COEUR d'ALENE - A little lighter on returning champions and adding a 15th weight class, the 41st Tri-State Invitational wrestling tournament begins this morning at North Idaho College.

Only Tyler Berger, a two-time champion from Hermiston (Ore.) at 138 pounds, Josh Newberg, a two-time champion from Kelso (Wash.) at 126, and Chandler Rodgers of Mead at 170 return.

"It's probably the fewest returning champions we've had," tournament organizer and NIC wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb said. "We had a lot of seniors that won last year, but we've got a pretty good field overall."

Action begins today at 10 a.m., with the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Wrestling resumes on Saturday at 9 a.m., with semifinals at noon and finals tentatively scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

New to the tournament is the 98-pound class. After being adopted in Idaho last year, it makes its Tri-State debut this year. Washington and Oregon do not have the division, but will have wrestlers compete in it this weekend.

"We thought we'd give it a try," Whitcomb said. "Nobody's going to be seeded in it, but it's going to be a wide-open bracket."

Mead won the team title last year, with Lewiston finishing second and Post Falls third.

"Just going off the seeding, I'd say that Hermiston has a good chance," Whitcomb said. "They've got more in the top eight, but Lewiston did a heck of a job last year with a young roster. Post Falls, Kuna, U-High and Mead, once it gets started, those are some of the teams that could be in the running."

Drake Foster (120 pounds) of Post Falls is the only local that is a No. 1 seed after finishing second at 106 last year. Austin Wilson is second at 160 and Forrest Herring of Timberlake is second at 170. A.J. Konda (113) of Coeur d'Alene and Cody Johnson (182) of Post Falls are seeded third.

Wilson was fourth, Johnson fifth last year at Tri-State.

“We’re such a young, green team this year,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jeff Moffat said. “Matt (James at heavyweight) has a chance to do something. Hudson (Staub) and (A.J.) Konda have a good chance of placing. But it’s a tough tournament. Even when you’re good, it’s tough.”

“The middleweights shape up as the ones to watch out for,” Whitcomb said. “Newberg’s back at 126, but (Michael) Cook (of Kuna) is tough. At 138, you’ve got Berger and (John) Kenyon (of Lewiston) and Blaine Invernon (Bonners Ferry) can jump right in there and shake things up. That (138) is going to be one tough bracket.”

All-session passes are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students.

TRI-STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT SEEDS

98 pounds — Wrestlers put into blind draw to determine seeding.

106 — 1, Christian Alejandrez, Quincy; 2, Tyler Ishler, Frenchtown (Mont.); 3, Jacoby Peterson, Kuna; 4, Dailyn Johnson, Timberlake; 5, Alius Delarosa, Post Falls.

113 — 1, Casey Cobb, Kuna; 2, Fred Green, Orting (Wash.); 3, A.J. Konda, Coeur d’Alene; 4, Gabe Martinez, Quincy; 5, Spencer Schroeder, Graham-Kapowsin; 6, Matthew Petrini, Mead; 7, Aaron Klauder, Deer Park; 8, Todd Link, Tahoma.

120 — 1, Drake Foster, Post Falls; 2, Wyatt Scribner, Hermiston; 3, Austin Dodson, Orting; 4, Isaac Aquilar, Hermiston; 5, Kody Hongslo, Timberlake; 6, Devin Poppen, Oregon City; 7, Tim Whitehead, Tahoma; 8, Tyler Workman, Kelso.

126 — 1, Josh Newberg, Kelso; 2, Michael Cook, Kuna; 3, Josh Crager, Cascade Christian; 4, Dylan Schulte, Sentinel; 5, Drake Randall, Lewiston; 6, Jesse Morrison, Colville; 7, Cruz Velasquez, Tahoma; 8, Blake Beard, Central Valley.

132 — 1, Bryce Parson, Lewiston; 2, Beau Gleed, Hermiston; 3, Kyle Sether, Oregon City; 4, Mitch Haugen, Libby; 5, Dakota Stallions, New Plymouth; 6, Colton Orrino, Central Valley; 7, Tyler Wicken, Kelso; 8, Jesse Peterson, Lake Stevens.

138 — 1, Tyler Berger, Hermiston; 2, John Kenyon, Lewiston; 3, Ryan Gabel, University; 4, Blaine Invernon, Bonners Ferry; 5, Nathan Sorci, Reardan; 6, Terrance McKinney, Shadle Park; 7, Craig Feistner, Polson (Mont.); 8, Michael Moniz, Orting (Wash.).

145 — 1, Joe Grable, Deer Park; 2, Ian Steen, Graham-Kapowsin; 3, Ryan Klemp, Lewiston; 4, Kurtis Loftis, Kuna; 5, Matt Yuste, Bonney Lake; 6, David Munding, Mead; 7, Trenton Welton, Colville; 8, John Hoover, Mt. Spokane.

152 — 1, Charlie Eldred, Reardan; 2, Beau Gore, Orting (Wash.); 3, Drew Randall, Lewiston; 4, Trevor Anderson, Bethell (Wash.); 5, Jesse Putman, Lakeland; 6, Mike Devlin, Polson (Mont.); 7, Corey Squires, Kellogg; 8, Gabe Seward, Inglemoor (Wash.).

160 — 1, Tyler McLean, Mead; 2, Austin Wilson, Post Falls; 3, Abraham Rodriguez, Hermiston; 4, Noah Cuzzetto, Edmonds-Woodway (Wash.); 5, Justin Davidson, Bothell; 6, Nick Gonzalez, East Valley; 7, Jared Lambert, Lake City.

170 — Jordan Rodgers, Mead; 2, Forrest Herring, Timberlake; 3, Nick Karis, Decatur; 4, Austin Stannard, University; 5, Hudson Staub, Coeur d’Alene; 6, Dave Anderson, Frenchtown; 7, Hunter LeClaire, Colville; 8, Adam Weindl, Sandpoint.

182 — 1, Sisto Santana Pina, Kamiakin; 2, Chandler Knight, Colville; 3, Cody Johnson, Post Falls; 4, Ryan Christensen, Woodinville; 5, Chili Sabin, Bonney Lake; 6, Tanner Davis, Central Valley; 7, Jordan Nolan, Kuna; 8, Randy Emery, Kuna.

195 — 1, Josh Koukal, Inglemoor; 2, Elias Mason, Cheney; 3, Cameron Schlotter, Cheney; 4, Rowland Gaydosh, Decatur; 5, Sammy Colbray, Hermiston.

220 — 1, Matt Hopkins, Tahoma; 2, Michael McCoy, Oregon City; 3, Caleb Batease, Hermiston; 4, Shaquille Reed, Stevens; 5, Tom Harvey, Mt. Spokane; 6, Mason Ju, Mead; 7, Caleb Johnson, Blaine; 8, Jamison Rice, Orting.

285 — 1, Brandon Johnson, Lake Stevens; 2, Jaydn Wilson, Sentinel; 3, Jake Batease, Hermiston; 4, Jaime Miranda, Aberdeen; 5, Matt James, Coeur d’Alene; 6, D.J. Maurer, Lewiston.