Lights find plenty of mat success at Battle of Rockies

The Battle of the Rockies is one of the biggest weekend’s on the Montana State University-Northern wrestling team’s schedule. After all, it’s close to home, and the competition is fierce. Usually, when the lights leave Great Falls after the two days of competition, they’re a better team for having been there.

They’re usually pretty successful there, and Northern was again this past weekend. In the dual portion of the event Friday in Great Falls, the No. 4 Lights went 2-1. They shifted their attention to the Battle of the Rockies Open Saturday, where they went 3-for-3 in the finals and placed eight grapplers overall.

In Saturday’s tournament, which featured a huge contingent of wrestlers from all over, including NAIA powers, NCAA DI teams like Boise State and Wyoming, and top junior college teams, the Lights marched some big guns into the finals and came out perfect.

At 165 pounds, senior Ethan Hinebauch completed another undefeated weekend by pinning McKendree’s Nicholas Haferkamp in 47 seconds in the finals. It was Hinebauch’s second straight tournament title, and he continues to rack up pins at an alarming rate.

Junior Willie Miller also had a big weekend for the Lights, and he capped it with a win at 184 pounds Saturday. Miller, a former Chinook standout, beat McKendree’s John Vogt 11-9 in the final. And sophomore Garrett DeMers kept the Lights perfect as the edged McKendree’s Julian Smith, 3-2 in the 197-pound championship match.

In a tournament in which the Lights got plenty of mat time, several more Northern grapplers stepped up. Senior Jared Miller shrugged off his only loss of the weekend, and came back to place third at 174 pounds. Freshman Andrew Caballa, wrestling unattached for the Lights, stormed his way to a third-place finish at 125 pounds, while redshirt Kris Newport placed fourth at 165. Northern also got fifth-place finishes from Brenton Beard at 141 and Tommy Cooper at 157.

Against some stiff competition, the Lights also found success Friday.

Northern beat Cumberlands University of Tennessee 30-19 in the first of three duals on the day. In that win, Caballa, Hinebauch, Miller and DeMers each earned wins by fall, while Justin Rodgers picked up a crucial 3-1 decision at 133 pounds. Northern also saw the return of junior Toby Cheff, who’s been out with an injury, and he picked up a 5-4 decision at heavyweight.

The Lights also took care of NCAA DII Chadron State Friday afternoon. In a close dual, MSU-N won 22-19. Riley Miller started things off with a major decision at 125 pounds, while Hinebauch and DeMers picked up pins. Jared Miller and Willie Miller each won key decisions that lifted the Lights to a close victory.

Northern’s only loss on the day came at the hands of No. 8 Indiana Tech. The Lights lost a heartbreaker 24-22. Riley Miller again started things off with a win for the Lights at 125 pounds, but again, MSU-N didn’t win another match in the dual until Hinebauch picked up a major decision at 165. Jared Miller and Willie Miller each won by pin, and DeMers earned a 5-0 decision, but Northern dropped the heavyweight match, and ended up falling just short.

Still, it was a big weekend for the Lights, and they got plenty of experience that they’ll use going forward. Northern has one more tough stretch of competition coming up before the holiday break. The Lights will dual NAIA powerhouse Southern Oregon Dec. 18 in Ashland, Oregon, then travel to the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions Dec. 21 in Reno, Nevada.

MSU-Northern 22, Chadron State 19

125: Riley Miller (MSU-N) over Robert Ozuna (CHST) (MD 15-4) 133: Taylor Summers (CHST) over Justin Rodgers (MSU-N) (Dec 9-2) 141: Joshua Miller (CHST) over Rainier Montes (MSU-N) (Dec 8-1) 149: Jacob Anderson (CHST) over Logan Foster (MSU-N) (Fall 3:31) 157: CJ Clark (CHST) over Tommy Cooper (MSN) (MD 10-2) 165: Ethan Hinebauch (MSU-N) over Chance Helmick (CHST) (Fall 1:37) 174: Jared Miller (MSU-N) over Caleb Copeland (CHST) (Dec 6-2) 184: William Miller (MSU-N) over Dylan Fors (CHST) (Dec 3-1) 197: Garrett DeMers (MSU-N) over Devan Fors (CHST) (Fall 2:51) 285: Jake Weber (CHST) over Jorrell Jones (MSU-N) (Dec 10-6)

