SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Minot State University’s (MSU) Jake Swirple is heading back to the NCAA National Tournament, this time as a Super Region champion.

The Beavers senior, who advanced to the 2022-23 national tournament and earned All-American honors, is making a return trip to nationals after beating Luke Tweeton of Mary by a 9-3 decision in the 285-pound championship match Saturday, March 1, at the NCAA Super Region V Tournament hosted by Augustana.

Swirple, ranked No. 9 in the nation by the NWCA at heavyweight, becomes the Beavers’ second Super Region champion, joining Mitchell Eull who also won the heavyweight title at the Super Region 3 Tournament in February 2018. Swirple advances to the NCAA National Tournament held March 13-14 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

While Swirple claimed the heavyweight crown, four other Beavers finished on the podium, but none earned a trip to nationals.

Seniors Wayne Joint and Cannon Potts both finished fifth at 133 and 197, respectively, while fellow senior Brendan Barnes was sixth at 165 pounds.

Those podium finishes helped the Beavers place 8th with 41.5 team points, tying with Northern State. No. 1 ranked St. Cloud State won the team title with 133.5 points.

Swirple’s run to the title began with a 1-0 decision win over Northern State’s Nathan Schauer in the quarterfinals, then he added a 4-1 win by decision over Max Balow of Augustana in the semifinals, earning him a return trip to nationals.

With business unfinished, the Beavers’ big man dominated in the championship match, rolling to a 9-3 decision over No. 8-ranked Tweeton for the title.

Coming close to joining Swirple in a trip to nationals was Barnes at 165 pounds as he cruised to a 7-2 win by decision over Payton Handevidt of Augustana in the quarterfinals, then battled even with No. 7-ranked Dajun Johnson of Wisconsin Parkside through seven minutes of action in the semifinals.

Tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, as each wrestler came up with an escape, Johnson won in a sudden-victory overtime period with a takedown 26 seconds into the extra session.

Back-to-back setbacks in the consolation bracket left Barnes sixth after the near miss at nationals.

As for Joint and Potts, both lost in the quarterfinals then battled to give themselves a shot in the consolation bracket before each settled for fifth-place finishes.

After an opening 11-0 major decision win for Joint over Chase Hanson from Southwest Minnesota State, the Beaver senior was knocked into the consolation bracket where he beat Clay Gates of Northern State by an 8-4 decision, then Owen Hansen of Augustana by a 5-3 decision.

Competing for a spot in the third-place match and a shot at nationals, Reece Barnhardt from Mary ended up with a 12-1 major-decision win that sent Joint into the fifth-place match, where he prevailed with a 4-2 decision win over Matthew Chi from Wisconsin Parkside.

As for Potts, he opened the tournament with a quarterfinal loss then battled back with a 1-0 win by decision over Tyson Lien of Northern State and a win by pin in 22 seconds of Kody Marschner from Southwest Minnesota State.

Fighting for his spot in the third-place match and a shot at nationals, Potts lost a 5-4 decision to Mary’s Matt Kaylor and had to settle for fifth place with an 8-5 win by decision over Geoffrey Freeman from Upper Iowa.

While those four Beaver seniors placed at the Super Region V Tournament, Ethan Wonser added one more victory for Minot State in the 149-pound bracket as he won by pin in 4:17 over Beau Daily of Minnesota State Moorhead in a consolation match.