Four Cards Reach Semis In Bismarck

North Idaho College sends four athletes into today’s semifinal round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Wrestling Tournament at Bismarck State College.

The Cardinals sit fourth with 27 points among the 55 teams entered in the two-day event.

Defending champion Garden City Community College of Kansas pushed six into the semifinals, as did Lassen College of California.

Garden City and Lassen sit onetwo in team standings at 44.5 and 34.5, respectively. Itasaca, Minn., is third with 28.5.

The Cardinals advanced six from the second round into Friday night’s quarterfinals.

NIC’s semifinalists are all sophomores, including Matt Paulson (39-7) at 126, Rick Moreno (33-4) at 150, Ray Routh (37-6) at 158 and Scott Surplus (43-7) at 177.

Paulson defeated Robert Inglesias of Lassen in the quarterfinals, 3-2. It was third meeting of the season between the two.

Moreno scored two major decisions, including 13-4 over Mike Cotlyn of Cuyahoga, Ohio, in the quarterfinals.

Routh nearly pinned Harvey Gallegos of Colby in his 8-2 quarterfinal win, opening a 5-0 lead off a takedown and 3-point near fall.

Surplus added a 12-3 major decision over Scott Rahm of Fergus Falls, Minn., to a pin earlier in the day. “He’s got one of the toughest weight classes,” NIC assistant Bill Pecha said.

The Cardinals’ Kirk Hartzell (36-11) at 118 and Travis Hughes (27-11) at 190 fell into the wrestlebacks after quarterfinal losses.

Derrick Hensen of Ellsworth, Iowa, opened an 8-4 lead after one period on Hartzell in a 13-6 decision. Meik Rogers of Niagara, N.Y., stopped Hughes, 10-6.