It's down to two days in Kansas

The NAIA wrestling season is a long one. It starts with conditioning in September and keeps going through long harsh winters. But standing on the podium as an NAIA All-American, national champion or with a team trophy in hand makes the time, the blood, the sweat, the dieting and all the pain so worth it.

And that’s what eight Montana State University-Northern wrestlers are gunning for this weekend in Topeka, Kans. The 2014 NAIA national tournament begins Friday morning and runs through Saturday night’s finals at the Topeka Expo Center.

The No. 3 Lights enter the tournament on a high note, having qualified eight grapplers after struggling through the middle portion of the season with injuries and other things that left MSU-N without its top two 125-pounders, as well as its starting 149-pounder. Still, head coach Tyson Thivierge, who helped guide the Lights to a third-place finish at the national tournament a year ago, is excited and proud of his team as it embarks on the final journey of the season.

“It’s been a trying season,” Thivierge said. “These guys, our team, we’ve been through a lot, with injuries and other things. But this group, together, has been tremendous. They’ve stuck with it. They’ve put in the hard work and made the sacrifices to get to where they are now. I’m really very proud of this team.

“But we told them all week, now it’s time for them to be selfish,” he continued. “Now is the time for each of them to worry about themselves, to focus on what they have to do as individuals. And if they do that, and wrestle to the best of their abilities, the team stuff will take care of itself.”

The Lights are taking eight solid individuals to Kansas, including five who went to the national tournament a year ago, as well as four returning All-Americans. Those four include senior Cameron Neiss (141), juniors Mickey Cheff (157) and Ethan Hinebauch (165) and sophomore Toby Cheff (197). Junior Jared Miller (174) went to nationals two years ago, while senior Kody Reed (184) is making his third straight national tournament appearance. Red-shirt freshmen Garrett DeMers (197) and Jorrell Jones (HWT) are Northern first-timers.

But regardless of experience, or age, Thivierge is confident in the team’s ability to get the job done this weekend. The group has been a big part of Northern’s dominant dual team all season long, and they have wrestled in big events, like both duals against UGF as well as the Reno Tournament of Champions, the Cowboy Open and the NAIA National Duals. So, at this point, all eight of them should be ready for the enormous intensity which comes from competing at the national tournament.

“It’s nice to have some experienced guys, and those guys won’t be phased by nationals,” Thivierge said. “But, really, none of them should really be fazed by it at this point. They’ve all wrestled on a big stage before, just not all of them on this stage. But that’s why we go those big tournaments, that’s why we schedule so tough. Everything we do and everywhere we wrestle is leading up to this tournament. This is what it’s all about, and I’m confident these guys are ready for it.”

Ready or not, the time is now for the Lights, and the instructions once the matches start are simple, Thivierge says his wrestlers must wrestle as close to mistake-free as they possibly can. Each of them will face big challenges, tough opponents, and stern tests along the way. But he believes if the group wrestles to its capabilities, that being in the trophy hunt for yet another year is a certainty.

“We’ve had great practices the last week,” Thivierge said. “We’ve put the pressure on them now, and asked them to embrace it before we even get down there. Really, what it comes down to is wrestling mistake free. They know, at this tournament, the smallest mistake can cost you everything, so we’ve really been trying to drive that home this last week and this is a group that responds to those challenges. So I think they’ll go down there and embrace the challenges.”

The challenge of winning a national championship will be an uphill one due to a lack of depth in a few weights, but it isn’t out of the question for the Lights either. Grand View is the two-time defending national champion and a solid contender to win it all again this weekend. Lindsey Wilson, Southern Oregon, Missouri Valley and Great Falls will also fight Northern for precious team points, and the top three will certainly come out of that group.

But again, Thivierge isn’t solely focused on where his team ends up, as much as he is where each individual ends up. And if enough Lights get on the podium this weekend, a team trophy will be coming back to Havre for a second straight season.

“We’re excited right now,” Thivierge said. “We know we have a team that can be a trophy contender. It’s just up to each individual to do his job, and the trophy will take care of itself.

“We’ve been through a lot this season,” he continued. “But this team has persevered all season long, and now they are at the end. It all comes down to these last two days for these guys, and I am confident they are going to produce.”

The Lights begin wrestling Friday morning and the NAIA national tournament finals will start at 6 p.m. M.S.T Saturday night. All of the action takes place at the Topeka Expo Center in Topeka, Kans.

Here’s a look at each MSU-Northern wrestler and his draw at the NAIA national tournament

141 – Cameron Neiss

(34-7)

Neiss gets one last crack at winning a national championship this weekend. He finished second at 133 pounds last year, is already a two-time NAIA All-American and is competing in his fourth national tournament. He enters the tournament as a No. 1 seed and ranked fourth overall. Neiss has been a warrior for the Lights since his true freshman campaign when he earned a seventh-place finish at nationals. But gunning for that elusive national title will be tough as he has four returning All-Americans in his bracket, including defending 141-pound champion Gustavo Martinez of Grand View, as well as Wayland-Baptist’s Chris Hart and UGF’s Kyle Wilson, who will be tough to beat as well. Neiss has a bye in the first round and will wrestle either Alec Chantepathe of Hastings or Jeremiah Lutz of Brewton-Parker in his first match.

