Nick Knew

Going into the 2020 NAIA national tournament, Nick Kunz had a mindset not unlike any other confident wrestler — believing he could win a national championship.

However, unlike most wrestlers that went to Wichita, Kansas to compete in the national tournament earlier this month, the Montana State University-Northern junior backed it up.

And Kunz, who won the NAIA 125-pound national title back in March did it in a fashion that was surprising to some, given he was seeded just 10th, but not to himself or those in his corner.

“I went there with the goal of getting All-American,” Kunz, a Helena native who was making his third straight trip to nationals, said. “But winning a national championship has always been in the back of mind. Just before we left to go out there, coach (Tyson Thivierge) and I had a conversation about that, that there was a good chance no one in that bracket was going to beat me.”

And no one did.

Kunz, who wrestled much of the season at 133 for the Lights, finished third at the Cascade Conference Championships back in February, making his march to the national championship a daunting one.

However, he said that spending much of the season at 133 also helped him prepare for what he faced in the postseason.

“It did,” he said. “I think it helped me a lot because I saw a lot tougher competition at 133, and also, when I went back down, I didn’t worry about weight as much, I could just focus on technique.”

By the time Kunz got to nationals, his technique was in peak form too.

Kunz’ run to the championship started with a 4-2 decision in the second round over seventh-seeded Austin Franco. And in the quarterfinals, he beat Southeastern’s Isaac Crowell in one of the most intense matches of the tournament, a 7-5 win in triple overtime.

“That was the big one,” Kunz said of the thrilling win on that Friday night. “I probably was more hyped up for that one than the championship because it was such a tough match and that win meant I had achieved my goal of All-American. That was big to me because I had fell short of that goal the last two years. That match meant a lot, and I thought, anything else I did from there would be a bonus.”

And Kunz would cash in on those bonuses.

On Saturday morning, Kunz wrestled Menlo’s Riley Siason in the national semifinals, and he dominated the match with an 11-4 win. The victory not only avenged a loss to Siason in the CCC semifinals just two weeks earlier, but it also launched Kunz into the national championship match.

“I was really comfortable in that semifinal match because I knew Riley really well,” Kunz said. “He beat me in overtime at the conference tournament. It was a much I should of won, but it just didn’t work out, so I was really confident going into that one.”

Then it hit him.

“After that match it did sink in,” Kunz said. “I thought, holy cow, I'm in the finals. And from there, I just decided that, I made it this far so I just need to go out there and do what I do which is wrestle like I love it. So that’s what I did.”

The 125-pound final was Kunz’ biggest challenge yet, as he prepared to face top-seeded Justin Portillo of Grand View. But, by that time, there was no stopping Kunz, and he dominated Portillo from start to finish, in a. 4-1 decision.

"Nick is 10-1 since he went back down to 125," Thivierge said. "And in the semis, he avenged his only loss. Nick was just laser-focused. He took it one match at a time all the way through, and he just kept on winning.

"And the way he controlled the No. 1-ranked guy (Portillo)," he added. "That match wasn't even close. He dominated that match to the point where, he looked up with 20 seconds left and thought: "Oh my god, I'm a national champion." It was just an outstanding tournament by that young man, it's hard to put into words. It's just amazing. It's special what he just accomplished."

It wasn’t close and the win capped an incredible run by Kunz, who gave Northern its first national champion since Brandon Weber won the 157-pound championship in 2017.

"I was nervous to start," Kunz said in his post match interview. "But I tried not to let the moment get too big for me. I just went out there and wrestled like I loved it. It was fun. This is a big venue. It was intimidating at first, just being in this moment. But I just went out there and did what I love to do.”

Clearly Kunz loves to wrestle, and he works hard at it. And that all came to a head in Wichita. And while still in Kansas, Kunz admitted, what he had just done really hadn’t sunk in yet, but, in the weeks to follow it did. It hit him that, he’s a national champion, and no matter what happens with the remainder of his wrestling career, that two days in Kansas will last forever.

“It’s a cool feeling,” Kunz said. “It’s still sometimes hard to grasp it, but looking back on it now, it’s exciting to think about. I’m proud of it. I’m really thankful for all the support from everybody, my coaches and teammates, my family and friends, that means alot.

“It’s special for sure and it’s something no one can every take away from me.”