News you can use
News you can use
Montana State University-Northern's Brandon Weber, right, and Andrew Bartel hold NAIA preseason rankings as the start of a new season dawns. Weber is the No. 1-ranked 157-pounder in the NAIA to start the season. For a complete season preview of Lights' wrestling, see next Friday's Havre Daily News.
Last week marked the start of winter sports for the Montana State University-Northern men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the Northern wrestling team. And two of the three sports begin the year nationally rated.
The Northern Skylights, of head coach Chris Mouat are ranked No. 21 in the NAIA Women's Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released earlier this week. The Skylights finished last season ranked No. 11, and are one of four Frontier Conference teams in the poll. League favorite Lewis-Clark State is ranked No. 2, while UM-Western checks in at No. 16. Carroll College also received votes in the poll.
The Skylights, who are off to an 0-1 start, are ranked in the preseason poll for the third straight fall and haven't fallen out of the NAIA Top 25 for more than two seasons now. Northern is back on the Armory Gymnasium floor Friday night, when it hosts Dickinson State.
The Northern wrestling team will begin its regular season Nov. 4 at the Cowboy Open, and the Lights, of head coach Tyson Thivierge, will take a No. 17 ranking into the regular season. The NAIA Preseason Wrestling Coaches Poll was released earlier this week, as was the inaugural Cascade Conference Coaches Poll. The newly-formed Cascade Conference, which replaces the old West Region in wrestling, picked the Lights fourth in the poll, behind Southern Oregon, Providence and Menlo College. In the national rankings, Providence is third, Menlo is fourth, SOU is ninth and the Lights are 17th.
The Lights also start the year with four grapplers holding national rankings, including junior Brandon Weber, who debuts at No. 1 at 157 pounds. Weber captured the national championship last spring. Junior Matt Weber is ranked No. 8 at 141 pounds, while junior Andrew Bartel is 12th at 165 and sophomore Steeler French is 18th at 184.
In men's basketball, Shawn Huse' Lights aren't nationally ranked, but the Lights look poised to climb their way into the rankings as the season goes on. Three Frontier men's teams are ranked in the NAIA Men's Preseason Coaches Poll, with UM-Western at No. 8, Carroll College at No. 12 and Lewis-Clark State at No. 24.
The Lights (1-0) continue their season with an exhibition game at Montana State Nov. 1 and a trip to Salish Kootenai College Nov. 3.
NAIA Womens' Preseason Coaches Poll
Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.
1 T5 Oklahoma City [8] 34-2 219
2 2 Lewis-Clark State 35-2 207
3 1 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 35-1 204
4 T5 Vanguard (Calif.) 30-4 200
5 3 Shawnee State) [1] 31-3 196
6 10 Campbellsville (Ky.) 28-7 186
7 7 Westmont (Calif.) 29-5 174
8 4 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 32-3 170
9 13 Benedictine (Kan.) 25-9 167
10 8 Baker (Kan.) 30-5 150
11 18 Bethel (Tenn.) 24-11 142
12 19 John Brown (Ark.) 23-9 141
13 16 Our Lady of the Lake 24-9 133
14 9 Lyon (Ark.) 28-6 125
15 20 Central Methodist (Mo.) 24-10 117
16 21 Montana-Western 24-9 116
16 12 Columbia (Mo.) 26-7 116
18 17 The Master's (Calif.) 23-9 111
19 RV MidAmerica Nazarene 18-14 86
20 22 Loyola (La.) 26-7 81
21 11 MSU-Northern 24-9 78
22 NR Cumberland (Tenn.) 15-12 77
23 15 Wayland Baptist (Texas) 25-7 63
24 25 Lindenwood-Belleville 22-10 55
25 24 Talladega (Ala.) 22-9 48
Others receiving votes: Pikeville (Ky.) 46, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 41, LSU Shreveport (La.) 31, Carroll (Mont.) 28, Xavier (La.) 15, William Woods (Mo.) 12.
NAIA Preseason Men's Coaches Poll
Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.
1 1 Texas Wesleyan (8) 29-7 219
2 3 LSU Alexandria (La.) 34-1 206
3 4 William Penn (Iowa) (1) 33-4 203
4 14 Georgetown (Ky.) 24-8 202
5 12 The Master's (Calif.) 27-5 185
6 5 Dalton State (Ga.) 28-4 183
7 T9 Columbia (Mo.) 27-5 179
8 13 Montana-Western 25-8 169
9 2 Life (Ga.) 26-11 166
10 T9 Hope International 26-8 148
11 20 LSU Shreveport (La.) 20-10 142
T12 RV Oklahoma City 21-11 135
T12 6 Carroll (Mont.) 29-6 135
14 7 Pikeville (Ky.) 28-8 133
15 11 Dillard (La.) 25-8 122
16 17 William Carey (Miss.) 26-8 113
17 19 Park (Mo.) 21-8 111
18 NR MidAmerica Nazarene 17-14 100
19 8 Langston (Okla.) 24-9 93
20 RV Benedictine (Kan.) 21-11 68
21 NR Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 21-11 67
22 NR Mid-America Christian 16-16 66
23 NR Vanguard (Calif.) 7-23 56
24 RV Lewis-Clark State 23-11 47
T25 18 Westmont (Calif.) 25-8 43
T25 23 Martin Methodist 22-11 43
Others Receiving Votes: William Woods (Mo.) 41; Science & Arts (Okla.) 38; Grand View (Iowa) 24; Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 14; Cumberlands (Ky.) 13; SAGU (Texas) 6; Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) 5.
NAIA Preseason Wrestling Coaches Poll
Rn. Prv. Pts.
1 1 Grand View (Iowa) 167
2 12 Missouri Valley 125
3 14 Providence (Mont.) 113
4 13 Menlo (Calif.) 110
5 3 Campbellsville (Ky.) 100
6 6 Indiana Tech 93
7 10 Cumberlands (Ky.) 91
8 18 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 83
9 5 Southern Oregon 80
10 4 Williams Baptist (Ark.) 79
11 9 Life (Ga.) 68
12 RV Morningside (Iowa) 65
13 RV Baker (Kan.) 63
14 7 Midland (Neb.) 58
15 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 54
16 15 Concordia (Neb.) 46
17 8 MSU-Northern 45
T18 19 Briar Cliff (Iowa) 42
T18 RV Hastings (Neb.) 42
20 RV Lyon (Ark.) 39
Others receiving votes: Missouri Baptist 35; Southeastern (Fla.) 35; Eastern Oregon 34; Bacone (Okla.) 32; Cumberland (Tenn.) 32; Oklahoma City 31; Marian (Ind.) 26; Northwestern (Iowa) 26; Reinhardt (Ga.) 26; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 25; Truett-McConnell (Ga.) 25; York (Neb.) 24; Doane (Neb.) 23; Jamestown (N.D.) 23; Warner Pacific (Ore.) 22; Graceland (Iowa) 19; Dickinson State (N.D.) 17; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 16; William Penn (Iowa) 13; Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 11.
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