Jackrabbit wrestlers edged by Minnesota

Saturday, November 19

Minneapolis, Minn.

8 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Minnesota

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

11/20/2016 2:54:00 AM | Wrestling

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota won the final four matches, including the decisive match at heavyweight, to edge South Dakota State, 18-17, in a college wrestling dual between two nationally ranked teams Saturday night at the Sports Pavilion.

The 16^th-ranked Golden Gophers were wrestling their season-opening dual, while 20^th-ranked SDSU dropped to 1-1 in duals this season.

SDSU won five of the first six matches on the night, including major decisions by returning NCAA qualifiers Seth Gross and Alex Kocer. Gross, ranked seventh at 133 pounds, defeated Mitch McKee, 12-3, while Kocer scored a 10-2 major decision over James Berg at 149 pounds.

Ben Gillette opened the dual with an 8-1 decision over Skyler Petry at 125 pounds and Colin Holler scored a 6-4 decision over 18^th-ranked Jake Short at 157 pounds. Luke Zilverberg gave SDSU a 17-3 lead with a 3-1 decision over Brandon Kingsley in the 165-pound pound.

The Minnesota comeback began at 174 pounds, where 17^th-ranked Nick Wanzek edged 14^th-ranked David Kocer of SDSU, 3-2. The Golden Gophers also had the upper hand in another battle between two nationally ranked wrestlers at 197 pounds, where Minnesota's second-ranked Brett Pfarr defeated fifth-ranked Nate Rotert, 7-0, to pull to within 17-12 in the team score.

The dual remained up for grabs entering the heavyweight bout, where fifth-ranked Michael Kroells of Minnesota met the Jackrabbits' Alex Macki. Unfortunately for the Jackrabbits, Macki was assessed multiple stalling calls in the match, leading to his disqualification and giving the Golden Gophers six team points to pull out the one-point victory.

SDSU returns to dual action Dec. 2, when it hosts Iowa at Frost Arena.

NO. 16 MINNESOTA 18, NO. 20 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 17
125: Ben Gillette (SDSU) dec. Skyler Petry (MINN), 8-1
133: No. 7 Seth Gross (SDSU) major dec. Mitch McKee (MINN), 12-3
141: Gannon Volk (MINN) dec. Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU), 6-2
149: Alex Kocer (SDSU) major dec. James Berg (MINN), 10-2
157: Colin Holler (SDSU) dec. No. 18 Jake Short (MINN), 6-4
165: Luke Zilverberg (SDSU) dec. Brandon Kingsley (MINN), 3-1
174: No. 17 Nick Wanzek (MINN) dec. No. 15 David Kocer (SDSU), 3-2
184: Bobby Steveson (MINN) dec. Martin Mueller (SDSU), 8-3
197: No. 2 Brett Pfarr (MINN) dec. No. 5 Nate Rotert (SDSU), 7-0
285: No. 5 Michael Kroells (MINN) won by disqualification (stalling) over Alex Macki (SDSU)