Lights make home mat debut tonight against Trappers

It was a nail biter of a start to the 2021-22 wrestling season for the Montana State University-Northern Lights.

Last Friday night, the No. 18 Lights opened the season with a gut-wrenching 21-20 loss at North Idaho. The Cardinals are ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA to start the season.

In the season-opening dual, former Havre Blue Ponies Martin Wilkie (141) and Connor Harris (157) scored winns for the Lights, as did No. 9 Chase Short at 165 pounds, Nakoda Siegel at 174 pounds and top-ranked Isaac Bartel at 197. But, as hard as the Lights fought, they fell just short at NIC.

Now, however, Northern gets to come home, as the Lights make their Armory Gymnasium debut tonight. MSU-N welcomes in another NJCAA powerhouse in Northwest College of Wyoming.

With grapplers like Brian Benevidez at 125 pounds and Dylan Broughton at 149, NWCC will be a handful as usual, though the Trappers could be short-handed to start the new year.

Still, the dual, the Lights' first at home this season, will be another tough test for MSU-N, which also boasts Kaleb Frank at 125 pounds, No. 11 Nick Kunz at 133, freshman Georgino Moraga at 149, No. 12 Carl Hansen at 165 and Rylan Moldenhauer at heavyweight.

Tonight's dual between the Lights and Trappers is set for 7 in the Armory.

North Idaho, 21, Lights 20

125 Jett Strickenberger (NIC) over Kaleb Frank (MSUN) (MD 15-4)

133 Brant Porter (NIC) over No. 11 Nick Kunz (MSUN) (Dec. 9-8)

141 Martin Wilkie (MSUN) over Sam Silveria (NIC) (Dec. 8-1)

149 Kana'I Tapia (NIC) over Georgino Moraga (MSUN) (TF 21-6 0:00)

157 Connor Harris (MSUN) over Weston Presser (NIC) (Fall 5:01)

165 No. 9 Chase Short (MSUN) over Ledger Petacek (NIC) (Dec 7-5)

174 NaKoda Siegel (MSUN) over Jake Stiles (NIC) (Dec 4-3)

184 Navarro Nanpuya (NIC) over No. 12 Carl Hanson (MSUN) (Dec 5-2)

197 No. 1 Isaac Bartel (MSUN) over Devin Winston (NIC) (TF19-4 0:00)

285 Cohle Feliciano (NIC) over Rylan Moldenhauer (MSUN) ( Fall 3:30)