Northern wrestling splits duals at Armory Gymnasium

After several months away, the Montana State University-Northern wrestling team finally returned home to Armory Gymnasium to compete in a pair of duals Friday night. It was a mixed night for the Lights as they won their first dual, 40-6, against Arizona Christian University but then lost, 23-18, in their dual against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

With the postseason soon arriving, MSU-N head coach Tyson Thivierge believes the Lights are not performing their best this late in the season.

"We're not wrestling our best right now," Thivierge said. "We're just holding back too much and we're waiting till the end of the periods to actually start doing something, so we're in the room trying to make changes."

A definite highlight of the night was the senior night ceremony that the Lights held for Rylan Moldenhauer, the team's lone senior. With it being his last time in Armory Gymnasium, it was a bittersweet experience for Moldenhauer.

"It's kind of a mixture of being excited and not," Moldenhauer said. "It sucks but tonight was a good time."

In the dual against Arizona Christian, the Lights won their first matches by forfeit to take a 12-0 lead to start the dual. In the 141-pound weight class, Northern's Colin Silverthorn won a 15-3 major decision against Terrell Kinlicheenie to extend the lead to 16-0 in the dual.

At 149 pounds, Rico Robles won an 8-3 decision against Northern's Georgino Moraga to cut Northern's lead to 16-3. The Lights responded when Northern's Connor Harris pinned Gavyn Fredrickson in the third period at 157 pounds. Then at 165 pounds, Northern's Devin Crawford pinned Davion Barnes to push Northern's lead to 28-3 in the dual.

At 174 pounds, Northern's NaKoda Siegel pinned Anthony Aguilera in the second period of their match. Then at 184 pounds, Northern's Austin Vanek won a 9-4 decision against Kaden Martin to push the lead to 37-3 in the dual.

At 197 pounds, Northern's Carl Hansen won a 7-5 decision against Michael Moreno. At 285 pounds, Zion Longsine won a 3-2 decision against Moldenhauer. Despite the loss, the Lights won the dual 40-6.

Soon after their first dual wrapped up, the Lights got their dual started against Embry-Riddle. At 125 pounds, Landon Smith won 3-2 decision against Northern's Tanner Cook to give Embry-Riddle a 3-0 lead in the dual. Then at 133 pounds, Northern's Brennon McDermott won an 8-3 decision against Colby Evens to tie the dual 3-3.

At 141 pounds, Carson Coy won a 7-3 decision against Silverthorn to give Embry-Riddle a 6-3 lead. At 149 pounds, Martin Wilkie won by forfeit to give the Lights a 9-6 lead in the dual. Then at 157 pounds, Harris won a 4-3 decision against Beau Blackham to push Northern's lead to 12-6 in the dual.

But Embry-Riddle came back over the next few matches. At 165 pounds, Keller Rock pinned Crawford in the second period to tie the dual 12-12. Then at 174 pounds, Sheldon Cole won a 3-2 decision against Northern's Rylin Burns to give Embry-Riddle a 15-12 lead in the dual. Then at 184 pounds, Michael Densmore earned a 17-2 technical fall over Vanek to push Embry-Riddle's lead to 20-12.

The Lights responded when Hansen pinned Brodie Scott at 197 pounds to cut the deficit to 20-18. But at 285 pounds, Garrette Branson won a 3-0 decision over Northern's Shane Mattson to give Embry-Riddle the 23-18 win in the dual.

The Lights will head to Billings this Thursday to face the University of Providence in a dual. Once that is in the books, the Lights will begin the postseason with the Cascade Collegiate Tournament in Prescott, Arizona later this month. With one last chance to improve before the postseason, Thivierge knows they have a lot of work ahead.

"We've got to remember who we are and we've got to get out there and wrestle like we're capable of wrestling," Thivierge said. "We've got a lot of talent in the room, we're just not applying it out here in the matches."

The MSU-N wrestling team will wrap up the regular season with a dual against the University of Providence this Thursday at 7 p.m. in Billings.

MSU-Northern 40, Arizona Christian 6

125 - Tanner Cook, M, wins by FFT; 133 - Brennan McDermott, M, wins by FFT; 141 - Colin Silverthorn, M, major dec. Terrell Kinlicheenie, 15-3; 149 - Rico Robles, A, dec. Georgino Moraga, 8-3; 157 - Connor Harris, M, pinned Gavyn Fredrickson, 5:46; 165 - Devin Crawford, M, pinned Davion Barnes, 5:26; 174 - NaKoda Siegel, M, pinned Anthony Aguilera, 3:41; 184 - Austin Vanek, M, dec. Kaden Martin, 9-4; 197 - Carl Hansen, M, dec. Michael Moreno, 7-5; 285 - Zion Longsine, A, dec. Rylan Moldenhauer, 3-2.

Embry-Riddle 23, MSU-Northern 18

125 - Landon Smith, E, dec. Tanner Cook, 3-2; 133 - Brennon McDermott, M, dec. Colby Evens, 8-3; 141 - Carson Coy, E, dec. Colin Silverthorn, 7-3; 149 - Martin Wilkie, M, wins by FFT; 157 - Connor Harris, M, dec. Jonah Chew, 4-3; 165 - Keller Rock, E, pinned Devin Crawford, 4:29; 174 - Sheldon Cole, E, dec. Rylin Burns, 3-2; 184 - Michael Densmore, tech. fall, Austin Vanek, 17-2; 197 - Carl Hansen, M, pinned Brodie Scott, 2:52; 285 - Garrette Branson, E, dec. Shane Mattson, 3-0.