NAIA National Wrestling Tournament: Lights finish third at nationals

Updated at 8:30 p.m. Saturday: For the second year in a row, the Montana State University-Northern wrestling team is bringing a trophy back to Havre. The NAIA national tournament wrapped up Saturday night in Topeka, Kans., where the Lights finished third with 83.5 points, crowning four All-Americans in the process.

Finals night didn't go the way of the Lights as both Ethan Hinebauch and Jared Miller lost heartbreakers in the championship round. But overall, Northern, which qualified just eight wrestlers and saw key grapplers upset on Friday before even reaching the All-American round, battled hard to finish in third. The battle for second was with rival Great Falls, which edged the Lights by a single point. The Argos finished with 84.5 points, though they didn't get any wrestlers into the finals.

Individually, Hinebauch lost a 7-5 decision to Chad Lowman of Grand View. Lowman won a national title at 157 pounds last year. Meanwhile, Miller lost a narrow 3-2 decision to now three-time champion Brock Gutches of Southern Oregon. Cameron Neiss gave the Lights big points by coming all the way back to finish third. Neiss beat UGF's Kyle Wilson in the 141-pound consolation final, and like Hinebauch, is now a three-time All-American. In his first national tournament, freshman Garrett DeMers earned a fifth-place finish, including beating Cumberlands Samuel Johnson by fall in the fifth-sixth place match Saturday night.

Grand View won its third straight national championship, scoring 193 points. Southern Oregon finished fourth with 80.5 points, while Lindsey Wilson was fifth.

For full coverage, see Monday's Havre Daily News.

Updated 12 p.m. Saturday: The MSU-Northern wrestling team will get to cracks at individual national championships. Saturday morning at the NAIA national tourney in Topeka, Kans., Ethan Hinebauch and Jared Miller both advanced to the championship round.

Hinebauch won by injury default in a 165-pound semifinal, while Miller beat Brady Beamon of Simpson in the 174-pound semifinal. Miller faces Southern Oregon's Brock Gutches while Hinebauch wrestles Grand View's Chad Lowman.

Northern senior Cameron Neiss also won two more times and will wrestle for third place later today. Garrett DeMers will wrestle for fifth place as the Lights will have four All-Americans.

In the trophy hunt, the Lights are in a solid third place with 79.5 points. Great Falls is second with 81, while Grand View has the national title locked up with 172.5 points.

Updated at 9:00 p.m.: It was a day of highs and upsets for the MSU-Northern wrestling team. But the Lights wound up in a solid third place at the end of the second session of the NAIA national tournament in Topeka, Kans. Northern scored 50 points and is just one point behind rival UGF, which is a distant second from Grand View. The defending national champion scored an insurmountable 113 points on the opening day of the tournament.

After moving five of eight wrestlers into Friday night's quarterfinals, the Lights saw just two advance on. At 165, Ethan Hinebauch reached the semis with two pins. It is Hinebauch's third straight trip to the national semis. And wrestling in perhaps the most difficult bracket in the tournament, junior Jared Miller moved into Saturday morning's 174-pound semifinals after earning two tight decisions on day one.

Things didn't go all good though for the Lights. No. 1-ranked Toby Cheff was upset in the quarterfinals at 197 pounds Friday night, and was then eliminated by teammate Garrett DeMers in the wrestlebacks. Cheff went into the tourney with just three losses all season and as a heavy favorite to win a national title. The same happened to Mickey Cheff at 157 pounds. He lost in the quarters and was eliminated from the tournament on match later. Senior Cameron Neiss was also upset in a quarterfinal round but is still alive, while fellow senior Kody Reed went 2-2 and was eliminated, as was freshman Jorrell Jones, who won his first match, but lost two straight.

In all, the Lights have just four wrestlers who can still reach the All-American podium on Saturday.

Day One MSU-N Results

141 - Cameron Neiss (36-8) placed 8th and scored 9.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Cameron Neiss (Montana State Northern ) 36-8 received a bye () (Bye)

Champ. Round 2 - Cameron Neiss (Montana State Northern ) 36-8 won by fall over Jeremiah Lutz (Brewton-Parker) 20-9 (Fall 6:32)

Quarterfinal - Gustavo Martinez (Grand View) 24-5 won by decision over Cameron Neiss (Montana State Northern ) 36-8 (Dec 7-3)

Cons. Round 4 - Cameron Neiss (Montana State Northern ) 36-8 won by tech fall over Travis Barroquillo (Indiana Tech) 27-12 (TF-1.5 5:00 (16-0))

157 - Edward Cheff (20-7) place is unknown and scored 2.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Edward Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 20-7 received a bye () (Bye)

Champ. Round 2 - Edward Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 20-7 won by decision over Ryan Roach (Dakota Wesleyan) 19-10 (Dec 11-5)

