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Lights traverse to national duals

The Montana State University-Northern wrestling team has had a long layoff. But the Lights are about to jump into the new year head on.

Northern will travel to Springfield, Ill, this weekend for the annual Cliff Keen National Duals, which run Saturday and Sunday. The event pits the top NAIA teams against each other in a bracket format, with duals being the competition.

Montana State University-Northern's Trevor Goss, top, holds onto a UGF opponent during an NAIA earlier this season. The Lights are in Springfield, Ill., Saturday and Sunday for the NAIA national duals.

The No. 4 Lights will battle No. 11 University of Cumberlands of Kentucky in the first round, pitting two of the best teams in the NAIA against each other. If the fourth-seeded Lights win Saturday morning, they'll take on either fifth-seeded Campbelsville or un-seeded Missouri Valley in the quarterfinals. If the Lights lose, they'll face the loser of that dual in the loser-out bracket.

The top four teams in the most recent NAIA Coaches Poll are also the top four seeds this weekend. Grandview is still ranked No. 1, while Southern Oregon is No. 2 and Great Falls is No. 3. The Argos take on York College in the first round of the national duals Saturday morning.

In the newest individual rankings, the Lights still have six grapplers rated, including three at or near the top. Sophomore Ethan Hinebauch remains ranked No. 1 at 165 pounds, while junior Max Payne is ranked No. 2 at 174 and junior Kody Reed is No. 2 at 184 pounds. Cameron Neiss is ranked No. 7 at 133 pounds, while sophomore Hunter Azure is ranked No. 9 at 141 and freshman Toby Cheff is ranked No. 8 at 197.

UGF has 11 ranked wrestlers this week, including senior Myles Mazurkiewicz, who remains ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds.

The Lights will stay busy after the national duals. Northern returns home to face Western Wyoming in its final dual of the season Jan. 16, and the following night, the Lights will wrestle at Northwest College in Powell, Wyo.

NAIA Wrestling Poll

Rank Prvs. Pts.

1 1 Grand View (Iowa) 150

2 2 Southern Oregon 126

3 3 Great Falls (Mont.) 92

4 4 MSU-Northern 87.5

5 6 Campbellsville (Ky.) 83.5

6 7 Oklahoma City 72.5

7 9 Morningside (Iowa) 71.5

8 8 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 70

9 10 Dickinson State (N.D.) 64.5

10 5 Missouri Valley 63

11 12 Cumberlands (Ky.) 49

12 11 Baker (Kan.) 48.5

13 13 Missouri Baptist 39.5

14 19 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 36

15 16 Menlo (Calif.) 33.5

16 13 Indiana Tech 31

17 15 Midland (Neb.) 30

18 17 Cumberland (Tenn.) 20.5

19 18 York (Neb.) 20

T20 NR Waldorf (Iowa) 14.5

T20 20 Bacone (Okla.) 14.5

Others receiving votes: Northwestern (Iowa) 10.5; Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 8.5; Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 8; Life (Ga.) 8; Hastings (Neb.) 4.5; Jamestown (N.D.) 3.5; William Penn (Iowa) 3; Central Baptist (Ark.) 2; Brewton-Parker (Ga.) 1.5.

 

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