Homecoming for area wrestlers in Ronan

RONAN - Four Mission Valley wrestlers were on display during the

MSU-Northern Maroon vs. Gold Intersquad Challenge at the Ronan

Event Center last Thursday.

RONAN - Four Mission Valley wrestlers were on display during the MSU-Northern Maroon vs. Gold Intersquad Challenge at the Ronan Event Center last Thursday.

Cameron Neiss, of Ronan, Jame Petersen, of Charlo, Travis DuMont of St. Ignatius, and Mickey Cheff, of Ronan, are all part of MSU-Northern's freshman wrestling class this season and began workouts about a month ago.

"It was good to see these kids come out and reach their goals," Ronan wrestling coach Dustyn Azure said.

The enthusiastic crowd was pushing for all the Mission Valley wrestlers to succeed in the challenge.

"They're real loud for the valley," Petersen said. "It helps out a lot."

The challenge had 10 different matches on display and it was hard to ignore the number of local kids on the roster.

"The kids are familiar with the workouts," Azure, who wrestled at MSU-Northern with their head coach Tyson Thivierge earlier in the decade, said.

Mission wrestling coach Lyle Cronk suited up for the Maroon and Gold as well.

"It's a big leap to college but they'll make the transition," Azure said. "They're going to develop into great college athletes."

Some wrestlers mirrored that sentiment.

"I like it a lot," Neiss said. "It's people [competing] that want to be here."

Azure said that he would like to continue to have Ronan host a challenge for MSU-Northern, and that Thivierge is doing these challenges in different places to help get the word out about the program.

Chances are, if that happens, they'll bring plenty of local talent.