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Under longtime head coach Tyson Thivierge, the Lights are an NAIA wrestling power, and they want to keep it that way this winter
Montana State University-Northern's Steeler French, left, is another key returner for the Lights, who were picked to finish third in the Cascade Conference this season. The Lights have become not only a Cascade powerhouse, but also a national powerhouse, as well. Northern opens the season Saturday at the Cowboy Open in Laramie, Wyoming.
The Montana State University-Northern wrestling program is, and forgive the cliché, solid as a rock.
Under veteran head coach, and former NAIA national champion Tyson Thivierge, the Lights have grown into what they were when Thivierge wrestled for MSU-N - a national powerhouse.
And that's the way Thivierge intends to keep it.
The Lights begin their new season Saturday at the Cowboy Open in Laramie, Wyoming. After that, Northern comes back to Montana to take on arch rival Providence in Great Falls Nov. 7.
After another Top 10 finish in the NAIA last season, as well as an outstanding dual record in the Cascade Conference, including a sweep of arch rival, the University of Providence, graduation did hit the Lights hard, as NAIA All-Americans Brandon Weber, Matt Weber and Andrew Bartel all departed the program last spring. Between them, they earned NAIA All-American honors seven times, and Brandon Weber brought home a national championship in 2017.
So needless to say, the Lights lost a lot of firepower last year.
And yet, with Thivierge at the helm, Northern doesn't need to rebuild, the Lights just reload. Of course, the reloading job also wasn't that hefty heading into the new season, where the Lights are picked to finish third in the Cascade.
"It doesn't feel like we lost anybody," Thivierge said. "I say that because this team has picked up right where we left off last year. They work hard, they push it in the room. They are nothing but positive, and we have great leadership."
That's because MSU-N returns a bevy of standouts from last year's squad, including two-time NAIA All-American Isaac Bartel at 197 pounds. Bartel, just a junior, has been to the podium twice in his career, and wrestled for the 197-pound championship last spring. Now, coming into his third season at Northern, Bartel won't just be the top 197-pounder in the NAIA, he'll be one of the top overall wrestlers in the country, too.
However, Bartel is by no means Northern's only standout grappler heading into the new season.
Thivierge has a pair of veterans at the top of his lineup in 125-pounder Nick Kunz and 133-pound senior Landon Bailey. Both wrestlers are previous national qualifiers, and they will give the Lights a ton of leadership in the lower weights.
Senior Tony Evans also returns to man the 149-pound spot for the Lights. Evans transferred to Northern last season, and had a strong first campaign, but with another year now under his belt, he figures to be even better this winter.
In the upper weights, the Lights have strength, too. Junior Chase Short is back at 174 pounds after making a run to the national tournament a year ago. Junior Steeler French also returns to his 184-pound spot, and he, too, is a former national qualifier, while sophomore Jase Stokes is back after reaching the national tournament at heavyweight in his first season as a Northern wrestler.
Yes, the Lights' core group is strong once again this season and, when at full strength, they'll have a very good dual and tournament lineup. But, as with any strong program, they also have superb depth, and there's plenty of faces to watch for this season.
Those faces start with NCAA Division I transfer Clayton Currier. At Colstrip, Currier was a Montana four-time state champion, who red-shirted for DI Cambell University in 2018. He is expected to have a strong impact on the Lights' lineup for years to come. Trey Meyer (165) is another one to watch. He's wrestled at Iowa State and North Idaho but took time off from the sport, before arriving at MSU-N this year.
Northern also returns 125-pound senior Rob Pair. A dedicated part of Northern's room for years now, Pair is looking to have a breakout final season as a Light and give them even more strength in the lower weights, while veterans Dylan and Brennon Veis are also back.
Other youngsters and newcomers to watch this season include red-shirt sophomore Rylan Moldenhauer (285), red-shirt sophomore Carl Cronin (133), and red-shirt freshman Brock Bushfield (157).
Northern's deep and talented 2019-2020 roster also includes, Isaac Casey (157), Devin Crawford (165), Kaleb Frank (125), Cody Golding (184), Carl Hansen (184), Caden Hilliard (149), Brennon McDermott (125), Xavier Moran (285) Lane Paulson (149), and Ethan Roetman (174).
Of course, Northern will test all of its talent against not only a tough Cascade Conference schedule, but in plenty of exciting tournaments, too.
The Lights kick off the season at the Cowboy Open, before renewing their rivalry with the Argos. It will be a special year for the Northern/UP series, with the first dual taking place Nov. 7 in Great Falls, but the rematch being held Feb. 13 in Billings. Northern will be the host team of that dual, but the match will take place the night before the All-Class State Wrestling Tournament kicks off in Billings so, with everybody already in town for the state tourney, a record-setting crowd should be on hand to see the Lights and Argos face off.
In between the two Providence duals, the Lights also have home matches against Southern Oregon Nov. 12 and Warner Pacific Nov. 21. MSU-N is also home Feb. 7 to face Northwest College and Feb. 8 to battle Embry-Riddle. The Lights' road duals include a neutral-site battle with Eastern Oregon Dec. 13, and a trip to Dickinson State Jan. 7.
MSU-N's tough, tournament schedule features the Spokane Open, the Argo Duals, the Battle of the Rockies, the Reno Tournament of Champions, the Missouri Valley Invite and the Tyler Plummer Classic.
Of course, everything is in preparation for the postseason. The Cascade Conference Tournament will be held Feb. 21-22 in Atherton, California, where the Lights will try to punch as many tickets to nationals as they can. The NAIA national tournament is scheduled for March 6-7 in Wichita, Kansas.
"I've been really pleased with this group so far," Thivierge said. "With half our room being new, it's been an easy adjustment. Everything has been very positive. And I think you'll see us get better and better as the season goes on."
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