Northern grapplers continue their recent dominance

The Montana State University-Northern Lights have three very exciting home duals coming up, three highly-anticipated duals which will wrap up the 2015-16 regular season.

But, before the second-ranked Lights could come home to the Armory Gymnasium, they had a little business to take care of in Dickinson, North Dakota, and that’s exactly what they did this past weekend.

On Friday, the Lights defeated No. 16 Dickinson State in a dual on the Blue Hawk’s home mat, and Saturday, the MSU-N grapplers who took part in the annual Tyler Plummer Classic, also hosted by DSU, performed very, very well.

In the tournament, which also featured UGF, DSU and a host of schools from Minnesota and the Dakotas, the Lights crowned four individual champions, and placed eight of the 12 wrestlers they entered.

Northern head coach Tyson Thivierge rested some key wrestlers over the weekend, but others stepped and dominated, including senior Willie Miller, who beat DSU’s Cody Johnson to win the 174-pound title. Junior Garrett DeMers also dominated the 197-pound bracket, beating MSU-Moorhead’s Austin Warren in the title bout. The Lights also got a championship at 125 pounds, as Mhar Caballa beat teammate Robert Pair in the finale, while Brandon Weber beat Northwest College’s Garrett Wood in the 157-pound championship match.

The Lights also got a strong third-place finish from Zach Haviland at 174 pounds, while Andrew Bartel finished fourth at 165 pounds and Logan Foster placed sixth at 165.

The Lights also wrestled well Friday night against a strong DSU squad. Quintel Fuchs opened the dual with a thrilling 4-3 win, while Randall won a close decision at 149 pounds and Brandon Weber picked up a pin at 157. Of course, the Lights would also finish strong in the upper weights, as Miller got a pin at 174, while DeMers and Taylor Kornoely each won by major decision at 197 and heavyweight, respectively.

The Lights will now have a week off before starting their string of three home duals. That stretch begins with a dual against Embry-Riddle Feb. 5 at the Havre High gymnasium. Northern also hosts rival UGF Feb. 10 and famed University of Iowa Feb. 12.

Lights 26, Dickinson State 18

125: Quintel Fuchs, MSU-N, dec. Deshun Haynes, 4-3; 133: A.J. Locke, DSU, dec. Riley Miller, 6-4; 141: Torren Lawson, DSU, forfeit; 149: Drake Randall, MSU-N, dec. Seth Ehlang, 6-4; 157: Brandon Weber, MSU-N, pin Pat Tangen; 165: Taylor Hodel, DSU, dec. Andrew Bartel, 8-4; 174: Willie Miller, MSU-N, pin Nick Dekalb; 184: Jonathan Solano, DSU, pin Dace Fisher; 197: Garrett DeMers, MSU-N, maj. dec. Hudson Buck 11-3; HWT: Taylor Kornoely, MSU-N, maj. dec. Trevor Conrad, 13-3.