Quality not Quantity: Lights head to Topeka still a threat

The number five might not seem like a lot when it comes to the Montana State University-Northern Lights and their chances of winning another trophy at the NAIA national wrestling championships.

But don’t tell that to the five Lights headed to Topeka, Kansas, this weekend.

Northern may have qualified just five guys through the NAIA West Regionals for this weekend’s national tournament, but the Lights are taking five grapplers who can all score big points, who all have All-American potential, and several who have national championship aspirations.

“Team-wise, not getting more guys down there was a bummer,” Northern head coach Tyson Thivierge said. “But, we have guys who can score a lot of points. We have the guys to get us a top three finish. A trophy is by no means out of reach.”

It wasn’t last season, either, as the Lights brought home a second-place finish from Topeka, while Grand View won yet another team title. Of course, Grand View is again the team to beat, but after that things are wide open, and Thivierge knows his roster of Matt and Brandon Weber, Drake Randall, Ben Stroh and Taylor Kornoely can most certainly put the Lights in the mix come Saturday night.

“Right now, we’re just focusing on individual success,” Thivierge said. “We have good brackets, the guys are feeling good, they’re ready. Now, they just have to go out and wrestle to their capabilities. None of them have to be superman out there. They just have to wrestle their best, and the rest will take care of itself.”

On an individual basis, there’s no doubt the Lights are bringing some big guns into the national tournament.

And it starts with Stroh and Kornoely. Stroh, in his only year with the Lights after transferring back to the Hi-Line from the University of Wyoming, has been nothing short of dominant, and he goes into the 184-pound bracket as the favorite to win a national title. It’s something he came back home to do, and he’s excited for the opportunity.

“I’ve worked hard this year on changing my mindset,” Stroh said. “Instead of worrying about the pressure or what could happen, I’ve really tried to embrace it. I’ve embraced that and it’s really helped me with the nerves. So I feel good. I feel ready for this, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Kornoely knows exactly what he has to do, too, considering he made it to the heavyweight finals a year ago and already has an NJCAA national championship on his resume. Finishing runner up a year ago in Topeka has also served as extra motivation, and while both he and Stroh have plenty of challengers in front of them, Thivierge said both seniors are more than ready for the next two days.

“I’ve been doing whatever I can to not put any undo pressure on them,” Thivierge said. “So I don’t get into the whole business about it being their last shot or their last chance. They’re both great competitors. They know what they have to do. They just have to go out and execute, and wrestle well. So I’ve just told them the last couple of days to have fun with it. Go out there and enjoy it, and go out the way they want to go out.”

It isn’t the last shot for Northern’s three sophomores. But all three have high hopes for this weekend.

Perhaps no one in the NAIA is wrestling as well right now as Brandon Weber is at 157 pounds, and even though he only started his season back in January, he’s quickly become a national title favorite. Fresh off a regional championship, Weber has been almost unbeatable the last month of the season, and while his bracket won’t be easy either, he’s going to be a force this weekend.

Matt Weber will be, too. Making his second straight trip to the national tournament, Weber has fought off injury issues for much of the season, and he is coming into the national tournament fresh off his biggest win of the year. He was upset in the West Region quarterfinals, but with a trip to nationals on the line, Weber beat the same wrestler who beat him in the consolation final, and that puts him right back into national title contention.

Fellow sophomore Drake Randall, who moved up two weights, and yet still qualified for the national tourney, is also Northern’s dark horse. Now competing at 165 pounds, Randall will have a chance to surprise a lot of people this weekend, and like rest of his teammates has a great chance to reach the podium come Saturday night.

“I think all of them have a great shot,” Thivierge said. “But those three guys in particular (Brandon, Ben, Taylor), yes, they definitely have national championship aspirations. And, they have been wrestling mistake-free as of late, and if they keep doing that, good things are going to happen this weekend.

“But again, all five of our guys are in the same position,” he continued. “They’re all wrestling really well right now, and they all can do a lot of damage in this tournament.”

And if all five Lights do the damage they’re capable of, there’s no reason to think Northern can’t bring home another trophy from the national tournament. The Lights are ranked No. 5 in the NAIA for a reason, and while many teams in the field have more wrestlers qualified this weekend, the Lights have big guns, and big guns usually always rack up big points.

