Lights tangle with Mustangs on the mat

Home duals have been few and far between for the Montana State University-Northern Lights. In fact, the MSU-N grapplers haven’t wrestled on their home mat since late November.

Now however, the No. 2 Lights have three home duals in the final month of the regular season, and the first one will take place Saturday night when the Lights come home to face Western Wyoming. The action starts at 7 p.m. in the Armory Gymnasium.

MSU-N and head coach Tyson Thivierge are certainly in dual mode right now. The Lights just got back from wrestling five high-intensity duals at last weekend’s NAIA National Duals in Des Moines, Iowa. The short-handed Lights finished eighth overall, but even without some of their big guns in the lineup, the Lights came very close to finishing much higher.

It’s unclear whether the Lights will have their key guys back for Saturday night’s dual against the Mustangs. Western Wyoming is currently ranked 13th in the NJCAA, but will still present a tough opponent for the Lights. The Mustangs bring two ranked wrestlers into the dual, including heavyweight Mike Williams, who is unbeaten in dual action and is ranked No. 1. Williams will likely face MSU-N freshman Jorrell Jones. The Mustangs also have Kyle Foy, ranked sixth at 174 pounds, and he’ll be a tough opponent for Northern junior Jared Miller, ranked 11th in the NAIA.

The remainder of the Lights’ lineup will include either Aaron LaFarge or Riley Miller at 125. LaFarge is currently ranked No. 1 at 125 but didn’t compete last weekend. Doug O’Hara should go at 133 pounds for the Lights, while fourth-ranked Cameron Neiss will compete at 141. Neiss went undefeated last weekend in Iowa. Hunter Azure is set at 149 pounds, while Mickey Cheff is ranked No. 3 at 157.

In the upper weights, Ethan Hinebauch is ranked no. 2 at 165 and also went unbeaten in Iowa, while the Lights were open at 184 pounds last weekend. Kody Reed is currently ranked seventh for the Lights at 184, but has been hampered by minor injuries for portions of the season. Toby Cheff, ranked fourth, or Garrett DeMers, ranked sixth, will round out the MSU-N line at 197 pounds.

Saturday night’s dual should also be a good homecoming for the Lights, who will turn around and head to Wyoming next weekend for a pair of rematches. The Lights have a bout with NJCAA powerhouse Northwest College next Friday night, and MSU-N takes on the Mustangs in Rock Springs, Wyo., a week from Saturday.

Saturday night’s dual with the Mustangs will start at 7 p.m. in the Armory Gymnasium. The Lights also have home duals coming up in February with Embry-Riddle University and the University of Great Falls.