COEUR d'ALENE - The North Idaho College wrestling team will have to wait a couple more days for its month-long winter break to come to an end.

Tonight's dual at Yakima Valley Community College has been postponed due to snow, and Thursday's dual at Highline Community College in Des Moines, Wash., has been canceled due to the weather. NIC will attempt to make up the Yakima Valley dual.

“Our break just got two days longer,” NIC wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb said. “Our bus company called us and said there was no way we’re going to make it there. It just adds a few more days onto it.”

NIC (4-3) will return to action for a dual with Clackamas on Friday in Oregon City, Ore. Clackamas beat NIC 22-16 in an earlier dual in Coeur d’Alene on Dec. 10 — the last time the Cardinals have wrestled.

“We’ve seen too much of each other after break,” Whitcomb said. “We’re just itching to get back onto the mats against someone else.”

Sophomore Matthew Foxworthy, ranked third in the NJCAA at heavyweight, will not return due to academics, Whitcomb said.

“That’s some points you’re going to take out of there,” Whitcomb said. “We’re going to be looking at our other freshmen right now to get those points. We had two 4.0 students, but that one definitely hurts, but it’s part of the equation. Our freshmen may be freshmen, but they grew up a little bit during that first semester.”

Justin Gillespie and Nicholas Wasierski will move up to heavyweight for Friday’s dual and the Clackamas Open on Saturday.

“This weekend will determine a lot,” Whitcomb said. “I think we’ve got to determine (the starter at heavyweight) that before the Wyoming trip. Hopefully they’ll see each other in the tournament and we won’t have to do a challenge match. The winner of that will be the guy at heavyweight, but if someone gets hurt, we’ve still got that option to move a few guys around. I’m pretty confident in any of them and it should be interesting to see how it shakes out.”

NIC is scheduled to conclude the regular season next weekend at the Northwest College Duals in Powell, Wyo.

The Region 18 tournament is Feb. 11 in Coos Bay, Ore.