Hawks edged at North Group qualifying tourney

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ORANGE CITY, Iowa — The Dickinson State wrestling team came close to winning the NAIA North Group tournament.

Two points, however kept the Blue Hawks from claiming the top spot as Morningside College edged them with 149, the Blue Hawks had 147.

“We were leading going into the finals, and it was anyone’s ballgame,” DSU head coach Thadd O’Donnell said. “You can’t ask for anything more … it couldn’t have been any closer.

The Blue Hawks placed more wrestlers then any other team, competing with 12. Morningside had 11 and Midland (Neb.) had nine.

DSU, however, didn’t have a champion.

Jordan Ewen lost the 149-pound championship match to top-seeded Jerod Flores of Northwestern (Iowa) by a 12-4 major decision.

Three Blue Hawks finished in third place.

Sergio Martinez took home third in at 125 pounds. He beat Gordie Fowlkes from Concordia (Neb.) by a 6-4 decision.

Brad Steele, who also wrestled in 149, claimed third by beating James Gunler from Jamestown College 8-6.

Steven Urquizo, ranked No. 1 at 184, had to settle for third place. He beat Casey Finnicum of Sioux Falls (S.D.) 9-6.

“We wrestled pretty well,” O’Donnell said. “We lost a couple of matches that should have gone our way … we lost a couple in overtime.”

Adam Orton, who was ranked No. 2 in the bracket, escaped with a fifth-place finish as he pinned Ryan Roach from Dakota Wesleyan 38 seconds into the match.

The biggest surprise, however, came at 197 when top-seeded George Hargrove lost two matches in a row in the consolation round and finished in fifth place.

The Blue Hawks qualified one wrestler for the national tournament. Heavyweight Cody Jamtgaard finished fourth and punched his ticket to the NAIA national tournament.

Team scores: Morningside 149, Dickinson State 147, Midland (Neb.) 130.5, Jamestown College 98, Northwestern (Iowa) 76, Concordia (Neb.) 59.5, Hastings (Neb.) 44, Dakota Wesleyan 35.5, Sioux Falls (S.D.) 23.5, Briar Cliff (Iowa) 22.5.

Tags: blue hawks, college wrestling, sports