Not Quite The Same Nic Should Still Do Well Nationally In A ‘Down’ Year

North Idaho College might have its worst placing since 1980 at the NJCAA wrestling tournament this weekend in Bismarck, N.D.

That is, NIC might finish below third.

Categorizing the Cardinals as failures and traditionslayers seems appropriate, except for one minor detail: It would be wrong.

When NIC takes the mat Friday at the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau, seven of its 10 wrestlers will be walk-ons - past or present.

And heavyweight Roger Neff can barely walk due to a severely pulled groin muscle.

This team’s makeup bares little resemblance to previous high-powered NIC squads at nationals - for reasons explained below. This team is comprised of blue-collar wrestlers who have earned success in relation to their abilities - perhaps not headline material, but no less commendable.

“I’m excited to get back there because we’re wrestling well,” first-year coach Pat Whitcomb said.

Nate Laslovich walked-on at NIC three years ago, having never placed higher than fourth at the Montana state high school tournament. Then 142 pounds, he got thumped by everyone in the practice room except 118-pounders and 126s.

He left Wednesday for nationals as a regional champion at 158.

“I’ve improved a lot in wrestling,” Laslovich said. “I came here and didn’t know anything and I’m leaving pretty knowledgeable. I feel like I can scrap with pretty good guys.”

NIC didn’t recruit Jason McClanahan, but it badly wanted his Ohio buddy, 158-pound standout Johnny McGee. McGee went to Iowa Central and probably will be ranked No. 1 at the NJCAA Tourney.

McClanahan came to NIC anyway, footing his own bills. The softspoken freshman brings a 126-pound regional championship into nationals.

Boisean Jeremy Wynia was NIC’s third-teamer at 134 at the start of the season. An injury and a defection pushed him into the starting lineup. He, too, weighs in this morning in Bismarck.

“We don’t have the talent we had last year,” says 177-pound Trevor Prangley, a former walk-on, who might be NIC’s best hope for an individual crown. “But our guys want to wrestle.

“Our numbers (at practice) are better. Last year, sometimes we had seven guys in the room for morning practices and it’s less motivating. This year, we stayed together a lot more. One of the main factors is there are a lot more walk-ons and they’re here because they want to wrestle - even if they don’t make the lineup.”

A closer inspection shows that NIC might have been in the title hunt had its roster stayed intact. But the bad news started last summer and continued when the Cards failed to land several prominent recruits.

NIC’s Tony Gomez, a talented 126-pounder, was shot riding as a passenger in a car last year in California. He might return next season, but that won’t help the Cards this week.

Troy Sabot, a 134-pound transfer from Oregon State, tore tendons and ruptured an artery when he put his arm through a window.

Gomez and Sabot were possible national champions.

Whitcomb will see several wrestlers he recruited on other teams at nationals. In addition to McGee, team favorite Lassen, of Susanville, Calif., has Sonny Marchette, who should be rated No. 1 at 134. Daniel Comier, a top contender at 190, chose Colby (Kan.) over NIC.

“At the start of recruiting, we got everybody we wanted and I was thinking, ‘This is an easy business,”’ Whitcomb said. “We were right there until the end (on the three late recruits).”

In fact, NIC’s national recruiting hasn’t been fruitful for several years. In the past, NIC thrived predominately with regional wrestlers and two-three national recruits or high-profile transfers.

But former coach John Owen, who remains heavily involved, admits times are changing.

“What we’re going to look at now is pulling in our horns a little bit and doing a better job selecting kids in Washington and Oregon,” he said. “If you’ve got $1,000 to spend and you fly kids in who don’t sign, you’re wasting your money.”

Whitcomb celebrated NIC’s Region 18 championship two weeks ago by driving all night - about 500 miles - to watch the Montana state tournament.

That slight change in recruiting philosophy is underscored by NIC’s drop in national prominence. NIC was the unquestioned No. 1 NJCAA program from 1973-93, racking up 10 national titles.

However, NIC has been knocked down a peg or two by three-time defending NJCAA champ Lassen, which began committing resources to wrestling about four years ago.

None of this is to suggest that the Cardinals are cozying up to losing or accepting mediocrity. In fact, NIC is only a year removed from one of its strongest teams, which finished second to Lassen.

But the truth is the Cards are playing catch-up on an uneven mat, to modify a catch phrase from another sport. It can still be done, but it will take keen recruiting and coaxing every ounce of production from the entire roster.

“I did not leave Pat with a stacked deck,” says Owen, who admits being protective of Whitcomb, a former two-time NJCAA champion at NIC.

“But I’m really proud of the job he’s done. I walked into that (practice) room Monday and there were 27 guys with smiles on their faces. They care about each other and the tradition of the program. It was a great atmosphere and they’re working hard.”

Hard work is how this unsung roster managed to win the regional title and battle Lassen to a 23-15 loss in a December dual.

NIC lost more duals than any team in school history, overshadowing the progress made by numerous individuals.

“That (practice) room will make anybody tough, if you can hang a whole season,” Laslovich said. “There have been some changes. It seems like there are a lot more walk-ons, but I’m not saying they’re any worse. They’re tough kids and they leave here good wrestlers.”

“It’s a challenge not to break mentally every day in there,” Prangley said.

Prangley was Owen’s first international recruit. The South African gave up all his possessions to come to NIC sight unseen.

“I’m going home soon and I’ll never forget this experience,” he says. “It’s been worth every minute.”

He hopes to take home some team and individual hardware, too.

“We would have won the national title last year if one or two guys would have wrestled up through the ranks (consolations). We’re going to place just as well because these guys will wrestle through the ranks,” Prangley said.

“Not everybody has the potential to win a national title, but I think everybody will get what they deserve.”

The current Cards can’t match resumes with those of NIC’s illustrious past. But one gets the feeling past teams would appreciate their accomplishments just the same.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo