3 Hawks reach semis at nationals

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DES MOINES, Iowa — Dickinson State is guaranteed five all-America finishers, three of whom are still in the running for a national title.

Senior Jose Lopez and juniors Bryden Lazaro and Jesse Hellinger all reached the semifinals during a hectic Friday at the NAIA national wrestling tournament. Seniors Brad Steele and Cameron Schrempp are in the consolation round and are guaranteed at least an eighth-place finish.

“We had some dogfights,” DSU head coach Thadd O’Donnell said. “We lost some matches. We wrestled well, I can’t take anything away from our guys. There was a call here, just one little mistake and it cost you the match. We were happy with some of the ways we wrestled.”

Hellinger scored a pin in his opener at 184 pounds, a decision in the second round and reached the semifinals with an 18-3 technical fall victory over Oklahoma City’s Michael Eichenauer. He faces Montana State-Northern’s Toby Cheff in the semifinals today.

Lazaro, a 125-pounder, and Lopez, a heavyweight, only had two matches Friday.

Lazaro scored a 6-2 decision over Drake Medieros of Menlo College (Calif.) and scored a 9-0 major decision over Embry Riddle’s Sean Silva. He faces Montana State-Northern’s Aaron LaFarge in the semifinals.

Lopez earned a 4-2 overtime decision against Missouri Valley’s James Alter and beat Southern Oregon’s Bubba Owens by a 12-3 major decision. He takes on Brandon Gebhardt of Baker (Kan.) in the semifinals.

“They had huge matches,” O’Donnell said. “We got things figured out, as far as who should be in their corner, and they wrestled smart matches.”

Steele, who is from Beach, reached the quarterfinals with a 9-4 decision over Wayland Baptist’s Chris Hart. He lost an 8-3 decision to Wismit Moinius of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) in the quarterfinals but rebounded with a first-period pin Missouri Valley’s Todd Brackett in his first wrestleback.

Schrempp scored both a decision and a major decision before Montana State-Northern’s Max Payne edged him out by a 3-2 decision in the quarterfinals. The Eagle Butte, S.D., native bounced back with a 8-2 decision over Cody Swim of Grand View (Iowa) in the wrestlebacks.

“There was a call here and there, just one little mistake and it cost you the match,” O’Donnell said. “We were happy with some of the ways we wrestled. They held their head up and stepped off the match with no regrets.”

Sean Elkins (149), Tyler Johnson (157) and Kevin Keisler (197) all lost out in the consolation rounds after earning a win.

Elkins, who is from Hebron, won his opening-round match — a 10-5 decision over Steven Sandefer of Cumberland University — before falling in the quarterfinals and again in the consolation round.

“He did everything right. It was the thought process of trying it or doing it,” O’Donnell said. “That’s the difference of what he needs to do right now. He has a great attitude, a great motor.”

NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Dickinson State wrestlers

Bryden Lazaro, 125

Championship Round 2: Lazaro dec. Drake Medieros, Menlo, 6-2. Quarterfinals: Lazaro major dec. Sean Silva, Embry Riddle, 9-0.

Brad Steele, 141

Championship Round 2: Steele dec, Chris Hart, Wayland Baptist 9-4. Quarterfinals: Wismit Moinius, Lindsey Wilson, dec. Steele 8-3. Consolation Round 4: Steele pinned Todd Brackett, Missouri Valley, 2:10.

Sean Elkins, 149

Championship Round 2: Elkins dec. Steven Sandefer, Cumberland University, 10-5. Quarterfinals: Jimmy Eggemeyer, Southern Oregon, dec. Elkins, 6-2. Consolation Round 4: Shawn McGhee, Campbellsville University, pinned Elkins 3:50.

Tyler Johnson, 157

Championship Round 2: Johnson pinned Jesse Routsong, Embry Riddle, 2:15. Quarterfinals: Quinten Haynes, Grand View, dec. Johnson, 12-9. Consolation Round 4: Dalton Urrutia, Southern Oregon, dec. Johnson, 3-1.

Cameron Schrempp, 174

Championship Round 1: Schrempp dec. Jose Cruz III, Embry Riddle, 10-3. Championship Round 2: Schrempp major dec. Dustin Branom, Truett-McConnell College, 9-0. Quarterfinals: Max Payne, MSU-Northern, dec. Schrempp, 3-2. Consolation Round 4: Schrempp dec. Cody Swim, Grand View, 8-2.

Jesse Hellinger, 184

Championship Round 1: Hellinger pinned Brett Bader, Missouri Valley, 6:31. Championship Round 2: Hellinger dec. Jacob Abrams, Southern Oregon, 7-4. Quarterfinals: Hellinger tech. fall Mitchell Eichenauer, Oklahoma City, 18-3.

Kevin Keisler, 197

Championship Round 2: Derek Nightser, Grand View, major dec. Keisler, 11-1. Consolation Round 2: Keisler dec. Mike Brown, Oklahoma City, 8-7. Consolation Round 3: Charles Johnson, Southern Oregon, pinned Keisler, 2:47.

Jose Lopez, 285

Championship Round 2: Lopez dec. James Alter, Missouri Valley, 4-2 SV. Quarterfinals: Lopez 18-2 major dec. Bubba Owens, Southern Oregon, 12-3.

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