Northern wrestling takes sixth at nationals

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 Saturday night. "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 defending champion Life took second and Southeastern finished third in the tournament. Of the top 10 teams in the tournament, the Lights were one of two teams that brought fewer than 10 wrestlers to Wichita. Northern would crown four NAIA All-Americans and have two finalists Saturday night.

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 finished his record-setting 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 wrestler 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, wrestling at 141 pounds, made a run to the finals as well. 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 honor. 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, making him a two-time All-American. 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 the 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."

2022 NAIA National Championships

Grand View 206.5, Life 149.0, Southeastern 101.5, Indiana Tech 72.0, Doane 72.0, MSU-N 66.0, Reinhardt 60.0, Cumberland 51.5, Thomas More 50.0, Marian 48.0, Lindsey Wilson 47.0, Cumberlands 39.5, Eastern Oregon 36.0, Embry-Riddle 33.0, Menlo 32.5, Baker 27.0, Oklahoma City 26.0, Vanguard 26.0, Southern Oregon 23.5, Ottawa 21.0, Lourdes 20.0, Brewton-Parker 17.5, Hastings 17.5, Campbellsville 17.0, Missouri Valley 16.0, Morningside 16.0, Williams Baptist 16.0, Corban 15.0, Providence 15.0, Wayland Baptist 15.0, Graceland 14.5, Missouri Baptist 10.0, Texas Wesleyan 8.5, Cornerstone 7.0, Lincoln 7.0, Keiser 5.0, William Penn 5.0, Midland 4.0, St. Mary 3.5, Truett McConnell 3.5, Arizona Christian 3.0, Concordia 3.0, Midway 3.0, Northwestern 3.0, Briar Cliff 2.5, Hannibal-LaGrange 2.5, York 2.5, Jamestown 2.0, St. Ambrose 2.0, Bluefield 2.0, Oklahoma Wesleyan 1.0, Rochester 1.0, St. Thomas 0.5, Bethany 0.0, Calumet 0.0, Central Baptist 0.0, Central Methodist 0.0, Dakota Wesleyan 0.0, Lyon 0.0, Waldorf 0.0, WVU Tech 0.0, Montreat -2.5.

125

First place: Esco Walker (Grand View) won by decision over Brandon Orum (Life) (Dec 4-3); Third place: Justin Portillo (Grand View) won by tech fall over Koby Milner (Reinhardt) (TF 17-0): Fifth place: Isaac Crowell (Southeastern) won by major decision over Daniel Vargas (Doane) (Maj 21-7): Seventh place: Dennis McNeal (Brewton-Parker) won by forfeit over Carter Cox (Cumberland) (FF).

133

First place: Connor Gimson (Indiana Tech) won by decision over Jacob Seto (Embry-Riddle) (Dec 3-1); Third place: Carson Taylor (Grand View) won by decision over Joseph Lupton (Graceland) (Dec 8-2); Fifth place: Jacob Mendoza (Menlo) won by decision over Evan Potter (Southern Oregon) (Dec 5-1); Seventh place: Jacob Ruiz (Life) won by decision over Keshawn Laws (Cumberland) (Dec 1-0).

141

First place: Baterdene Boldmaa (Doane) won by decision over Martin Wilkie (Montana State-Northern) (Dec 14-7); Third place: Shea Ruffridge (Grand View) won by decision over Cade Manion (Oklahoma City) (Dec 4-3); Fifth place: Julian Hernandez (Life) won in tie breaker - 1 over Bryce Nickel (Cumberlands) (TB-1 2-1); Seventh place: Nick Henneman (Lourdes) won by decision over Kyle Kantola (Indiana Tech) (Dec 2-1).

149

First place: Denver Stonecheck (Life) won by major decision over Ryan Moore (Thomas More (Ky.)) (Maj 9-1); Third place: Brevin Balmeceda (Life) won by decision over Andreus Bond (Southeastern) (Dec 2-0); Fifth place: Salvador Silva (Southeastern) won by forfeit over Elijah Palacio (Menlo) (FF); Seventh place: Keegan Luton (Oklahoma City) won by decision over Steven Weathers Ii (Missouri Baptist) (Dec 9-2).

