Northern matmen ranked 12th

The Montana State University-Northern Lights, of longtime head coach Tyson Thivierge, know they have a really good team this wrestling season - whenever that season begins.

Now it's obvious the coaches in the NAIA think so, too.

The 2020-21 NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll was released last Friday, where the Lights were picked 12th, and were the highest-rated team from the Cascade Conference in the poll. Northern was picked third in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Preseason Coaches Poll last month.

The Lights will also start the season with two top-ranked grapplers, and five grapplers ranked at their respective weight classes.

Of course, returning NAIA All-Americans Nick Kunz and Isaac Bartel headline that list. Kunz, though, isn't just a returning All-American, he's the defending NAIA national champion at 125 pounds, and he begins his senior season atop the list at 125. Bartel meanwhile, is a three-time NAIA All-American, back for his senior season, a season in which he's ranked No. 1 at 197 pounds.

Northern standout Chase Short, a national qualifier a year ago, is also ranked No. 10 at 174 pounds, while senior Steeler French is ranked 14th at 184 pounds. French, a former national qualifier himself, red-shirted last season for the Lights. Clayton Currier rounds out the list of Lights who come into the season with a national ranking. He's currently ranked 18th at 141 pounds.

As with everything in 2020, there is some uncertainty surrounding the NAIA season, and all sports for that matter, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But the Lights have been hard at work training for whenever the season does begin, and, when that time comes, Thivierge said, his team's goals continue to be what they always are in his program.

"My expectations have never wavered," he said last month. "We are training to be NAIA National Champions. We have one of the biggest returning rosters in my 13 years and we have some amazing talent. It's all about putting together the best season and post season that we are capable of. The focus right now is to stay healthy so we have that opportunity."

NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll

1 Grand View (Iowa) 200

2 Life University (Ga.) 153

3 Reinhardt University (Ga.) 149

4 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 145

5 Southeastern (Fla.) 89

6 Oklahoma City 88

7 Indiana Tech 86

8 Campbellsville (Ky.) 80

9 Marian University (Ind.) 71

10 Cumberland (Tenn.) 68

11 Missouri Valley 66

12 Montana State-Northern 66

13 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 58

14 Lourdes (Ohio) 51

15 Graceland (Iowa) 50

16 University of Saint Mary (Kan.) 49

17 Eastern Oregon University 47

18 Doane (Neb.) 46

19 York (Neb.) 45

20 Cumberlands (Ky.) 42

Recieving Votes: Ottawa (Kan.) 40, Vangaurd (Calif.) 36, Baker (Kan.) 31, Williams Baptist 29, Bluefield 28, Texas Wesleyan 27, Concordia (Neb.) 25, Southern Oregon 22, Dickinson State (N.D.) 20, William Penn (Iowa) 19, Midway (Ky.) 17, Thomas More 17, Brewton-Parker (Ga.) 16, Briar Cliff (Iowa) 16, Hastings (Neb.) 14, Rochester 12, Simpson (Calif.) 12, Missouri Baptist 11, Northwestern (Iowa) 11, Arizona Christian 10, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 10, Bethany (Kan.) 8, Lincoln (Ill.) 8, Morningside (Iowa) 8, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 4, Truett-McConnell (Ga.) 3, WVU Tech (W.Va.) 3, Wayland Baptist (Texas) 2