MSU-Northern 30, Cumberland 19

125: Mhar Caballa (MSU-N) over Richard Williams (CUTE) (Fall 2:34) 133: Justin Rodgers (MSU-N) over Robbie Resendiz (CUTE) (Dec 3-1) 141: Austin Meyn (CUTE) over Bradyn Rooks (MSU-N) (MD 12-4) 149: Ladigo Williams (CUTE) over Logan Foster (MSU-N) (Fall 3:00) 157: Nate Croley (CUTE) over Tommy Cooper (MSU-N) (Dec 11-9) 165: Ethan Hinebauch (MSU-N) over Michael Gonzalez (CUTE) (Fall 1:33) 174: Jared Miller (MSU-N) over Dustin Harris (CUTE) (Fall 5:42) 184: Kyle Delaune (CUTE) over William Miller (MSU-N) (Fall 1:36) 197: Garrett DeMers (MSU-N) over Christian Varner (CUTE) (Fall 0:39) 285: Toby Cheff (MSU-N) over Stephen Jackson (CUTE) (Dec 5-4)

Indiana Tech 24, MSU-Northern 22

125: Riley Miller (MSU-N) over Erique Early (INTE) (Dec 7-2) 133: Brett Yarbrough (INTE) over Justin Rodgers (MSU-N) (Fall 1:21) 141: Matthew Miller (INTE) over Rainier Montes (MSU-N) (Fall 6:27) 149: Thomas Garty (INTE) over Logan Foster (MSU-N) (Fall 1:36) 157: Mitch Roadruck (INTE) over Tommy Cooper (MSU-N) (Dec 11-9) 165: Ethan Hinebauch (MSU-N) over Jacob Johnson (INTE) (MD 13-5) 174: Jared Miller (MSU-N) over Antonio Rodriguez (INTE) (Fall 3:58) 184: William Miller (MSU-N) over Brandon Sunday (INTE) (Fall 2:42) 197: Garrett DeMers (MSU-N) over LJ Grayson (INTE) (Dec 5-0) 285: Kegan Clark-Sanchez (INTE) over Jorrell Jones (MSU-N) (Dec 12-8).

Battle of the Rockies Open

Championship matches

125 - Luke Schlosser, UGF, d. Brandon Ashford, UGF, 2-1; 133 - Jared Berlinger, UGF. d. Clinton Garvin, UGF, 6-3; 141 - Kyle Wilson, UGF, p. Darren Wynn, McKendree, :59; 149 - Jake Williams, Cumberland (unattached), p. Travis Himmelman, Boise State (unattached) 1:30; 157 - CJ Clark, Chadron State, d. Khalddon Rashid, UGF, 5-1; 165 - Ethan Hinebauch, MSU-N, p. Nicholas Haferkamp, McKendree, :47; 174 - Luis Alba, McKendree, d. Michael Ayala, UGF, 4-0; 184 -Willie Miller, MSU-N, d. John Vogt, McKendree, 11-9; 197 - Garrett DeMers, MSU-N, d. Julian Smith, McKendree, 3-2; 285 - Ross Janney, McKendree, d. Dylan Lemery, UGF, 3-0.

Third place matches

125 - Mhar Caballa, MSU-N (Unattached), d. Isaac Wilson, UGF, 7-4; 133 - Ryan Strope, McKendree, p. Dylan Williams, Alberta, 1:47; 141 - Michael Ruiz, UGF, p. Michael Asselstine, Alberta, 6:21; 149 - Jeff McCormick, Northwest (Wyo.) p. Ryan Marin, UGF, 3:42; 157 - Josh Ballard, McKendree, p. Chad Cebulski, UGF, :55; 165 - Andrew Krawulski, McKendree, d. Kris Newport, MSU-N (unattached) 4-3; 174 - Jared Miller, MSU-N, p. Julian Gallegos, UGF, 3:21; 184 - Will Summer, Utah Valley State (unattached), d. Taylor Vaughn, UGF, 6-5; 197 - Adam Wolfe, UGF, d. Tristian Baus, UGF 9-2; 285 - Mitchell Eull, Minot State, d. Coltyn Pease, McKendree, 4-2.