157

First place: Israel Casarez (Grand View) won in sudden victory - 1 over Jack Bass (Life) (SV-1 3-1); Third place: Wilder Wichman (Thomas More (Ky.)) won by decision over Derrick Smallwood (Lindsey Wilson) (Dec 3-2); Fifth place: Trevor Burdick (Reinhardt) won by major decision over Aaron Gandara (Southern Oregon) (Maj 13-4); Seventh place: James Williams (Embry-Riddle) won by fall over Anthony Maia (Cumberland) (Fall 1:57).

165

First place: Cole Smith (Cumberland) won by fall over Marty Margolis (Grand View) (Fall 4:08); Third place: Sid Ohl (Life) won by decision over Frederick Padilla (Vanguard) (Dec 5-1); Fifth place: David Rubio (Corban) won by decision over Elliott Rodgers (Marian) (Dec 7-3); Seventh place: Chase Short (Montana State-Northern) won by medical forfeit over Cody Dixon (Wayland Baptist) (MFF).

174

First place: Casey Randles (Grand View) won by decision over Trenton Munoz (Hastings) (Dec 4-2); Third place: Isaiah Luellen (Baker) won in sudden victory - 1 over Joe Koontz (Lindsey Wilson) (SV-1 7-5); Fifth place: NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over Cole Tenety (Reinhardt) (Dec 10-4); Seventh place: Armon Fayyazi (Vanguard) won in sudden victory - 1 over Stephen Kelle (Southeastern) (SV-1 3-1).

184

First place: Eric Vermillion (Indiana Tech) won by decision over Ben Lee (Grand View) (Dec 3-1); Third place: Sam Osho (Marian) won by decision over Kyle Knudtson (Eastern Oregon) (Dec 15-14); Fifth place: Jesse Daniel Perez (Ottawa) won by decision over Niko Perovic (Williams Baptist) (Dec 7-4); Seventh place: Blake Rypel (Southeastern) won by medical forfeit over Lucas DeSilva (Brewton-Parker) (MFF).

197

First place: Zane Lanham (Life) won by fall over Isaac Bartel (Montana State-Northern) (Fall 6:17); Third place: Trevor Lawson (Lindsey Wilson) won by major decision over Bradley Antesberger (Doane) (Maj 8-0); Fifth place: Owen Braungardt (Grand View) won by decision over Jack Servies (Marian) (Dec 6-2); Seventh place: Daulton Mayer (Thomas More (Ky.)) won by decision over Hunter DeJong (Morningside) (Dec 7-4).

285

First place: Gage Braun (Southeastern) won by decision over Greg Hagan (Grand View) (Dec 5-4); Third place: Aaron Johnson (Cumberlands) won in sudden victory - 1 over Odgerel Batkhishig (Doane) (SV-1 2-1); Fifth place: Tommy Mommer (Grand View) won by major decision over Noel Orozco (Eastern Oregon) (Maj 9-0); Seventh place: KC Buday (Providence) won by medical forfeit over Joshua Isaac (Missouri Valley) (MFF).

Northern Individual Results

133 - Nick Kunz

Champ. Round 1 - Joseph Lupton (Graceland) won by decision over 9 Nick Kunz (Montana State-Northern) (Dec 3-2); Cons. Round 1 - 9 Nick Kunz (Montana State-Northern) won by tech fall over Rj Marrero (Lincoln) (TF 19-0); Cons. Round 2 - 9 Nick Kunz (Montana State-Northern) won by major decision over Alex Pena (Wayland Baptist) (Maj 15-5); Cons. Round 3 - 9 Nick Kunz (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over Breyden Morrill (Baker) (Dec 7-4); Cons. Round 4 - 5 Jacob Ruiz (Life) won by tech fall over 9 Nick Kunz (Montana State-Northern) (TF 20-2).

