Montana State University-Northern wrestling team made plenty of strideswhen the Lights upended rival UGF last Tuesday night in Havre. The Lights also made strides in the most recent NAIA Coaches Poll.
Northern rose from No. 7 to No. 4 in the most recent poll. MSU-N is part of a trio of Western Region squads which dominate the NAIA Top 20, as Southern Oregon is ranked No. 2, while the Argos moved up from No. 6 to No. 3.
Grand View remains No. 1, while new Frontier Conference member Dickinson State moved up to No. 8. The Western Region also has Menlo College ranked No. 11, and Embry-Riddle sit just outside the Top 20 at No. 21.
Individually, several Lights grapplers made a big jump in this week’s rankings as well. Sophomore Ethan Hinebauch remains No. 1 at 165 pounds, while Kody Reed moved up to No. 2 at 184. Sophomore Cameron Neiss moved up eight spots to No. 3 at 133 pounds, while junior Max Payne moved up to No. 3 at 174. Red-shirt freshman Toby Cheff also moved up four spots to No. 8 at 197.
The Lights also have Hunter Azure ranked NO. 10 at 141 pounds, while Mickey Cheff as ranked No. 16 at 157. Former Havre Blue Pony and three-time NAIA All-American Myles Mazurkiewicz remains No. 1 at 141 pounds.
Northern heads west this week for a busy schedule. The Lights have a huge showdown with Southern Oregon Thursday night in Ashland, Ore., and then they’ll dual Simpson College Friday night in Redding, Calif. Northern will also compete in the Reno Tournament of Champions Sunday in Reno,
Nev.
NAIA Wrestling Coaches Poll
Rnk Prv Pts
1 1 Grand View (Iowa) 162
2 2 Southern Oregon 112
3 6 Great Falls (Mont.) 100.5
4 7 MSU-Northern 79.5
5 4 Campbellsville (Ky.) 78
6 6 Morningside (Iowa) 71
7 4 Missouri Valley 62.5
8 9 Dickinson State (N.D.) 60.5
9 10 Baker (Kan.) 53
10 10 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 50
11 10 Menlo (Calif.) 49.5
12 7 Cumberlands (Ky.) 48
13 13 Missouri Baptist 45.5
14 16 Oklahoma City 42
15 14 Indiana Tech 37.5
16 17 Midland (Neb.) 34
17 18 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 28
18 14 Cumberland (Tenn.) 25
19 17 Bacone (Okla.) 22.5
20 17 York (Neb.) 21.5
Others receiving votes: Embry-Riddle
(Ariz.) 13; Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 11; Northwestern (Iowa) 10; William
Penn (Iowa) 10; Waldorf (Iowa) 8.5; Jamestown (N.D.) 7.5; Concordia
(Neb.) 5.5; St. Andrews (N.C.) 5; Simpson (Calif.) 3; Brewton-Parker
(Ga.) 3; Hastings (Neb.) 3; Bethany (Kan.) 2.5; Central Baptist (Ark.)
2; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 2; Truett-McConnell (Ga.) 1.5; Benedictine
(Kan.) 1.5.
