YAKIMA, Wash. - North Idaho College finished third at the Region 18 wrestling tournament Saturday at Yakima Valley Community College, failing to win the title for the second straight year, after winning 35 of the previous 38 regional tournaments.

That's the bad news.

The good news is the Cardinals still qualified all 10 wrestlers for the NJCAA tournament Feb. 24-25 in Rochester, Minn.

On Saturday, Ryan Zumwalt (157 pounds) was NIC's lone champion, and he was named the tournament's outstanding wrestler.

Defending Region 18 and national champion Clackamas Community College of Oregon City, Ore., ran away with the tournament, putting seven in the finals, winning five, and totaling 133 points. Highline Community College of Des Moines, Wash., was second with 92 points, followed by NIC with 91.

“A little bittersweet,” NIC coach Pat Whitcomb said. “We gave away some matches right at the end of matches. But we qualified all 10 (to nationals), which is what we wanted to do.”

NIC had four second-place finishers — Mike Rodriguez (133), Jarrett Morill (141), Derrick Booth (149) and W.V. Meyer (165).

Third-place finishers from NIC were Joaquin Calderon (125), Caleb Rivera (184) and Justin Gillespie (heavyweight).

Top-three finishers automatically qualified for nationals.

Some wild cards were given to fourth-place finishers, and NIC’s Kyle Sweedman (174) and Justin Korthius (197) earned wild cards to nationals.

TEAM SCORES — 1, Clackamas 133. 2, Highline 92. 3, North Idaho 91. 4, Southwestern Oregon 63. 5, Yakima Valley 20.

PLACING MATCHES (NIC results)

No scores or pin times provided

CHAMPIONSHIP

133 — Gonzalez, Clack, d. Rodriguez, NIC. 141 — Randall, Clack, d. Morill, NIC. 149 — Bendon, SWO, d. Booth, NIC. 157 — Zumwalt, NIC, d. Schmidt, High. 165 — Morrill, High, d. Meyer, NIC.

THIRD-FOURTH

125 — Calderon, NIC, d. Ocamb, YVCC. 174 — Newport, SWO, d. Sweedman, NIC. 184 — Rivera, NIC, d. Reinhart, High. 197 — Whitmarsh, High, d. Korthius, NIC. Hwt. — Gillespie, NIC, d. Henry, High.