Parker Filius ends college career with seventh-place finish at NCAA Tournament

Former Havre High star Parker Filius sure did make the most of his final year of wrestling at Purdue University.

Filius qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row, where he entered the 2023 NCAA Championships in Tulsa as the No. 12 seed at 141 pounds, and where his career ended with an awesome NCAA All-American finish.

On Friday, Filius pinned Iowa State's Casey Swiderski in 6:05 at 141 pounds to become the 61st All-American in Boilermaker history. A 12th seed, Filius is the lowest-seeded Purdue wrestler to earn All-American status, joining Jason Silverstein who did it as a 12 seed in 1999.

Fillius first defeated No. 21 Cleveland Belton of Oregon State (8-3). Filius defeated No. 5 Ryan Jack of N.C. State to reach the quarterfinals. Filius trailed 5-1 going into the third period before scoring 6 points in the final frame to win 7-6. The winning move was a takedown as time expired. He lost the quarterfinal to Nebraska’s Brock Hardy, ultimately fighting his way to the seventh-place match where he defeated No. 17 Ryan D’Emelio in sudden victory OT to take seventh and end his incredible career for the Boilermakers on the podium.

Filius was a former four-time Class A State Champion for the Havre Blue Ponies.