Alumni weekend held plenty of excitement

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor

gferguson@havredailynews.com

Montana State University-Northern’s annual alumni weekend is always a festive and fun time for every one. It is also a chance for MSU-N’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as its wrestling team to prepare for the upcoming season.

And most of the time, the current Lights and Skylights are too much for the alumni teams to handle. At least on the basketball court.

But Saturday morning at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse, the group that showed up to wrestle for the MSU-N alumni team put on a clinic, dismantling the current Lights in a dual score of 24-3.

Recent Lights’ NAIA National champion Caleb Schaeffer kicked off the dual with a 3-0 win over MSU-N’s Joe Souza, a junior-transfer 165-pounder. Former All-American Bobby Mantle followed Schaeffer’s win with a 3-0 win over Sam Carney. 2006 MSU-N graduate and NAIA All-American and Havre native Aaron Jensen picked up a win over Austin Ouellette, and former Havre High two-time state champion and NAIA national champion Kyle Fisher pulled off a 3-2 victory over one of MSU-N head coach Dan Troupe’s lone returning standouts Brian Fritchman. The Lights also got wins from former MSU-N greats Chris Faber and Rudy James, as well as Nate Lazlovich and Dustin Azure.

Northern’s only win came by way of Kalispell freshman Mike Khuene, who defeated Jesse Schaeffer, 3-2.

The most anticipated match of the dual never happened as three-time NAIA national champion Emmett Willson was slated to take on University of Missouri transfer and Belgrade native Jake Kallestad. But Willson had other engagements that did not allow him to make it to Havre.

Troupe will get a better look at more of his roster on Thursday when the Lights hold their annual Maroon and Gold Dual.

Alumni weekend got started on Friday night with the current MSU-Northern Skylights defeated the alumni team. The alumni played the Skylights close for a half, but the current Skylights ran away in the final 20 minutes.

The alumni were led in scoring by Jaci Heny and Camille Gardner. MSU-N assistant coach Anna Bateman also had a solid night scoring for the alumni roster.

The men’s alumni game saw the 2006-2007 Lights blow by the alumni team by a score of 118-70. The Lights were paced by Corey Brothers’ 26 points. Harlem native Colby Fetter added 14 points, and Durwin Williams and Drew Pettersen added 11 points apiece.

The alumni were led by 2006 MSU-N graduate Jordan Matthews, who scored 32 points. Travis Moran also reached double figures with 12 points.

2006 MSU-N Alumni Wrestling Dual

Caleb Schaeffer, ALU dec. Joe Souza, MSU-N, 3-0

Bobby Mantle, ALU dec. Sam Carney, MSU-N, 3-0

Mikey Khuene, MSU-N dec. Jesse Schaeffer, ALU, 3-2

Aaron Jensen, ALU dec. Austin Ouellette, MSU-N, 5-3

Rudy James, ALU dec. Tre Lebcke, MSU-N, 8-4

Dustin Azure, ALU dec. Derek Fritz, MSU-N, 7-0

Kyle Fisher, ALU dec. Brian Fritchman, MSU-N, 3-2

Nate Lazlovich, ALU dec. Dave Waters, MSU-N 3-2.