Sports
NIC athletics returns to campus for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NIC athletics returned to competition on campus for the first time since Feb. 26, 2020, with wrestling on Friday night without fan attendance.
NIC wrestling hosted Southwestern Oregon Community College on Friday night and rival Clackamas Community College on Saturday morning with strictly-enforced COVID-19 protocols. NIC limited attendance to only athletes, coaches and game personnel while all were required to wear masks and social distance when not competing. Common sights for wrestling matches such as shaking hands or the winner's arm being raised by the referee were also not permitted due to safety concerns.
Cohle Feliciano, a second-year student out of Sunnyvale, CA, battles a Clackamas opponent. Feliciano won in exciting fashion by pin after a long back-and-forth match.
Season start delays and schedule changes were commonplace for NIC athletics throughout the fall and spring semester, as the school and their athletic conferences navigated how to conduct athletic events during the pandemic. NIC wrestling is a part of the NJCAA which currently allows competition, while NIC's other sports are a part of the NWAC which will not allow competition until at least April 1.
Athletic director Bobby Lee said that based on the progress made this year and the protocols in place, he is optimistic that the other sports teams on campus will compete this semester and that he was glad to see wrestling return to action.
"It’s hard wearing a mask and having to social distance. That’s not what people are looking to do when they sign up to go to college," Lee said," so being able to have even a little bit of normalcy return for our student-athletes is huge."
Lee also said that this return to action should be a welcome sight to other athletes looking forward to competing this year.
"The mental well-being of our student-athletes this semester compared to last semester is greatly improved," Lee said. "They want to get out there and compete and to see that they have the opportunity to compete."
NIC wrestling is tentatively scheduled to return against Umpqua Community College on Saturday, Feb. 27, and all matches are live-streamed and archived on the NIC Athletics YouTube page.
NIC wrestling hosted Southwestern Oregon Community College on Friday night and rival Clackamas Community College on Saturday morning with strictly-enforced COVID-19 protocols. NIC limited attendance to only athletes, coaches and game personnel while all were required to wear masks and social distance when not competing. Common sights for wrestling matches such as shaking hands or the winner’s arm being raised by the referee were also not permitted due to safety concerns.
[caption id="attachment_18078" align="alignleft" width="300"]Season start delays and schedule changes were commonplace for NIC athletics throughout the fall and spring semester, as the school and their athletic conferences navigated how to conduct athletic events during the pandemic. NIC wrestling is a part of the NJCAA which currently allows competition, while NIC’s other sports are a part of the NWAC which will not allow competition until at least April 1.
Athletic director Bobby Lee said that based on the progress made this year and the protocols in place, he is optimistic that the other sports teams on campus will compete this semester and that he was glad to see wrestling return to action.
“It’s hard wearing a mask and having to social distance. That’s not what people are looking to do when they sign up to go to college,” Lee said,” so being able to have even a little bit of normalcy return for our student-athletes is huge.”
Lee also said that this return to action should be a welcome sight to other athletes looking forward to competing this year.
“The mental well-being of our student-athletes this semester compared to last semester is greatly improved,” Lee said. “They want to get out there and compete and to see that they have the opportunity to compete.”
NIC wrestling is tentatively scheduled to return against Umpqua Community College on Saturday, Feb. 27, and all matches are live-streamed and archived on the NIC Athletics YouTube page. [/tps_header]
Ledger Petracek raises his arm in victory after pinning SWOCC opponent Everett Chandler. Athletes throughout both days were reminded to lift their own arm after victory instead of having it lifted by referees due to safety protocols.
Safety protocols required that wrestlers sit on the second floor of Christianson Gymnasium when not competing or on deck to compete.
Sal Silva easily handled SWOCC opponent Skyler Moore on Friday night. The second-year star for NIC and Arizona native recently committed to Arizona Christian University to continue his collegiate career.
Isriel Tubera wrestles Clackamas opponent Hunter Sparks.