Hawks buckle down: 4 Blue Hawks take home coveted title belt buckles as team takes 2nd at Plummer Classic

• Cameron Schrempp

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Dickinson State senior Cameron Schrempp, top, rolls Connor Monk, wrestling unattached for Minnesota State Moorhead, on Saturday afternoon during the semifinals of the Tyler Plummer Classic wrestling tournament at DSU’s Weinbergen Gymnasium. Schrempp went on to win the 174-pound championship.

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Instead of receiving plain-old plaques or medals, the champions of Saturday’s Tyler Plummer Classic wrestling tournament were awarded engraved Montana Silversmiths belt buckles.

Dickinson State’s Bryden Lazaro, who beat Jamestown College senior Sean Blumhardt by a 5-3 decision in the 125-pound title match at DSU’s Weinbergen Gymnasium, said he had been eyeing the title, and the buckle, ever since he learned about the prizes the champions were receiving.

After he won it, he couldn’t help but think of Plummer, a longtime DSU wrestling supporter, contributor and volunteer who died Jan. 25, 2012 at age 33.

“It definitely has some value to me,” said Lazaro, a junior from Fair Oaks, Calif. “I knew Tyler a little bit — not a lot by any means — but I went out to his ranch last year and did the branding thing for the first time, so it has a little bit of sentimental value to me as well. I hope coach can let everyone know why it’s a belt buckle for years to come now.”

Four Blue Hawks came away with championship buckles as the team finished a close second to the University of Great Falls (Mont.) in the team points.

The Argos had 140 points with two champions and 11 placers. DSU scored 135.5 with 12 placers. Montana State-Northern was third with 127.5 and two champions, brothers Eli Hinebacuh (157) and Ethan Hinebauch (165).

Senior Cameron Schrempp continued to improve after returning to the team in the second semester, defeating Montana State-Northern’s Jared Miller by a 5-3 decision at 174 pounds after scoring two technical falls and a pin on his way to the title match.

Junior 184-pounder Jesse Hellinger beat Great Falls sophomore Adam Wolfe with a 16-0 technical fall in the second period after scoring two pins earlier in the day.

“It’s good having everybody come and perform well,” said Hellinger, who added he was focused on the team’s performance just as much as his own. “It’s not an easy tournament at all. We’ve got some guys who are ranked in the nation here.”

Jose Lopez, a senior heavyweight, got a pin to open his day and beat Eric Gruis of Dakota Wesleyan by a 2-0 decision to reach the finals, where he won by injury default after Great Falls senior Sears Tiernan bowed out of the match.

Tiernan had pinned Lopez on Friday during a dual, giving Great Falls a 21-19 win. Lopez said he was disappointed he didn’t get another chance to face Tiernan.

“Tournaments are a rollercoaster,” DSU head coach Thadd O’Donnell said. “You have highs and lows. Being at home, they’re a little bit higher and a little bit lower. So I think we did a good job overall. The guys wrestled hard. That’s one thing about it. When they stepped out there, they all competed.”

DSU had a fifth wrestler reach his title match. Junior Matt Chambers dropped a 6-5 decision to Montana State-Northern’s Cameron Neiss in the 141-pound championship.

Nestor Ruelas took third, beating Jamestown’s Samuel Brown by a 3-0 decision. Alec Lindsey (133) and Elias Armendariz (141) finished fourth. Robert Meador (133), Colton Steinmetz (141), Milton Nkunku (165) and Brian Klevis (HWT) each got fifth. Jordan Delp (141) and Sean Elkins (157) took sixth.

DSU heads to the Raider Duals in Orange City, Iowa, and the Jamestown College Open next Saturday.

“Your mistakes or your weaknesses get magnified the deeper you go into the season,” O’Donnell said. “We definitely have some guys that have some weakness in areas we really need to improve on. The deeper you go into the season, the more and more people get to figure you out. They’re watching film, get to see where you’re at and they’re really evaluating that every time you step on the mat. We really have to take the fight to them and look at where we’re weak and look to improve on that on Monday.”

Tyler Plummer Classic

At Weinbergen Gymnasium, Dickinson

Team scores: University of Great Falls (Mont.) 140, Dickinson State 135.5, Montana State-Northern 127.5, Dakota Wesleyan 98, Jamestown College 80, University of Regina (Saskatchewan) 58.5, Northwest College (Wyo.) 19, Minnesota State Moorhead 0.

125

Championship: Bryden Lazaro, DSU, dec. Sean Blumhardt, JC, 5-3. Third place: Aaron LaFarge, MSUN, dec. Luke Schlosser, UGF, 4-2 (2 OT, SV). Fifth place: Danny Luttrell, UGF, def. Duell Stadel, MSUN, injury default.

133

Championship: Cameron Neiss, MSUN, dec. Matt Chambers, DSU, 6-5. Third place: Steven Schneider, UR, major dec. Alec Lindsey, DSU, 22-13. Fifth place: Robert Meador, DSU, dec. Edward Wilson, JC, 9-4.

141

Championship: Dillon Kifer, JC, tech. fall Ryan Martin, UGF, 16-0. Third place: Karl Bell, DWU, dec. Elias Armendariz, DSU, 3-1. Fifth place: Colton Steinmetz, DSU, major dec. Jordan Delp, DSU, 9-0.

149

Championship: Luke Zeiger, UGF, dec. Chase Burns, UGF, 3-1. Third place: Nestor Ruleas, DSU, dec. Samuel Brown, JC, 3-0. Fifth place: Sean Trottman, UR, def. Dusty Paulson, DWU, injury default.

157

Championship: Eli Hinebauch, MSUN, pinned Chad Cebulski, UGF, :56. Third place: Kyle Gerlach, DWU, dec. Tommy Cooper, MSUN, 5-1. Fifth place: Caleb Heiberger, DWU, dec. Sean Elkins, 4-3 OT).

165

Championship: Ethan Hinebauch, MSUN, major dec. Michael Nord, JC, 12-3. Third place: Nicholas Hutcheson, DWU, def. Jarrick Jensen, DWU, forfeit. Fifth place: Milton Nkunku, DSU, dec. Casey Park, DWU, 11-6.

174

Championship: Cameron Schrempp, DSU, dec. Jared Miller, MSUN, 5-3. Third place: Tyler Sarringer, DWU, major dec. Connor Monk, MSUM, 13-5. Fifth place: Taylor Vaughan, UGF, def. Brock Picard, UGF, injury default.

184

Championship: Jesse Hellinger, DSU, tech. fall Adam Wolfe, UGF, 16-0. Third place: Jacob Luczaj, UR, pinned Garrett DeMers, MSUN, 5:56. Fifth place: Kyle Hoisington, DWU, dec. Brilley Crissler, DSU, 2-1.

197

Championship: Dylan Lemery, UGF, pinned Jarrett Baker, NC, 6:07. Third place: Jorrell Jones, MSUN, dec. John Lendvoy, UR, 4-2. Fifth place: Skyler Carroll, dec. Jade Hoisington, DWU, 4-3.

HWT

Championship: Jose Lopez, DSU, def. Sean Tiernan, UGF, injury default. Third place: Anthony Lopez, JC, dec. David Lopez, UGF, 5-2. Fifth place: Brian Klevis, dec. Eric Gruis, DWU, 8-4.

Tags: college wrestling, dsu blue hawks, tyler plummer classic, sports, wrestling