Cardinals Not Getting Any Respect

North Idaho College, which leads the Scenic West Athletic Conference and also has the conference’s best record, remained unranked in the NJCAA men’s basketball poll released on Tuesday.

The Cardinals (5-1 SWAC, 16-1 overall), fresh from a road win over College of Southern Idaho, was listed in the receiving-votes category, but wasn’t among the top 20.

The poll is voted on by 24 regional directors. Region 18’s vote is submitted by Utah Valley athletic director Mike Jacobsen. Attempts to reach Jacobsen failed.

Southern Idaho (3-2, 15-2) dropped from second to eighth. Utah Valley (4-1, 14-2), which handed NIC its only defeat, curiously moved up from No. 17 to No. 11, despite losing by 24 points to unranked Dixie.

“You don’t have to be the Wizard of Oz to figure the top teams in our league. Those are the ones you vote for,” NIC coach Rolly Williams said. “I don’t have a problem with Utah Valley being ranked ahead of us. But we knocked off No. 2 and No. 9 (Dixie, at the time) and we’re not ranked at all?”

Kempton not in the Cards

Post Falls High’s Ryan Kempton, a recruit for the NIC baseball team, won’t be pitching for the Cardinals this spring.

Kempton didn’t make grades and isn’t enrolled for the new semester, NIC coach Jack Bloxom said.

Kempton was regarded as a potential professional draft pick until he had a disappointing senior season in high school and bypassed American Legion last summer.

The loss of Kempton leaves Bloxom without two pitchers he expected would anchor his staff. Sophomore Mark Nelson is in a Vancouver hospital undergoing chemotherapy treatments after a brain tumor was removed in December.

Card wrestlers home

The NIC wrestling team, top ranked in the NJCAA poll and coming off a fine showing at the Clackamas (Ore.) Tournament last weekend, will meet Central Washington in a home dual tonight at 7:30.

NIC’s record is 6-4 after it had to forfeit its first three matches of the season when school officials inadvertently failed to mail an eligibility statement to NJCAA headquarters before the season started.

Shootin’ for state

Six Coeur d’Alene-area winners were crowned in the Elks National Hoop Shoot free throw contest local competition Saturday at North Idaho College.

The winners advance to district competition Feb. 3 at NIC. Winners there advance to state March 1-2 at Wallace.

Local winners: 8-9-year-old boys - Chris Olson, Sorenson Elementary, Coeur d’Alene, made 13 of 25 free throws; 8-9 girls - Mykala Desjarlais, Seltice Elementary, Post Falls, 12 of 25; 10-11 boys - Thomas Stephens, Bryan Elementary, Coeur d’Alene, 17 of 25; 10-11 girls - Stacey Douglas, Betty Kiefer Elementary, Rathdrum, 14 of 25; 12-13 boys - Bryan Klingaman, Betty Kiefer, Rathdrum, 22 of 25; 12-13 girls - Roz Folk, Lakes Middle School, Coeur d’Alene, 15 of 25.

, DataTimes