“I’m excited,” Thivierge said. “Sure, we would have liked to have had more guys there. But, that is what it is. I’m excited about what these guys can do. They’ve put in the work. They are all wrestling well, and I’m really excited to go down there and see what happens. It’s going to be a fun tournament.”

The NAIA national tournament starts Friday morning and runs through Saturday night at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka. Fans can follow the tournament live at trackwrestling.com, and with the Havre Daily News.

Here’s a glance at all five of Northern’s qualifiers for the national tournament and their draws.

141 – Matt Weber (19-8)

Rank No. 8, 2016 NAIA

All-American

At one time, Weber was the No. 1 141-pounder in the country. But offseason surgery slowed Weber’s start to the season. And he’s continued to deal with injury problems throughout the winter. He’s healthy now, though, and is ready for a second run at the national tourney, where he finished an outstanding third a year ago. Weber’s draw like all the others will be tough, with No. 2 Josh Wenger of Grand View as a possible quarterfinal opponent, while top-seeded Tyler Fraley of William Baptist is the favorite. Southern Oregon’s Devon Poppen is another standout, while Cumberlands Tres Leon is also in Weber’s half. Weber opens with Campbellsville’s Jayce Carr in round two.

157 – Brandon Weber (23-5)

Rank No. 5

What a season it’s been for Weber, especially the last two months, where he has simply been dominant. He won the West Regional qualifier, beating SOU’s Hunter Hodges in the championship match. Those two are headed for a potential semifinal showdown this week in Topeka, while Giovanny Bonilla of Southeastern Florida is also in their half. On the other side, top-ranked Cam Tessari of Lindsey Wilson is a heavy favorite to reach the final, and Weber is wrestling well enough to certainly meet him there. Weber begins his national title quest facing either Tucker Russo of Reinhardt or Brandon Archuleta of Bethany in the second round.

165 – Drake Randall (12-10)

Unranked

Randall made the move up not one, but two weights, wrestling most of the year at 149 pounds. He then went through a brutal bracket at the West Regional to get to nationals, so there’s no denying, he could surprise a lot of people this week, even with the big move up in weight. He’s also been to the national tourney, so he won’t be intimidated. And still, he’ll be an underdog this week to the likes of Grand View’s Grant Henderson, who he would see in the second round, as well as Grand View’s Ryan Niven, Indiana Tech’s John Weldon and Oklahoma City’s Ricky McCarty, who are all on the other side of the draw. Randall begins his national tourney against Ryan Whittle of William Baptist in the first round.

184 – Ben Stroh (41-2)

Rank No. 2

One thing’s for sure, the stage this week won’t be too big for Stroh. He competed for Wyoming at the NCAA national tournament two years ago, so, he won’t be overwhelmed by the situation. Besides, Stroh is usually the one doing the overwhelming, and in his only season in the NAIA, he’s done it all year. He’s the top seed in the bracket this week, and while he’s a heavy favorite to win the national title, he has challengers. Michael Pixley of Grand View could be the one he meets in the semifinals, while top-ranked Chuck Sharon of Campbellsville and Matt Walker of Lindsey Wilson are expected to duke it out in the other side of the draw. Still, Stroh is the man, and he’s going to do everything in his power to make sure his last tournament of his career is the one he’ll remember most. Stroh starts his quest for a national title against Kyle Delaune of Cumberland in the second round.

HWT – Taylor Kornoely (23-4)

Rank No. 4, 2016 NAIA

All-American

Kornoely has had one goal all season long, winning the national championship. He came so close last season when he finished second, so this year has been all about one thing. His head coach Tyson Thivierge always preaches one match at a time, and that’s what Kornoely will do this weekend. Coming off a regional championship, and last year’s runner-up finish, Kornoely is one of the favorites this weekend, but the heavyweight bracket is also one of the premier brackets in the tournament. Grand View’s Dean Broghammer is the No. 1 contender, and his teammate, Jacob Laden is another favorite. There’s also Ceron Francisco of Concordia, and Northwestern’s Randy Hull, so, the road for any heavyweight to the national crown won’t be easy. Kornoely starts his road with Brian Ervin of Briar Cliff in the second round.