Lights' wrestling headed to Reno

The Montana State University-Northern wrestling team a will take to the road for a tough trip this week.

The Northern wrestlers are headed to the southwest for a pair of big time duals Friday, as head coach Tyson Thivierge’s team will dual St. Ambrose University and Eastern Oregon Friday in Reno, Nevada.

Both teams have strong ties to Northern and Havre.

St. Ambrose is led by third-year head coach Bo Bettinson, who was once an assistant coach at MSU-N. The Bees also have a top 125-pounder in junior Mick Chagnon, who is a former state champion from Havre High.

Conference rival Eastern Oregon Mountaineers are led by former Northern assistant coach and wrestler Dustyn Azure. This dual should prove to be a battle between the two teams. Since EOU added wrestling, the Lights and Mountaineers have developed a strong rivalry on the mat.

But after Friday’s duals, Northern won’t be done in Reno. The Lights will also compete in the annual Reno Tournament of Champions. The tournament features some outstanding NCAA Division I and Division II teams, as well as many strong teams from the NAIA and the NJCAA.

That tournament will wrap up the first half of Northern’s season.