THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: From here, the road can lead you right back

At one time, North Idaho College had a selling point for its school.

"From here, you can go anywhere."

And while the school's wrestling program gives its best selling pitch this weekend, it's true.

Starting from this weekend, you can really go anywhere.

IN CASE you've missed it, the school is hosting the 52nd annual Tri-State Invitational, featuring the top of the top high school programs from around the northwest this weekend.

For wrestling fans, it's wall-to-wall wrestling, with mats covering almost every inch of the floor at Christianson Gymnasium on Friday.

Some years, the stands are so full, you can barely move.

And as NIC chases its 15th national title, sometimes the names that fans get to know at Tri-State wind up on the Cardinal roster in an effort to make that chase.

Three current NIC freshmen — Noah Poe-Hatten and Gabe Lake of Flathead High in Kalispell, Mont., and Alonzo Vargas of East Valley High in Spokane — were in the finals in 2022 at Tri-State, with Vargas (285) and Lake (160) winning titles.

"We've gotten plenty of these guys that have wrestled at Tri-State," said NIC coach Derrick Booth, a 2010 Post Falls High graduate. "Right now, we've got at least 10 guys that have competed in this tournament. It's a good opportunity to get those guys on campus and see them compete under the lights in our gym."

Another NIC wrestler, Porter Craig, never competed at Tri-State, but not without a lack of effort for trying to get here.

Craig, who won a state 5A title at Coeur d'Alene High in 2021, was getting on a van along with his then-Camas (Wash.) teammates to head to Tri-State before the team's trip was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

That January, Craig's family relocated to Coeur d'Alene after his father took a job in the area.

Craig verbally committed to NAIA Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, in high school before transferring to NIC this fall.

Thus far, Craig is 7-4 at NIC this fall.

While he didn't wind up at NIC, Ridge Lovett, the last local four-time Tri-State champion from Post Falls High, recently won 149-pound title at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas.

In his last full season in 2022, Lovett finished runner-up in the NCAA Tournament.

Yes, that kid that grew up in this area who cut his teeth at this tournament, very nearly won a national title at one of the biggest stages they have.

DURING LAST year's tournament, Booth was in his first year as tournament director.

"I learned a lot from that experience," Booth said. "Once it gets going on Friday, the tournament is always going to run and take care of itself. Usually, if something happens, it's a computer issue with TrackWrestling going down, or the WiFi at the school doesn't work in the gym."

A long way from having to have people taking sheets of paper with each match to a table and back to the announcers.

"You've always got to be ready if something goes down," Booth said. "But anymore, coaches and wrestlers really do a good job of keeping everything going smoothly throughout the entire weekend."

Something that can sell anyone on wanting to keep coming back, year after year.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.