COEUR d'ALENE - Some things just get better with age.

With eight returning champions and 49 returning placers in 14 different weight classes, the field is set for the 40th Tri-State Invitational wrestling tournament starting today at Christianson Gym.

"This is going to be the toughest tournament we've had in a long time," tournament manager and NIC wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb said. "Looking at some of those weights, the field is loaded."

Post Falls, Mead, Lake Stevens (Wash.), Deer Park and Kuna are among the early favorites for the team title, according to Whitcomb.

Mead won last weekend's Inland Empire Classic at Central Valley. Post Falls was second, Deer Park third.

"Those are going to be some good teams to watch," Whitcomb said. "With eight returning champs and almost 50 placers, there's some guys that aren't going to return to that level this year."

Mead won last year and has Jeremy Golding (145 pounds), Tyler McLean (152) and Jordan Rogers (182) returning as champions.

Other returning champions (and their weight classes this year) include: Josh Newberg (113 pounds) of Kelso (Wash.), Tyler Berger (132) and Joey Delgado (145) of Hermiston (Ore.), Kyle Leir of Libby (145) and Dylan Miller (160) of Deer Park.

"That bracket at 145 is going to be real tough," Whitcomb said. "Both Delgado and Leir won last year and when you throw in (James) Ost - it's going to be real tough. But that's the way a lot of these brackets are going to look."

Cole Jesienouski of Post Falls is the top seed at 170 pounds, with Tyler Booth (152) second and James Ost (145) third in their respective weight classes. Both Ost and Booth were third last year and Jesienouski was fifth. Nathan McLeod was third at 152 pounds for Post Falls last year.

"What it really came down to was losing some really close matches," Post Falls coach Pete Reardon said of Tri-State last year. "(James) Ost lost a one-point match to a Mead kid. They could be wrestling again at Tri-State in the semifinals or finals. Those close matches were the biggest difference in the team scoring."

Garrett DeMers is the top seed at 195 pounds for Coeur d'Alene, which finished ninth last year.

"Garrett looks tough," Coeur d'Alene coach Jeff Moffat said. ??He's been wrestling tough this year, but we're so young. Hopefully DeMers can do something. It can be a tough weekend, but we better be ready. We need to get a few matches under our belt, but happy we're plugging along."

Allan Foote (285) is seeded third for Timberlake.

While sponsored in Idaho and Montana, no 98-pound division will be contested at Tri-State as it is not nationally sanctioned.

Wrestling begins today at 10 a.m., with quarterfinals starting at 7 p.m.

Semifinals start at noon on Saturday, with finals tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m.

The tournament will be webcast at IdahoWrestlingNews.com.

TRI-STATE INVITATIONAL TOP SEEDS

106 pounds - 1, Casey Cobb, Kuna. 2, Tristan Moran, Chandler (Ariz.).

113 - 1, Josh Newberg, Kelso. 2, Brian Alonzo, Auburn (Wash.). 3, Jake Konzal, Deer Park. 4, Michael Nguyen, Evergreen (Vancouver, Wash.).

120 - 1, Steve Hopkins, Tahoma (Covington, Wash.). 2, John Kenyon, Lewiston. 3, Michael Cook, Kuna. 4, Andrew Cunnigham, Bonney Lake (Wash.).

126 - 1, Drew Templeman, Orting (Wash.). 2, Raymond Evans, New Plymouth. 3, Josh Carlton, Lewiston. 4, Terrance McKinney, Shadle Park.

132 - 1, Tyler Berger, Hermiston (Ore.). 2, Joey Palmer, Tahoma. 3, Blaine Invernon, Bonners Ferry. 4, Anfim Kalugin, Mary Walker (Springdale, Wash.).

138 - 1, Joey Delgado, Hermiston. 2, Shannon Maris, Orting. 3, Suny Cheff, Flathead (Kalispell). 4, Cole Jerome, Kellogg.

145 - 1, Jeremy Golding, Mead. 2, Kyle Leir, Libby. 3, James Ost, Post Falls. 4, Kyle Kirkendall, Republic (Wash.).

152 - 1, Tyler McLean, Mead. 2, Tyler Booth, Post Falls. 3, Abraham Rodriguez, Hermiston. 4, Nico Moreno, Moses Lake.

160 - 1, Dylan Miller, Deer Park. 2, Larry Francis, Flathead (Kalispell). 3, Chandler Rogers, Mead. 4, Logan Zunker, Reardan (Wash.).

170 - 1, Cole Jesienouski, Post Falls. 2, Chandler Knight, Colville. 3, Sam Voigtlander, Mead. 4, Jake Lueders, Bonney Lake.

182 - 1, Jordan Rogers, Mead. 2, Niko Knezovich, Reardan. 3, Cody Johnson, Post Falls.

195 - 1, Garrett DeMers, Coeur d'Alene. 2, Cory Calhoun, Kuna. 3, Todd Allen, McCall. 4, Jaydn Wilson, Sentinel (Missoula).

220 - 1, Ryan Rigney, Lewiston. 2, Cody Shaffer, La Grande. 3, Jack Michels, Lake Washington. 4, Mikey Ramos, Graham-Kapowsin (Graham, Wash.).

285 - 1, Alec Postlwait, Mount Baker (Deming, Wash.). 2, Gabe Miller, Reardan. 3, Allan Foote, Timberlake.