“I haven’t coached many kids as competitive as Cam,” Thivierge said. “So he already knows what he has to do this weekend. He has given his heart and soul to this for four years, and it all comes down to this being his final national tournament. So there’s a lot of pressure with that, but Cam handles that well. He embraces it. He’s as tough and competitive as anyone we’ve ever had in our room, and he knows exactly what to do this weekend.”

157 – Mickey Cheff

(19-5)

Cheff has already had big moments at the national tournament. As a freshman, he came within one win of placing and followed that up with a fifth-place performance a year ago. He also comes into this weekend as a No. 1 seed and ranked fourth. And while his bracket won’t be easy by any means, it is a little wide open with only two returning All-Americans. Cheff will square off with Morningside’s Jordan Langley, ranked No. 15, in his first match, while Lindsey Wilson’s Joe Coizart is a top contender after finishing second a year ago. Quintin Hayes of Grand View and Zach Skates of Oklahoma City are two more contenders at 157.

165 – Ethan Hinebauch

(34-2)

It’s been another amazing season for Hinebauch, now a junior. But regular season’s are just a prelude for Hinebauch, who’s ultimate goal is to capture a national title. He came up short last year, finishing third, but he’s already a two-time NAIA All-American. He enters this weekend ranked No. 1 and a No. 1 seed. He’s also on a roll, having not lost a match since January. But Hinebauch has work to do as he’s in what many consider the most loaded bracket in the tournament. Grand View’s Chad Lowman moved up to 165 this season after winning a title at 157 a year ago, while 2013 runner-up Eric Lopez of Menlo is also back and UGF’s Shaun Lau is always dangerous. Hinebauch begins his national title march with Carlos Aaicola of York in the first round.

“Ethan has a big task ahead of him,” Thivierge said. “His weight is one of three that is very, very tough. But he knows what he has to do, he knows what it takes to compete at this level. And right now, I’m not sure there’s anybody in the tournament wrestling as well as Ethan is. He is really wrestling well right now.”

174 – Jared Miller

(29-9)

After redshirting last season, Miller is back at the national tournament, where he qualified as a sophomore. He comes into the weekend ranked No. 4 and off of a very good regular season. But he’s in a loaded field as well, and that field includes two-time national champion Brock Gutches of SOU, a grappler who hasn’t lost a match in over two years. But Miller will contend no doubt, though he opens the tourney with a tough draw, having to face OKC’s Derek Siviertsen, ranked sixth, in the first round. The 174-pound bracket also includes Grand View’s Jimmy Schleusser, who moved up after winning the 165-pound national title a year ago.

184 – Kody Reed

(10-5)

It’s been a very trying senior season for Reed. Actually, it’s been a trying road back to the national tournament. A year ago, Reed was ranked No. 1 at 184 pounds and was poised to follow in the footsteps of former Northern great Evan Hinebauch. But he came away empty-handed from that tournament, suffering back-to-back upsets. Now Reed is back as a wildcard entry after suffering an injury just before the Western Regional two weeks ago. He has had a tough season of injuries and setbacks, but there’s no question, when he’s on, he’s one of the best in the country. His road to All-American won’t be easy, especially being unseeded, and considering defending 184-pound champ Jameel Bryant of Lindsey Wilson is back. But, if Reed is 100 percent, don’t be surprised to see him make a deep run this weekend, because he is that good, and this weekend is his last as a collegiate wrestler. Reed will face eighth-ranked Ethan Jirek of Benedictine in the first round.

“Kody has had some tough breaks this year,” Thivierge said. “But he’s going to give it a go this weekend. I’m really pulling for him, because he has done so much for this program and for me, he deserves this moment. He’s a tremendous competitor and a leader and if he can compete at the level he’s used to, he has a chance to do great things this weekend.”

197 – Toby Cheff

(22-3)

Cheff burst onto the scene a year ago, reaching the semifinals and finishing third overall at 184 pounds, in what was his first national tournament appearance. But he won’t be a secret this weekend. Cheff comes to Topeka ranked No. 1 in the country and has looked nearly unbeatable all season long. He’s a pinning machine, and what's more, he’s about impossible to score on. His bracket is tough, with the likes of SOU rival Charles Johnson, Dickinson State’s Jesse Hellinger and Missouri Valley’s Josh Manu, but Cheff is the favorite this weekend, and everyone in his draw knows it. Cheff will face Dustin Branom of Truett-McConnell in the opening round.

197 – Garrett DeMers

(23-9)

DeMers wasted little time becoming an NAIA power. In just his first season of competition, he won big dual matches for the Lights, and enters the national tournament ranked No. 8. Being in Cheff’s draw will make it tough for Demers to win a national title, but he’s certainly an All-American contender his first time out, and by getting to nationals through a tough Western Regional, DeMers is poised to give the Lights big points in the only weight they are doubled up at this weekend. DeMers will square off with either 11th-ranked Taylor Baird of Bethany or Jawhon Akui of Lindsey Wilson in the second round.

HWT – Jorrell Jones

(15-19)

Jones’ first season of varsity college wrestling has been a learning experience. But the former Chinook standout seems to be peaking at the perfect time. He’s given away weight in most matches this season and will again this weekend, but his technique and toughness have allowed him to hang with bigger heavyweights. Jones also showed true grit in winning a challenge match at the Western Regional to advance to the national tournament. Eric Thompson of Grand View and Dane Mueller of Missouri Valley are the favorites this weekend, while Jones will grapple with Brewton-Parker’s Jake Schumpert in the opening round.