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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Two Cardinals win national titles

The Spokesman-Review

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Top-seeded heavyweight Jake Kallestad and seventh-seeded 184-pounder Josh Edmondson earned National Junior College Athletic Association wrestling championships Saturday, and North Idaho College finished second out of 42 teams for the second straight year.

Kallestad dominated his way to the championship, finishing the season undefeated as a heavyweight after moving up from 197 at midseason.

His closest match came in the semifinals, a 7-2 victory over Marino Eatman of Waubonsee. He then defeated Harper’s David Benner by a 17-4 major decision.

“He lit some of those guys up, especially in the finals,” NIC head coach Pat Whitcomb said. “The crowd definitely enjoyed watching him wrestle.”

“I never stopped the whole time,” Kallestad added. “I just did everything I knew how to do and everything I worked for.”

Edmondson, a Medical Lake graduate, battled his way to a pair of victories, defeating David Gleissner of Harper 5-3 in the semis before beating Dallas Mitchell of Minnesota West Comm & Tech 4-3.

“He was never really in danger of losing the match,” Whitcomb said of Edmonson’s final. “He dominated from start to finish.”

Edmondson and Kallestad represent NIC’s 45th and 46th NJCAA individual national champions, and the ninth and 10th in Whitcomb’s nine seasons as head coach.

The duo’s victories over Harper wrestlers also helped the Cardinals overtake Friday’s team leaders, but NIC couldn’t catch top-seeded Iowa Central, which had three individual champions.

Iowa Central finished with 147 points, defeating NIC by 16. Harper finished third with 119.5, and defending champion Labette placed fourth with 90.5.

Six other Cardinals earned top-eight honors, including Cody Nicholson, who finished third at 133 after winning six straight matches over two days, and Kyle Sand, who replaced Kallestad at 197 and finished fourth.

Also placing: Heinrich Barnes (fifth, 141); Tyson Hurst (fifth, 157); Josh Erickson (sixth, 165); and Coby Jones (eighth; 149).