Lights to host annual Alumni Dual Saturday

The Montana State University-Northern wrestling program is all about tradition. And one of the longest and best traditions of the wrestling program is the annual Alumni Dual.

Every season before getting into their regular schedule, the Lights take on the Alumni team, which is filled with former MSU-Northern wrestling greats. And Saturday, this long-running tradition will go on for another year when the 2014 Alumni Dual takes place inside the Armory Gymnasium.

"It's one of the fun things we do to kick off our season," Northern head coach Tyson Thivierge said. "We bring back some guys that have went through the grind before and have been with the program. We will have a lot of former All-Americans and national champions. To just let our guys know the pride that they take in being a part of this program in the past and continuing to be a part of it."

Thivierge said that it will be mostly younger wrestlers on the team participating in the meet Saturday.  He was unsure of the complete lineup but said that he should have a wrestler from every weight class competing in the dual.

While the Northern roster isn’t set, the Alumni roster is and will be led by former national champion and four-time NAIA All-American Evan Hinebauch. The Alumni also features former three-time All-Americans Cameron Neiss and Mitch Overlie as well as former two-time All-Americans Rudy James and Anthony Weerheim.

Rounding the roster are former All-Americans Austin Quellette, Aaron Jenson and Bobby Mantle. The rest of the squad includes Mike McPeak, Colt Heger, Casey Pinion and Colter Dimas.

Of course, the Alumni who are coming back to show the youngsters a thing or two will not have to push to make weight. They will be matched up with the current Lights as best as possible, and according to Thivierge, the Alumni will be within around 10 or 20 pounds of their opponent.

"The alumni aren't asked to cut weight" Thivierge said. "We just try to match them up as well as we can. We match up pretty close, but, generally the alumni have a good 10 to 20 pounds on our wrestlers but they are also not in quite the shape that our guys are. So it evens out."

Despite the fact that the Lights finished third at the NAIA National tournament last season and return a number of veteran wrestlers, Northern's young wrestlers will get the opportunities Saturday and will have their hands full trying to defeat the Alumni team, which knocked off the Lights 31-3 in last year's dual.

"I'll just put it this way, we have never beaten the alumni," Thivierge said. "We tied them one time back in the fall of 1998. But, we have never, to my knowledge, beaten them. If it was a normal match and set up like that, I don't think we would have a problem tiring them out and doing what we need to do but it comes back to that fun thing. But, a lot of the alumni take pride in not losing and once that whistle blows, it's on."

The action will get underway Saturday at 1 p.m. inside the Armory Gymnasium.