Cardinals Ready To Roll Back On Track, North Idaho’s Wrestling Team Seems Strong At Every Weight

Back on track. That’s the theme expressed on the North Idaho College wrestling team’s poster which features the Cardinals at a go-kart track.

It’s appropriate, too.

The Cardinals have finished no lower than third at the national tournament since 1981, but third last year was a disappointment particularly after the season started with high expectations.

So you’d expect that with no returning All-Americans Card coach John Owen would be playing an underdog role.

Far from it.

“It’s been a long time, at least 10 years, since I’ve had a team this young,” Owen said. “We’ve averaged at least three returning All-Americans and three regional champions. I’m trying to be guarded in my comments, but at the same time you realize you’ve created a monster when you haven’t been out of the top three (since 1981). We’re headed in the right direction.”

A casual glance at NIC’s roster reveals no glaring weaknesses. Owen points out that every year NIC has made a serious run at a national title - and the Cards own 10 such crowns - his teams have been strong in the upper weights.

That should be a team strength this season, when the Cardinals officially open the year Saturday in their annual Takedown Tournament.

The strongest of the upper weights could be 158, where the Cardinals will start sophomore transfer Mark Janke of Moses Lake, Wash.

Janke, who will be eligible after fall quarter, is no stranger to the area. He was twice named outstanding wrestler at the Tri-State Tournament at NIC as a prep.

At 150, Owen will start redshirt sophomore Josh Morton of Mead. Another Mead standout, sophomore Seth Kernodle, is battling Jason Moaney, a redshirt freshman transfer from now-defunct national power Garden City (Kan.) Community College.

Further up the scales, redshirt freshman Craig Pointer of Shadle Park in Spokane and freshman Josh Clausen of Apple Valley, Minn., are waging an interesting battle at 177.

Redshirt sophomore Orlando Jordan of Richmond, Va., is ready to blossom at 190, and freshman Aaron McArthur of Polson, Mont., is bulging with potential at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds.

“We’ve got to put some weight on the boy, he looks too much like a basketball player,” Owen quipped of his heavyweight.

Owen has determined that a national title can’t be won based on strength in the lower weights alone. But if the Cards capture a championship it’ll be because of some quality in the lower weights.

Top returner is Bob Presta at 142. Presta, of Missoula, Mont., would have been a high placer at nationals last year, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury at regionals.

Defending regional champion Chad Edgar of Billings, Mont., is back at 134, and he’s being pushed by freshman Ben Shane of Iowa Falls, Iowa.

Redshirt freshman Dan Vega of Tucson, Ariz., is off to a strong start at 118. But he’s being pushed by freshman Rocky Jones of Dover, Del., and Frank Luna, a freshman from Anchorage.

Jones and Luna also will contend for a spot at 126 with freshman Jessie Schaeffer, a well-built athlete from Columbia Falls, Mont.

Owen must replace a national champion at 126 (Matt Paulson).

“That was a suspect weight after we were done recruiting, but I think we’ll be OK there after all,” Owen said of 126. “I think what we’ve found is we had a real good recruiting year overall. We’ve got a lot of depth and that’s made for some early friction. We had some intense intrasquad matches.”

NIC will get an early indication of where it stands Nov. 30 when it duals Lassen College (Susanville, Calif.) the night before competing at the prestigious Las Vegas Tournament. Lassen was co-national champion with Garden City last year.

The Cards’ home opener is Dec. 12 against Yakima Valley.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: NIC SCHEDULE November: Saturday - NIC Takedown Tournament; 15 - at Western Montana College; 16 - at Ricks College; 22 - at Central Washington University; 25 - at Western Montana Open; 30 - vs. Lassen at Las Vegas. December: 1-2 - at Las Vegas Tournament; 12 - Yakima Valley; 15 - Clackamas. January - 4 - Northern Montana College; 11 - at Highline; 12 - at Clackamas; 13 - Clackamas Open; 17 - CWU; 22 - at Yakima Valley; 26 - at Northwest Wyoming; 27 - Ricks College, 2 p.m. February: 1 - Western Montana; 2 - Simon Fraser; 9 - Regional tournament, at Ricks College; 23-24 - National tournament, at Bismarck, N.D. (Most home matches begin at 7:30 p.m. unless noted)