Credit can be a difficult thing to obtain at times in this sport. Whenever someone ask me about the best of West Coast wrestling & the teams out west, I immediately think of North Idaho college. It's a fact that NJCAA wrestling is always going to be looked at last on the totem pole of divisions, but you name me a school west of the Mississippi with a stronger tradition of producing national champions & All-Americans. Many wrestlers who have gone onto success in DI, DII, DIII & NAIA, started off at North Idaho. For longer than I've been around, the Cardinals have been strong, and more importantly the Cardinals STAY strong. They may very well be Idaho's only collegiate wrestling program, but while the Potato state lacks in quantity, they surplus in quality.
10, that's right, all 10 varsity wrestlers qualified for the NJCAA championships last year. 6 of those 10, earned All-American status. Even better for the Cardinals in '26-'27? 8 of those qualifiers & 5 of those All-Americans return.
Two-time All-American Ray Griffin (4th & 6th) is heading to Iowa. He's going to be a Hawkeye. No word yet on the status of Hoyt Hvass.
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| 125 Owen Pritchard |
The Vancouver, Washington native was 3rd at the West District last season, also winning a title at the Battle of the Rockies.
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| 133 Parker Ballantyne |
A talent out of Utah, Parker Ballantyne was 5th in the NJCAA nation, 3rd in the West District & a Battle of the Rockies champion.
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| 149 Joe Sullivan |
Another Washington native, Joe Sullivan made the West District Finals last season.
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| 157 Colton Tucker |
A hometown favorite, Colton Tucker took runner-up honors at both the Battle of the Rockies & the West District, finishing off his season 6th in the NJCAA nation.
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| 165 Colton Theobald |
Gold at the Battle of the Rockies, silver at the West District & bronze at the NJCAA national tournament for Colton Theobald last season.
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| 174 Dylan Block |
Been a lot of great talent that has come out of Great Falls, Montana, and Dylan Block is one of them. A West District champ last year, he was 4th in the NJCAA nation.
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| 184 Seth Martin |
Seth Martin was 5th in the NJCAA nation last season, winning a West District title.
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| Jackson Lougen 197 |
Another of the many reason the state of Washington needs more collegiate opportunities. Jackson Lougen was 3rd at last year's West District.
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