando Jordan (35-11) led the entire match at 190 with Lassen’s Demetris Huff in a 7-6 decision.

NIC freshmen Dan Vega at 118 and Mark Janke at 158 both also reached the semis.

Vega (33-12) stopped Doug Parrish of Meskegon, Mich., 11-7. Janke (31-6) won 10-3 over Jason Porcaro of Middlesex, N.J.

“I think our four guys have decent shots (of winning),” Pecha said of the semifinalists. “I think Orlando might have the toughest match.

“We’re not really lighting the place up that much. I’m just hoping we can wrestle in the back door pretty good.”

Jordan draws 1995 runner-up Kevin Campbell of Cuyahoga, Ohio, in his semifinal. Moaney meets Campbell’s teammate, Willie Ennells, the 1994 runner-up.

The Cardinals won six of eight first-round matches. Lassen, which qualified its entire team, lost two of 10 first-round matches.

NIC freshmen Josh Morton (34-9) at 150 and Josh Clausen (26-16) dropped into the wrestle-backs after quarterfinal losses.

Two other NIC freshmen, 126-pounder Jesse Schaeffer and heavyweight Aaron McArthur, stayed alive on the consolation side after first-round losses.

Schaeffer lost his opener in overtime and NIC lost a point during coach John Owen’s subsequent protest of the go-ahead takedown awarded Angelo Duarte of Northwest Wyoming in the 8-6 decision.

The Cardinals, who boast 11 wrestlers with grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher, have already won the Academic Team of the Year Award.