Fisher set the bar high in wrestling

During his college wrestling career, Havre native Kyle Fisher did it all.

Fisher won an individual NAIA national championship, he was a part of a team national championship with the Montana State University-Northern Lights. Yes, in his many years on the wrestling mats in Havre, Fisher accomplished plenty. Now he can add Northern Hall of Fame honors to his legacy.

Fisher, who is now a high school administrator in Alberton, was inducted into the Northern Athletic Hall of Fame back in May, and it was an honor he said he’ll never forget.

“It was definitely unexpected, definitely an honor to be in that group,” Fisher told the Missoulian recently. “For how long as Northern athletics has been around ... not a lot of people get a chance to go in.”

Fisher, who is without question one of the greatest wrestlers in the storied history of the MSU-N program, had a four-year career with the Lights few could rival, thanks to a cumulative record of 127-39 and a laundry list of achievements.

Yet, Fisher reached the pinnacle in 2004, when he won an individual NAIA national championship in the 184-pound weight class and was a key part of the Lights capturing the team championship that same season, the sixth in their history. That season everything came together for the four-time NAIA All-American as he captured his national title, and the team title, in front of family, friends and throngs of supporters at the NAIA national tournament in Great Falls.

During his illustrious career with the Lights, Fisher was also part of the 2002 squad that was runner-up for the national championship and notched three other top-four finishes as an individual.

The Havre native joins 48 other members in the school’s athletic hall of fame, placing him in company that is fitting of his status as an elite college athlete.

“My time at Northern was wonderful,” Fisher said. “It was wonderful to get a degree and stay around and wrestle in front of those fans that had seen me (at Havre High School).”

Before committing to the Lights, Fisher wrestled for Havre High from 1997-2000, winning one Class A state championship in the 140-pound weight class as a freshman in 1997, followed by three other top-five finishes. He also helped the Blue Ponies win the Class A state wrestling championship in both 1997 and 1999.

Fisher graduated from MSU-N in 2004 and was an assistant wrestling coach for Lights and Blue Ponies, as well as a teacher, and one year as the activities director at Havre High, before moving on to Alberton, where he is now the school’s current activities director.