News you can use
News you can use
Montana State University-Northern freshman Matt Weber, right, has moved all the way up to No. 3 in the NAIA rankings at 141pounds, while the Lights, who return to competition next week, remain fourth in the newest NAIA Coaches Poll.
The Montana State University-Northern wrestling team is still a full week away from returning to the mat from the Christmas break. But, the Lights are still making plenty of headway, both in the practice room, and in the NAIA Coaches Poll.
Northern is still ranked No. 4 in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll, which was released last week. Grand View, Indiana Tech and Missouri Valley are the only teams ranked ahead of the Lights.
Individually, Northern also has a strong presence in the NAIA rankings.
Junior Garrett DeMers remains the top-ranked 197-pounder in the country, while overall, the Lights have six grapplers who are ranked in the Top 5 of their respective weight classes.
Northern has a pair of those in the heavyweight division alone. Toby Cheff is at No. 2 in the heavyweight rankings, while junior Taylor Kornoely is ranked No. 4. At 174 pounds, senior Willie Miller is currently ranked No. 5 for the Lights.
But, in the new rankings, the Light who made the biggest move was freshman sensation Matt Weber. He’s been a force for the Lights at 141 pounds, and he moved all the way from No. 13 to No. 3 in the new rankings. Weber is part of an outstanding freshman class for the Lights, and one of that group, Drake Randall, also made a big jump in the rankings, as he’s up to No. 4 at 149 pounds. Fellow freshman Blake Ivie is ranked No. 12 at 133 pounds for head coach Tyson Thivierge’s squad.
And those ranked wrestlers, and the rest of the outstanding Northern lineup will get back to work next weekend when they travel to the Missouri Valley Invitational. The tournament is one of the top events on the NAIA circuit every season, and it will give the Lights a chance to go head-to-head against some of the best the NAIA has to offer.
Northern’s only other meet in January is a trip to Dickinson, North Dakota, where the Lights will resume their rivalry with Dickinson State Blue Hawks, as well as take part in DSU’s Tyler Plummer Classic.
Of course, February is the really big month for the Lights, as they host three tremendous duals in the Armory Gymnasium. Northern takes on Embry-Riddle Feb. 5, rival UGF Feb. 10 and the Iowa Hawkeyes Feb. 12, before heading off the Western Regional Feb. 20 in Prescott, Arizona.
The season concludes with the NAIA national tournament in March in Topeka, Kansas.
NAIA Coaches Poll
1 1 Grand View (Iowa) 178
2 2 Indiana Tech 110.5
3 3 Missouri Valley 101.5
4 4 MSU-Northern 95
5 7 Campbellsville (Ky.) 77
6 6 Life (Ga.) 65
7 5 Oklahoma City 60
8 9 Concordia (Neb.) 48
9 14 York (Neb.) 39.5
T10 8 Simpson (Calif.) 37
T10 13 Great Falls (Mont.) 37
12 12 Menlo (Calif.) 32
13 11 Doane (Neb.) 31
14 17 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 29.5
15 10 Southern Oregon 29
16 15 Midland (Neb.) 28.5
17 20 Wayland Baptist 26.5
18 16 Cumberland (Tenn.) 26
19 20 Williams Baptist 23
20 RV Warner Pacific (Ore.) 20
Others receiving votes: Baker (Kan.) 19; Cumberlands (Ky.) 17.5; Ottawa (Kan.) 15.5; Lyon (Ark.) 13; Dickinson State (N.D.) 13; Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 13; Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 11.5; Northwestern (Iowa) 11; Morningside (Iowa) 9; Briar Cliff (Iowa) 7; Benedictine (Kan.) 7; Missouri Baptist 7; Davenport (Mich.) 7; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 3; Bacone (Okla.) 3; St. Catharine (Ky.) 2.5; St. Andrews (N.C.) 2.5; Brewton-Parker (Ga.) 2; Central Baptist (Ark.) 1.5; Graceland (Iowa) 1.
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