Lights grapplers compete at Cowboy Open

A short-handed Montana State University-Northern wrestling team saw mixed results at Saturday's Cowboy Open hosted by the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

The Lights held out key starters, including Evan Hinebauch, Ethan Hinebauch, Anthony Weerheim, Rudy Shaffroth and Chase Dirden Saturday. But one Light saw plenty of success.

Northern true freshman Cameron Neiss wrestled his way to an outstanding second-place finish in the amateur division at 133 pounds.

Neiss compiled a tech fall in the first round, back-to-back pins in rounds two and three, and in the semifinals, he beat NJCAA's second-ranked Jesse Hillhouse 3-2 in two overtimes. In the finals he was bested 7-6 to an unattached wrestler from Wyoming. The finish qualified Neiss, the former Ronan star for the NAIA national tournament in March.

"Cameron wrestled extremely well and very smart in all of his matches," MSU-N head coach Tyson Thivierge said. "He continued to show that he is getting better every week he competes."

After three trips to Wyoming in two weeks, the Lights return home for their much-anticipated dual with the University of Great Falls on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the MSU-N Fieldhouse. in Havre.