NIC pins hopes on balance

North Idaho College wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb has taken 11 teams to the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament. His current crew reminds him of his first team in 1998, and that triggers good memories.

The 1998 outfit won the first of Whitcomb’s three national titles, but the Cardinals will be hard-pressed to duplicate the feat as the NJCAA tournament begins a two-day run today in Rochester, Minn. NIC is ranked seventh and has no individuals rated higher than third.

Whitcomb, though, isn’t conceding anything.

“If we get it rolling like we did in regionals, that’s going to be key,” he said. “We need to put kids in the semis and the quarters and win the wrestle-backs. It’ll take a huge effort to be in the top three.”

No. 1 Iowa Central, No. 2 Meramec (St. Louis) and No. 3 Labette (Kan.) are the favorites, but Whitcomb expects points to be spread out, which opens the door for an unlikely champion.

“The top three teams have three or four guys each that they can stick in the finals,” Whitcomb said. “We don’t have that. We need placers, digging and scratching and clawing all the way through.”

NIC’s Tim Ofield (285 pounds) is ranked No. 3. Nektoe Demison (125) and Kevin Mitchell (133), two of NIC’s six regional champions, are rated No. 4. Sophomore Dino May (174) is the only Cardinal with NJCAA experience. He didn’t place at last year’s tournament.

“I think we fit well on the brackets,” Whitcomb said. “In years past, I’ve been skeptical, but I think those regional champs were a big deal. They won’t hit another regional champ until the quarters and some of our guys need that. It could be a situation where we don’t have anyone in the finals but have a bunch placing.”