Northern wrestling takes sixth at NAIA National Championship

The season finally came to an end for the Montana State University-Northern wrestling team as the Lights competed in the NAIA National Championship Tournament in Wichita, Kansas this past weekend. In the tournament, the Lights got off to a shaky start but were able to bounce back to finish sixth in the tournament.

"They rebounded extremely well and we went on a run," MSU-N head coach Tyson Thivierge said. "They exceeded my expectations, they battled hard and I'm proud of them."

The Lights scored 66 points as a team to take sixth in the tournament. Grand View scored 206.5 points to win the national championship while Life took second and Southeastern finished third in the tournament. Of the top ten teams in the tournament, the Lights were one of two teams that brought less than ten wrestlers to Wichita.

Wrestling in the 197-pound weight class, Isaac Bartel went on a run through his bracket to finish second. After a bye in the first round, Bartel started the weekend with a pin 2:23 into his match against Brahn Howard from Texas Wesleyan. In the quarterfinal, Bartel won, 17-2, for a technical fall over Gabe Jacobs from Cumberlands.

"Isaac was great all weekend," Thivierge said. "He went out there and did what Isaac does."

Bartel kept things rolling through the semifinals as he won, 8-7, against Owen Braungardt from Grand View. But in the championship match, Bartel was pinned by Life's Zane Lanham. Bartel finishes his MSU-N career as a five time All-American with one national championship, three second-place finishes and a third-place finish in his collegiate career.

"He's been so amazing for this program and for me as a coach. He's the best kid I've ever coached," Thivierge said. "He's the winningest coach in Northern history. He's the first ever five-time All-American. There's not enough words to explain what Isaac Bartel means to me as a coach."

Martin Wilkie placed second for the Lights as he took second wrestling at 141 pounds. He started the weekend with a 12-2 major decision over Logan Wagner from Marian. Wilkie followed it up with a 4-3 decision against Reinhardt's Trent Leon.

In the quarterfinal, Wilkie won, 19-4, for a technical fall over Shea Ruffridge. Wilkie then won, 11-4, against Cade Manion from Oklahoma City in the semifinal. But Wilkie's run came to an end in the first-place match with a 14-7 loss to Baterdene Boldmaa from Doane. While the weekend ended with a loss, Wilkie demonstrated what he is capable of on the mats.

"He took it one match at a time. The tougher the match, the higher he performed," Thivierge said. "Martin is a rising star and he is going to do so many great things. This is just scratching the surface of what he's capable of and I'm very excited that he's a Northern Light."

At 174 pounds, NaKoda Siegel placed fifth to earn his first All-American. He opened the tournament with an 8-3 decision over Hunter Gasper from Indiana Tech. After a loss, Siegel won a consolation match, 3-1, in overtime against Patrick Boulanger of St. Mary. Siegel followed it up with a 10-2 decision against Chris Morales from Lincoln.

Siegel kept things rolling with a 5-3 sudden victory in overtime to defeat Alex Reynolds from Grand View. He then won, 6-5, against Armon Fayyazi from Vanguard. But Siegel's run came to an end with an 8-2 loss to Isaiah Luellen from Baker. In the fifth-place match, Siegel was able to rebound and win, 10-4, against Cole Tenety from Reinhardt.

Chase Short finished up his collegiate career with a seventh-place finish wrestling at 165 pounds. After a loss to start the tournament and then a bye in the first round of consolation, Short won by pin 1:59 into his match against Braeden Baler from Texas Wesleyan. Short then won by pin 3:13 into his consolation match against Jordan Komac from the University of Providence.

Short won again with an 11-7 decision against Matt Jenkins from Reinhardt. After a loss, Short finished the weekend with a win by medical forfeit Cody Dixon from Wayland Baptist. The win clinched seventh place for Short and earned him a second straight All-American to end his collegiate career.

The other two MSU-N wrestlers won some matches during the weekend. After a loss to open the tournament, Carl Hansen won some consolation matches at 184 pounds. He earned a 5-2 decision over Harold Gilmore from Cumberlands and then won, 11-6, against Luke Jenness from Northwestern. While several MSU-N wrestlers lost to start the tournament, they all finished the weekend winning at least two matches in the tournament that helped lead them to a top-ten finish.

"They don't quit. When they're challenged, they step up," Thivierge said. "Everyone put points together and that's huge in the national tournament."

After a loss to open the tournament, Nick Kunz won three straight matches in consolation at 133 pounds. He started the run with a 19-0 technical fall over RJ Marrero from Lincoln. He followed that up with a 15-5 major decision against Alex Pena from Wayland Baptist.

Kunz then won, 7-4, against Breyden Morrill from Baker. But a loss to Life's Jacob Ruiz in Kunz's next consolation match put an end to his collegiate career. As the tournament comes to an end, the Lights will say goodbye to Bartel, Short and Kunz who all made their mark on then program.

"They're a great group of kids and I don't know where I'd be without these three. They've meant a whole lot for me," Thivierge said. "They're more than just an extension of my family. I feel like a father figure and I feel like a friend. It's just been an amazing five years for those three."

With the season now over, the Lights now look ahead to the offseason. While Short, Bartel and Kunz will move on from the team, the Lights will see Wilkie, Siegel and Hansen return. With two returning All-Americans, Thivierge looks forward to getting back to work.

"Now it's time to heal up and get ready for next season," Thivierge said. "Next season starts Monday. That's for us as coaches to get on the recruiting trail and getting recruits signed. Every aspect of this program, the next season starts on Monday."