In the Room Part 2: Training Days with MSU-N Wrestling

The Montana State University-Northern Lights don't open their season for two more weeks, when they take on Eastern Oregon in a Cascade Conference dual. But this week inside the wrestling room the Lights are still preparing to take the mat.

That's because Saturday, Northern will host its annual MSU-N Alumni Dual. The friendly rivalry between past and presents Lights annually kicks off Northern's wrestling season and, while things are generally pretty light-hearted, that doesn't mean both sides aren't out on the mat to not only compete, but also to win.

"The Alumni Dual is fun," Northern senior Andrew Bartel said after Wednesday's practice. "We go out and have fun with it, but at the same time we want to score points and get after it. But it isn't like when we go up against Providence; no one's out for blood. We try to go out and wrestle our best, but also make sure we have fun with it."

No question, alumni weekend for the proud Northern wrestling program is always special, and head coach Tyson Thivierge, who sees both sides of the mat, as a former Light and as the current head coach, says there's certainly a balance to the dual.

"We definitely respect the Alumni team," Thivierge said, "but at the same time, we want to win it every year. We want to make sure we wrestle our best up to this point, and we want to win as many matches as we can. It's kind of hard on me because I'm both. I'm an alumni, but I want to see our guys win. But it's great, it's a great weekend, and the support we get from our alumni, it's special. It's a way for them to give back to the program, and they do. It's a great time, and it's going to be a lot of fun this weekend, and we appreciate what all the guys who come back, year-after-year, do for us."

No doubt, the current Northern team holds former Northern wrestlers in high regard. And Bartel, who has been around the block a time or two with the Alumni Dual, says this weekend means a lot to the current Lights, as they prepare for the 2018-19 season.

"It's awesome to be around all the guys," Bartel said. "You get to know them, and get to learn a lot from them. They've been through and done what we're doing now, so it's awesome to get a chance to be around all of them and learn as much as we can from them."

Learning is a big part of what the Lights are going through right now. While Northern is looking forward to the Alumni Dual, which will feature 17 matches, and include former Lights Trevor Goss, Taylor Kornoely (3X All-American), Toby Cheff (3X All-American), Beau LaSalle, Austin Ouelette (All-American), Willie Miller (All-American), Duell Stadell (All-American), Tommy Cooper, Ethan Hinebauch (4X All-American), Mitch Overlie (3X All-American), Cameron Neiss (3X All-American), Garrett DeMers (3X All-American), Bobby Mantle (All-American), Ben Stroh (National Champion), Ethan Hinebauch (4X All-American, National Champion), Carl Valley (4X All-American) and Rudy James (2X All-American), Northern is also preparing for a long, grueling and tough season ahead, and those daily preparations are not easy, especially for the freshman class new to the Lights' room.

"There's some growing pains," Thivierge said. "Those young guys are still trying to find their way a bit. It's their first time in a college wrestling. In high school, they were all studs, but when you get up to this level, it's different, it exposes your flaws and weaknesses. So with those guys, we're working on a lot of that stuff, their technique, and things like that. It's tough for them because they just haven't been through it before. But they're working hard, and they're learning the ropes."

Fortunately, the newcomers to the Northern roster not only have one of the all-time Northern greats as their head coach, they also have a ton of veteran leaders to look up to. Included in that group is Bartel, who is preparing for his final season on the mat.

Bartel said his preseason is going really well.

"It's been a blast," Bartel said. "We all walk into this room every day with a smile on our face, and it's because this team is so close and we have so much fun together. Things are going really well right now, and we're having a blast."

The Lights will also have a blast Saturday when they square off against the Alumni Team. But Thivierge, who is also charged with getting his team ready for the long and highly anticipated season ahead, said having fun is only part of Alumni weekend.

"The main thing is, I want to see our guys just go out and compete," Thivierge said. "This is the first chance they get to just be on the mat and compete. So that's what we've been getting ready to do, is just be prepared to compete on Saturday."

Of course, Thivierge also wants his wrestlers to enjoy their time on the mat Saturday, as many of them will battle some of the best to ever wear a Northern singlet. And, they get the added bonus of having former Northern head coach, and NAIA Hall of Famer David Ray officiate the dual.

"It's huge for us," Thivierge said of the Alumni Dual. "It's special to have those guys come back and help us out the way they do. It means a lot to this program, and to all the guys in this room. And it's the way our alumni give back. I know it means a lot to them, too, so it's a special weekend for all of us."

Saturday's Alumni Dual will start at 2 p.m. inside the Armory Gymnasium. And after that, the countdown to Eastern Oregon really starts moving.

Editor's Note: This is the second in our three-part series on the MSU-Northern wrestling team's preparations for the upcoming season. For the final installment, see next Wednesday's HDN.