One Mission Left

Hard work isn’t something that Montana State University-Northern senior Ethan Hinebauch just pays lip service to. And it’s not something he goes around bragging about either.

Instead, working hard, whether it’s on the family farm, or in the wrestling room, or in the class room, is just normal to Hinebauch. It’s a way of life. It’s how he was raised.

For much of his life, and in almost every step of his storied wrestling career, the way he was raised has paid off on the mat. It paid off in high school when he won two individual Class A state championships for the Havre Blue Ponies. It’s paid off as he was able to overcome major injury setbacks, and it’s paid off as a Light, as he’s one of the winningest Northern wrestlers ever, a three-time NAIA All-American and he holds the Northern record for the most pins in a career.

Yes, through hard work, Ethan Hinebauch has already had a brilliant career and it’s one he’s very proud of. As a Light, Hinebauch spent a red-shirt year, and another injured, and since then has finished sixth, third and second at the NAIA national tournament. As mentioned, he’s Northern’s all-time leader in falls and he enters his last national tournament, this weekend in Topeka, Kansas, with a remarkable record of 166-16.

To say Hinebauch has done a lot with wrestling would be putting it much too mildly.

“It’s been a great five years at Northern,” Hinebauch said. “At first, injuries held me back, but from then on, it’s been a joy ride. I got to wrestle with great guys, it was a great experience having my brother, Evan, on the team. I got to wrestle with good friends like Beau LaSalle, and we’ve had a lot of Montana guys in and out of the room that I knew really well.

“Then, there’s the support from the Havre community,” he continued. “It’s just awesome. Havre and the Hi-Line really support wrestling. In fact, this state is a wrestling state. And I’ve been able to accomplish a lot with my career. Being a three-time All-American is awesome. I’ve had great teammates and great coaches. I’ve spent the last 20 years dedicated to this sport, and I could not have done the things I’ve been able to do without the coaches I’ve had. So I have to thank Perry Miller and his staff, Scott Filius and his staff, and of course, Tyson (Thivierge). It’s just been awesome all these years.”

Awesome no doubt … except for the countless opponents Hinebauch has destroyed along the way. And it’s all because of the work he’s put in on the mat, in the weight room, on the roads running, and doing whatever else it took to get to be one of the best wrestlers in all of the NAIA.

And while all that hard work has paid off, there’s still one dividend that hasn’t been cashed in. There’s still one thing Hinebauch needs to do, for himself, before this joy ride is over — win an NAIA national championship at 165 pounds. He’s been close before. Last year, he was, oh, so close. But now, this weekend in Topeka, he’s got one chance left, one opportunity to make sure all of that hard work and dedication, all of the blood, sweat and tears, pays off and gets him to the top of the mountain, just like it did for Evan five years ago.

And that’s what this season has been all about.

“This season, the goal has been to win a national championship from day one,” Hinebauch said. “When I step on the mat, I’m focused on the kid in front of me, and that’s all I’m worried about. But yes, this is my last opportunity. This is my 20th season of wrestling full time, and the goal is to be on top of the mountain at the end.”

And like every other season, Hinebauch has worked hard this year to make sure that goal happens. He says not much has changed in the way of training, but from the neck up, that’s where the difference will be between winning Saturday night, as opposed to last year when he was right there, with the top of the mountain in his sights, and yet, he didn’t quite make it.

“The training has been there,” he said. “The work is done. We’ve trained, we’ve conditioned, we’ve wrestled, we’ve trained some more, we’ve seen all the guys we needed to see. I’ve caught some more workouts on my own. As a team, we’re well-conditioned and in great shape. We’re prepared, and I feel prepared for this tournament.

“For me, at this stage, the mentality is different,” he added. “As a college wrestler, it’s so mental. You need to be really mentally tough to compete at this level. And if you want to be a national champion, you really have to believe in yourself. You have to believe it before can actually happen. Last year, I really wanted to be a national champion, and I thought I could do it. But I came up short. So I haven’t thought about last year at all. Instead, from day one this season, I’ve believed I’m going to win a national championship, and that’s been my mentality and focus.”

On paper, Hinebauch is the prohibitive favorite at 165 pounds, having not lost to anyone in his bracket this season. He’s been on an unprecedented roll, having not lost a single match since December, and few opponents have even managed to go the distance with him in recent weeks.

But Hinebauch has also been there before. He’s been the top-ranked wrestler going into a national tournament, and he’s been picked as the favorite by coaches and peers. And with this being his last national tournament, and his last weekend of competitive wrestling, he says none of what he’s done in the past matters. The rankings, the records, past highs and lows, none of it is on his mind. Instead, he’s focused on exactly what he already knows he has to do in order to win four times and win a coveted national championship.

“There are a couple things I have to do,” Hinebauch said. “First, this is my third time being ranked No. 1 going into nationals. I have to throw that out the window. It’s been proven that doesn’t mean anything at the national tournament. You have to have the mentality to worry about what you can control and that’s wrestling. The second thing is, you can’t worry about anyone else, and what the rest of your team is doing. The best thing you can do for your team is worry about your matches, your opponents and when you do that, you wrestle to your capabilities, and you’re helping the team anyway.

“And the last thing you have to do is stay calm, no matter what happens,” he continued. “I have that experience of knowing that you have to control your emotions at the national tournament. That’s what I plan on doing. Just taking it one match at a time, even one period at a time, and not worrying about anything else.”

That plan will work well for Hinebauch, and he knows such things because he’s been around the block a time or two, or three. He’s wrestled on all the big stages, from AAU, to final’s night at the All-Class State Tournament in Billings, to final’s night at the NAIA national tournament. He’s been around his older brother when he was going through the same process, and he’s seen all there is to see in 20-plus years of competitive wrestling. And he knows that experience is a much bigger advantage this weekend than being labeled as the No. 1-ranked 165-pounder.

And again, he’s put in the work. He’s put in the time. He’s dedicated himself to being the best he can possibly be. In other words, Ethan Hinebauch has done it all, and he’s done everything it takes to get to the top of the NAIA mountain. Now, over the next two days, he just has to climb that mountain, step-by-step, one more time.

And if anybody can do it, we as wrestling fans already know, having watched the Hinebauch family wrestle in these parts for the last two decades, Ethan Hinebauch can scale that mountain.

“Ethan is a great personality, someone you truly feel great being around,” said Thivierge “In five years we have built a relationship, and I want nothing more than to see him accomplish his ultimate goal of winning a national title. Anyone who meets him for the first time will be awe struck. He is really rough around the edges, but once you get to know him, he is very loyal and very likable. I am going to miss him.”

“It’s been a joy ride the last 20 years,” Hinebauch added. “It really has. And this is my last opportunity to wrestle at this level, to be with my teammates and coaches, and my last chance to win a national championship. That’s been my goal and my focus and now I just have to go out and wrestle my best each and every match and make it happen.”