Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Tate Niederegger, Chinook Wrestling

Tate Niederegger has a chance to write his own chapter in wrestling history in Billings

Tate Niederegger is only participating in his second year of high school athletics, but already, the Chinook Sugarbeeter sophomore is making a name for himself, especially on the wrestling mat.

Chinook has a long and storied history of wrestling excellence, and it appears as though the next great Beeter wrestler is already there in the form of Niederegger, who has followed up a fabulous freshman campaign a year ago, with an even better sophomore season.

Last year, as a freshman, Niederegger helped the Beeters to a second-place finish in the Class C ranks at the All-Class state tournament in Billings by finishing second in the 120-pound weight class, after dropping the championship match by way of a 16-0 decision.

While, Niederegger was disappointed that he was not able to win an individual state title or perform better in the finals a year ago, that loss has helped motivate him to be even better over the course of the 2014-15 season and so far, it appears to have worked.

Despite wrestling at 132 pounds this season, Niederegger has dominated the competition, losing just three times and collecting numerous individual titles along the way. This past weekend, he won the Northern B-C Divisional title in his weight class, making him a top seed for the upcoming state meet, which begins Friday and continues through Saturday in Billings.

Yet, Niederegger, who has wrestled since he was five, following in the footsteps of his father — who wrestled for Chinook and his uncle, who wrestled for Montana State University-Northern — is more than just a wrestler, he is also a talented football player and helped Chinook reach the Class C state championship game last fall.

On offense, the sophomore tallied 308 rushing yards to go along with four touchdowns, while also registering 100 tackles and two tackles for loss on the defensive side of the ball.

While he has proven that he can star in more than one sport, at the end of the day, Niederegger's first passion has always been wrestling. And his number one goal right now is to make amends for his loss in the finals last year and leave the Billings Metra Saturday night as one of the few that has earned the right to call themselves an individual state wrestling champion.

Following his individual title at the Northern B-C wrestling meet in Big Sandy last Saturday, the Havre Daily News caught up with Niederegger for five questions.

HDN: What is the key to you winning a state title this year as an individual?

Niederegger: "Just have to keep working hard in the room. Our coaches have been pushing us pretty hard. A big thing is just staying focused. Last year, the whole freshman thing kind of got to my head, but now I am older and more mature."

HDN: What's is like to wrestle in the finals at the state meet?

Niederegger: "It just makes you so nervous. There are so many fans and they are all cheering and you just don't want to let them down. It gets you going."

HDN: How does state wrestling compare to playing in a state championship football game?

Niederegger: "In football, it's you as a team, so you feed off each other. In wrestling, it's just you and your opponent. So it's a little more nerve racking."

HDN: What types of things do you do to make weight?

Niederegger: "I try to eat really healthy. Since the season started, I cut back, way back on junk food. Eating smaller portions and drinking more water. I have missed a couple meals since the season has started but it's all worth it.

HDN: What does it feel like to pin somebody so quickly like you've been known to do?

Niederegger: "It's pretty cool knowing, wow I just pinned that guy really fast. You want to wrestle each guy the same way, some of them just happen to be guys I can pin pretty quick."