Quarterfinal - Zach Skates (Oklahoma City) 38-10 won by decision over Edward Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 20-7 (Dec 7-3)

Cons. Round 4 - Shawn McGhee (Campbellsville) 20-6 won by decision over Edward Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 20-7 (Dec 12-7)

165 - Ethan Hinebauch (37-2) placed 6th and scored 13.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Ethan Hinebauch (Montana State Northern ) 37-2 won by decision over Carlos Arana (York) 12-8 (Dec 9-7)

Champ. Round 2 - Ethan Hinebauch (Montana State Northern ) 37-2 won by fall over Trey Rhodes (Campbellsville) 24-11 (Fall 2:18)

Quarterfinal - Ethan Hinebauch (Montana State Northern ) 37-2 won by fall over Sterling Terry (Midland) 16-9 (Fall 1:57)

174 - Jared Miller (31-9) placed 6th and scored 9.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Jared Miller (Montana State Northern ) 31-9 received a bye () (Bye)

Champ. Round 2 - Jared Miller (Montana State Northern ) 31-9 won by decision over Derek Sivertsen (Oklahoma City) 25-22 (Dec 7-2)

Quarterfinal - Jared Miller (Montana State Northern ) 31-9 won by decision over Eziekiel Hunt (Cumberland Univ) 26-10 (Dec 3-1)

184 - Kody Reed (12-7) place is unknown and scored 3.50 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Kody Reed (Montana State Northern ) 12-7 won by fall over Ethan Jirak (Benedictine) 14-11 (Fall 2:59)

Champ. Round 2 - Trey Hicks (Life) 19-6 won by decision over Kody Reed (Montana State Northern ) 12-7 (Dec 6-1)

Cons. Round 2 - Kody Reed (Montana State Northern ) 12-7 won by decision over Tyler Sarringar (Dakota Wesleyan) 21-8 (Dec 10-5)

Cons. Round 3 - Brock Binversie (Waldorf) 17-15 won by decision over Kody Reed (Montana State Northern ) 12-7 (Dec 2-1)

197 - Toby Cheff (23-5) place is unknown and scored 4.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Toby Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 23-5 received a bye () (Bye)

Champ. Round 2 - Toby Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 23-5 won by fall over Dustin Branom (Truett-McConnell) 0-2 (Fall 5:10)

Quarterfinal - Stephen Loosbrock (Benedictine) 24-6 won by decision over Toby Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 23-5 (Dec 8-5)

Cons. Round 4 - Garrett DeMers (Montana State Northern ) 26-10 won by decision over Toby Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 23-5 (Dec 6-4)

197 - Garrett DeMers (26-10) placed 8th and scored 6.50 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Garrett DeMers (Montana State Northern ) 26-10 received a bye () (Bye)

Champ. Round 2 - Jahwon Akui (Lindsey Wilson) 10-3 won in sudden victory - 1 over Garrett DeMers (Montana State Northern ) 26-10 (SV-1 3-1)

Cons. Round 2 - Garrett DeMers (Montana State Northern ) 26-10 won by decision over Carl Lawrence (Missouri Valley) 12-8 (Dec 3-0)

Cons. Round 3 - Garrett DeMers (Montana State Northern ) 26-10 won by fall over Grant Harrill (Hastings) 14-7 (Fall 2:18)

Cons. Round 4 - Garrett DeMers (Montana State Northern ) 26-10 won by decision over Toby Cheff (Montana State Northern ) 23-5 (Dec 6-4)

285 - Jorrell Jones (16-21) place is unknown and scored 3.00 team points.

Champ. Round 1 - Jorrell Jones (Montana State Northern ) 16-21 won by fall over Jake Shumpert (Brewton-Parker) 10-12 (Fall 6:04)

Champ. Round 2 - Eric Thompson (Grand View) 31-2 won by fall over Jorrell Jones (Montana State Northern ) 16-21 (Fall 0:46)

Cons. Round 2 - Brian Kelvis (Dickinson State) 23-11 won by fall over Jorrell Jones (Montana State Northern ) 16-21 (Fall 6:59)

After the opening session of the NAIA national wrestling tournament Friday morning in Topeka, Kans., the MSU-Northern wrestling team has five wrestlers still vying for national championships.

Cameron Neiss (141), Mickey Cheff (157), Ethan Hinebauch (165), Jared Miller (174) and Toby Cheff (197) all went unbeaten through this first two rounds and will wrestle in tonight's quarterfinals.

Kody Reed (184) went 2-1 and is still alive, as is Garret DeMers (197), who is 1-1 and Jorrell Jones (HWT), who is also 1-1.

Through the morning sessions, the Lights scored 23 points and are in second place behind Grand View. Great Falls has 22 points and is currently in third.