The biggest difference in Austin Iorga staying home and advancing to the NJCAA tournament was just as simple as staying at the same weight.

Iorga, who juggled between 133 and 141 pounds, remained at 141 for the West District championships on Feb. 11 in Oregon City, Ore., advanced to the semifinals and finished second.

“He had to win that match to get to nationals,” NIC coach Pat Whitcomb said. “We finally got (Nicholas) Hara in at 133, so Austin didn’t have to cut that weight. And it really helped him at districts.”

NIC will send nine wrestlers (of a possible 10) to nationals, which begins today in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with the opening round starting at 7:30 a.m. PST.

Those wrestlers also include Brent Evans (149 pounds), Thomas Stevenson (157), Jacob Swift (165), Trager Abatti (174), Levi Perry (184), Christian Grover (197) and Damian Trujillo (285).

Evans, Stevenson, Perry and Trujillo are sophomores.

“The guys we expected to get here are here,” said Whitcomb, in his 21st season as coach. “Damian and Levi are returning All-Americans, so we expect them to do well. Thomas, he was one match away from placing, so we’re expecting big things from his as well.”

Evans will compete despite suffering a broken ankle at districts.

“It’s going to be kind of a hamstring for him, but he’s going to gut it out,” Whitcomb said. “(NIC athletic trainer) Randy (Boswell) has him taped up and ready to go. He’ll either be the goat or the hero, but if he comes through, he’ll get the credit. What Randy is doing, it’s going to give Brent a chance to compete.”

Iowa Central won last year’s national championship, edging Clackamas — which also qualified nine to nationals — by 3.5 points. NIC was 14th and Perry finished third at 184.

Trujillo was seventh as a freshman in 2016. He redshirted last year.

Evans and Stevenson qualified for nationals last year; Stevenson was one match from placing.

“It might come down to which team gets hot on the first day,” Whitcomb said. “It seldom plays out on paper the way it should. There is more years than not that a team gets hot and everything comes together. Once the lights come on, it’s entertaining. As a wrestler, you’ve got to go out and wrestle hard from the start. You don’t get a chance to ease into it and warm up. You’ve got to fight for each match like your life depends on it.”

NIC has won 14 national titles, the last coming in 2013.

Championship finals are scheduled for Saturday around 5 p.m. PST.

“What we do different than some, we don’t change our approach from year to year,” Whitcomb said. “We’ve had 220 All-Americans in program history, and that doesn’t happen on accident. We’ve got guys and our coaching staff buying in, and you don’t get to a national tournament and hope. We get there and do.”

NIC was ranked fifth in the latest NJCAA poll, released on Wednesday. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M was first, followed by Clackamas in second and Iowa Central third.

“I get as nervous for this as my first year as coach,” Whitcomb said. “When those go away, it’s time to give it up and sell real estate.”