All in the family

For Jared Neiss, a senior at Ronan High School, winning a 2016 Montana state wrestling championship is more than a big victory, it’s a family tradition. Earning rank among his dad and brother drove him through an impressive season and on to earn the state title. 

John Neiss, Jared’s Dad, was a three-time Montana state champion during his high school career. Jared’s brother, Cameron Neiss, earned two more gold medals for the family during high school and went on to be an All-American wrestler during his career at Montana State University - Northern.

Neiss had an excellent season with a 38-3 record and won the Class BC Western Divisional title in the 145 pound weight class. At the state tournament in Billings last week, he pinned his first opponent and won his second match in sudden death overtime. On Saturday morning, he won his third match 7-3 and took the state title that night.

After winning, Neiss jumped into his coach’s arms, then ran for his brother, who was standing in his corner right outside the gate. As far as high school memories, that moment will be one to treasure his entire life. “It definitely ranks at the top [of my memories],” he said.

Neiss didn’t come in to the year with a high ranking. Actually, this year was only his second at the state tournament here. He started wrestling when he was in seventh grade, but said, “I didn’t start getting good until I started working with my brother and dad all the time.”

Last year, he ran into some bad luck. He was sick during the state tournament and didn’t place. Soon after that, he injured his left knee and underwent surgery.

He worked all summer and fall to gear up for final chance at a championship.

“He did an incredible job working hard and in the weight room rehabbing all through the summer and fall and when it came to this time here – he was the kid here who led everybody...made it happen basically. He was in charge of his own destiny, and just smiling most of the time,” explained Ronan assistant wrestling coach, Happy Cheff.

First year head coach and former Florence coach Jaime Muir said he knew what Neiss was capable of before the started coaching in Ronan. “I knew what kind of talent he had,” Muir said, “He didn’t let anything get in his way this year. He was 100 percent dedicated and had tunnel vision. He kept his eye on the goal.”

The Ronan wrestling team has a long history of excellence. The Chiefs have nine state championship banners in the Events Center. Jared’s dad, John, played an important part in the team’s five year championship streak from 1978 to 1982.

Coach Cheff is optimistic that having wrestlers like Neiss on the team might kick off another winning streak. “This kind of success encourages other kids. All the other kids saw how hard he worked and what happened because of it. They see that and say ‘Well, if I do the same thing, there’s a good chance I can have the same results.”

During the tournament, Neiss had his brother, dad, and family all the way from Washington and Oregon there to watch him. With all the family support, Neiss said he felt “pretty confident, but a little nervous going into the championship match.”

He had a good reason to feel confident before the championship match. Neiss was set to take on a familiar opponent in Eureka’s Cannan Smith. They two had wrestled twice before – once in the Ted Kato tournament championship and again in the divisional championship the week before. Neiss won both of those match ups.

Between matches, “I just tried not to think about wrestling,” Jared said.

To add to his impressive resume, Neiss maintains a 4.0 GPA at RHS. Coach Cheff said the team was lucky to have a kid like Neiss. “He was great to have, a senior leader like that. Somebody else is going to have to step up [next year] because you don’t get that type of kid every year. You get them once in awhile… a kid that works hard in the classroom, takes care of himself off the mat, and does everything he needs to do to get there.”