Lights take the next step at NAIA Western Regional

The Montana State University-Northern wrestling team has been through a roller coaster of a season. Still a serious contender for an NAIA national championship, the Lights have had to endure a number of hardships.

Injuries, wrestlers deciding to leave the team and a tough stretch in January have tested the resolve of the Lights, now ranked sixth in the NAIA. But as they head to this weekend’s Western Regional Qualifier in Menlo, Calif., the Lights are once again looking like a team that will be tough to stop when the national tournament rolls around in two weeks.

Northern, under veteran head coach Tyson Thivierge, has built a good amount of momentum heading into Saturday’s regional, including a thrilling win over rival UGF last Wednesday night in the Armory Gymnasium. And with a talented lineup heading into regionals, the Lights are certainly capable of winning a regional title. The field is the best in the NAIA as the fourth-ranked Argos, seventh-ranked Southern Oregon, 12th-ranked Menlo and 13th-ranked Simpson are all part of this weekend’s tournament.

But the main goal for Thivierge’s group isn’t necessarily the team title in California. It’s to qualify as many wrestlers as the Lights can and get them into the best seedings possible for the national tourney.

And in that regard, Northern should do quite well this weekend. Sophomore Toby Cheff has ascended to the No. 1 ranked at 197 pounds and will be gunning for the No. 1 seed at nationals this weekend. Cheff's top competition this weekend is SOU’s Charles Johnson, who was ranked No. 1 for much of the season. Junior Ethan Hinebauch is ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, be he has chance to flip that script when he goes head-to-head Menlo’s Eric Lopez Saturday at 165 pounds. The Lights are especially strong in the upper weights, but so is the rest of the region. Jared Miller is ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, but he’ll be in the same bracket as top-ranked and defending national champion Brock Gutches of SOU. The Lights will also enter freshman Jorrell Jones at heavyweight, while senior Kody Reed, ranked sixth, will be a top seed at 184, and will likely run into UGF’s Kameron Jackson in the finals.

Northern junior Mickey Cheff is a candidate to win a regional title at 157 pounds. Cheff, ranked fourth, has been on a roll the last three months and is already a two-time NAIA All-American. Meanwhile, senior Cameron Neiss, who moved up to 141 this season, will try to win a regional title as the top seed this weekend. Neiss is ranked sixth in the NAIA, and UGF’s Kyle Wilson is likely his top competition. Northern will be open at 149 pounds, and will send out sophomore Riley Miller at 125 and freshman Doug O’Hara at 133. Both will have to battle to reach the national tourney, especially O’Hara, who’s in a really difficult bracket which includes top-ranked A.J. Valles of Simpson.

And while Northern isn’t as strong in the lower weights right now, where the Lights can really make up ground is in the two weights they’ll be doubled up at. Freshman Garrett DeMers is currently ranked seventh and could find his way into the final against Cheff. MSU-N will also take freshman Tommy Cooper in at 157 pounds, and though he didn’t see much action in duals this season, he has a strong chance to get to the national tourney on his first try.

The 2014 Western Regional Qualifier will run all day Saturday in Menlo, Calif. The top four in each weight class, along with several wildcard selections will advance to the NAIA national tournament March 6-8 in Topeka, Kan.