NAIA wrestling to stay in Iowa

The Montana State University-Northern wrestling team, and its rival, the University of Great Falls will have to wait at least one year to have the chance to compete for national championships in the home state.

The NAIA announced Thursday that the 2013 NAIA national tournament will remain in Des Moines, Iowa, while Great Falls is a finalist for the 2014 and 2015 national tournaments.

The wrestling tournament, which has been in various sites in Iowa for the last seven years, was last held in Montana in 2004 when Northern claimed its last national championship in Great Falls.

A group in Great Falls, which included the Little Rustler Wrestling Club headed by former Northern and Havre Blue Pony standout Aaron Jensen had submitted a bid for the 2013 national tournament. The group was recently notified the bid was not selected for this coming season's tourney, instead Des Moines, which hosted the 2012 championships was selected yet again.

The Great Falls' bid has the tournament being held at Four Seasons Arena.From 2002-2004, Northern and a Great Falls group played host to the event at the Swarthout Fieldhouse in the Electric City. Northern won a national title and placed twice during that run.