141 - Martin Wilkie (2nd Place)

Champ. Round 1 - 11 Martin Wilkie (Montana State-Northern) won by major decision over Logan Wagner (Marian) (Maj 12-2); Champ. Round 2 - 11 Martin Wilkie (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over 6 Trent Leon (Reinhardt) (Dec 4-3); Quarterfinal - 11 Martin Wilkie (Montana State-Northern) won by tech fall over 3 Shea Ruffridge (Grand View) (TF 19-4); Semifinal - 11 Martin Wilkie (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over Cade Manion (Oklahoma City) (Dec 11-4); 1st Place Match - 1 Baterdene Boldmaa (Doane) won by decision over 11 Martin Wilkie (Montana State-Northern) (Dec 14-7).

165 - Chase Short (7th Place)

Champ. Round 1 - 3 Marty Margolis (Grand View) won by decision over Chase Short (Montana State-Northern) (Dec 6-5); Cons. Round 1 - Chase Short (Montana State-Northern) received a bye () (Bye); Cons. Round 2 - Chase Short (Montana State-Northern) won by fall over Braeden Baller (Texas Wesleyan) (Fall 1:59); Cons. Round 3 - Chase Short (Montana State-Northern) won by fall over 12 Jordan Komac (Providence) (Fall 3:13); Cons. Round 4 - Chase Short (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over Matt Jenkins (Reinhardt) (Dec 11-7); Cons. Round 5 - 2 Sid Ohl (Life) won by fall over Chase Short (Montana State-Northern) (Fall 2:52); 7th Place Match - Chase Short (Montana State-Northern) won by medical forfeit over Cody Dixon (Wayland Baptist) (MFF).

174 - NaKoda Siegel (5th Place)

Champ. Round 1 - 10 NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over Hunter Gasper (Indiana Tech) (Dec 8-3); Champ. Round 2 - 7 Stephen Kelle (Southeastern) won by decision over 10 NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) (Dec 3-2); Cons. Round 2 - 10 NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) won in sudden victory - 1 over Patrick Boulanger (St. Mary) (SV-1 3-1); Cons. Round 3 - 10 NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) won by major decision over Chris Morales (Lincoln) (Maj 10-2); Cons. Round 4 - 10 NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) won in sudden victory - 1 over 5 Alex Reynolds (Grand View) (SV-1 5-3); Cons. Round 5 - 10 NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over 9 Armon Fayyazi (Vanguard) (Dec 6-5); Cons. Semi - 3 Isaiah Luellen (Baker) won by decision over 10 NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) (Dec 8-2); 5th Place Match - 10 NaKoda Siegel (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over 6 Cole Tenety (Reinhardt) (Dec 10-4).

184 - Carl Hansen

Champ. Round 1 - 7 Jesse Daniel Perez (Ottawa) won by major decision over Carl Hansen (Montana State-Northern) (Maj 18-7); Cons. Round 1 - Carl Hansen (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over Harold Gilmore (Cumberlands) (Dec 5-2); Cons. Round 2 - Carl Hansen (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over 8 Luke Jenness (Northwestern ) (Dec 11-6); Cons. Round 3 - Brett Bober (Baker) won by fall over Carl Hansen (Montana State-Northern) (Fall 2:23).

197 - Isaac Bartel (2nd Place)

Champ. Round 1 - 1 Isaac Bartel (Montana State-Northern) received a bye () (Bye); Champ. Round 2 - 1 Isaac Bartel (Montana State-Northern) won by fall over Brahn Howard (Texas Wesleyan) (Fall 2:23); Quarterfinal - 1 Isaac Bartel (Montana State-Northern) won by tech fall over 8 Gabe Jacobs (Cumberlands) (TF 17-2); Semifinal - 1 Isaac Bartel (Montana State-Northern) won by decision over 5 Owen Braungardt (Grand View) (Dec 8-7); 1st Place Match - 3 Zane Lanham (Life) won by fall over 1 Isaac Bartel (Montana State-Northern) (Fall 6:17).