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Lights host Blue Hawks tonight in the final home dual of the season
Montana State University-Northern seniors Brandon Weber, from left, Andrew Bartel, Matt Weber and Jake French will be honored tonight when the Lights host the Dickinson State Blue Hawks at 7 inside the Armory Gymnasium. The senior night dual is the last home match of the season for the Lights and the final time the four seniors will be in the Armory in their careers. The Lights come into the dual currently ranked fourth in the NAIA. Following tonight's match, Northern is on the road for the final two duals of the regular season.
The Montana State University-Northern Lights have one home dual left this season. And it promises to be a special one.
Tonight, Northern will host the Dickinson State Blue Hawks inside the Armory Gymnasium, and while the dual will be a key one for the fourth-ranked Lights, emotions will also be running high because head coach Tyson Thivierge, the Lights and their fans will honor four very special seniors.
Top-ranked Matt Weber (141, injured), third-ranked Brandon Weber (157), 10th-ranked Andrew Bartel (165) and Jake French (184) will be honored before tonight's dual, which starts at 7 inside the Armory. And all four have meant so much to their head coach.
"This group of seniors, all of them have had a tremendous impact on our program, and on me as a coach," Thivierge said. "They're a great group, and I could talk about all of them for hours and hours. They've just meant an awful lot to me."
Indeed, Northern's quartet of seniors have all been special, both together, and individually. Brandon Weber is a two-time All-American and a national champion in 2017, Matt Weber is also a two-time All-American and the national runner-up last season. Bartel is a four-year starter, two-time national qualifier and an All-American a year ago, while French has had incredible journey that has taken him from football, to wrestling to football, and back to Northern wrestling.
The group also has a common bond in that wrestling is in their families and in their blood. The Webers not only wrestle together, but this season, younger brother Nathan is also on the team. Andrew Bartel has gotten to wrestle the last two seasons with younger brother Isaac, while French is sharing the 184-pound spot with his younger brother Steeler this season.
So, there's no doubt that the ride has been special for Northern's four seniors, who will end their home careers tonight against the Blue Hawks.
Dickinson State comes in un-ranked, but the Blue Hawks do have one of the best in the country at 133 pounds in former Sidney star Gresch Jones.
The Lights currently have eight wrestlers ranked, including both Webers and Bartel. Isaac Bartel is also ranked No. 2 at 197 pounds, and was named this week's Cascade Wrestler of the Week. Nick Kunz is ranked ninth at 125, Landon Bailey is ranked 13th at 133 and Chris Nile is ranked third at 174. Nile and Bailey have also missed some time recently, while Matt Weber is recovering from an injury, as well.
Still, the Lights should be favorites against the Blue Hawks tonight, and there's no doubt, they'll be fired up for senior night, and their last night in the Armory this season.
The dual between Northern and DSU starts at 7 inside the Armory. MSU-N will then be off until a Feb. 2 trip to Embry-Riddle, followed by its annual rematch with the Providence Argos Feb. 6 in Great Falls.
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