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South Dakota State University Athletics
Saturday, January 28
Edwardsville, Ill.
2:30 p.m.
South Dakota State University
at
SIU-Edwardsville
Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen
Jacks prepare for pair of duals
1/25/2017 11:29:00 AM | Wrestling
The 19th-ranked South Dakota State University wrestling team closes out the month of January with two duals against Southern Conference opponents Saturday in Edwardsville, Illinois.
The Jackrabbits, 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12 Conference, opens the day with a 2:30 p.m. dual against host SIUE at the Sam Vadalabene Center. The Cougars enter the weekend with a 2-9 dual record, including a 2-2 record in the Southern Conference.
SDSU is scheduled to square off against Gardner-Webb in the final dual of the day at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs are 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the Southern Conference following a 19-17 loss at Appalachian State on Tuesday.
The host Cougars and Gardner-Webb kick off action Saturday with a 1 p.m. dual.
Video coverage of the dual against SIUE will be available through SIUECougars.com. Twitter updates also will be available through @GoJacksWrestle.
THE SERIES: Saturday's dual against SIUE will mark the seventh time the Jackrabbits and Cougars have met on the wrestling mat.
SDSU holds a 4-1-1 advantage in the series, which began with a 23-23 tie during the 2009-10 season. The Jackrabbits have met every season since and have won the last four meetings, including a 34-12 victory at Frost Arena last season.
SIUE's lone win in the series was an 18-12 triumph on Dec. 12, 2010, in Brookings.
South Dakota State 34, SIUE 12 (Jan. 22, 2016)
125: Ben Gillette (SDSU) major dec. Joe Antonelli (SIUE), 11-2
133: #17 Brance Simms (SDSU) dec. Dakota Leach (SIUE), 7-3
141: Seth Gross (SDSU) def. John Muldoon (SIUE), by fall 6:10
149: Alex Kocer (SDSU) def. John Fahy (SIUE), by fall 5:59
157: #6 Cody Pack (SDSU) dec. Eric Travers (SIUE), 5-1
165: Nate Higgins (SIUE) def. Luke Zilverberg (SDSU), by injury default (5:24)
174: David Kocer (SDSU) def. Clayton Bass (SIUE), by fall 6:48
184: Derek Nagel (SIUE) dec. Brady Ayers (SDSU), 10-5
197: #14 Nate Rotert (SDSU) def. Jake Tindle (SIUE), by fall 3:27
HWT: Chris Johnson (SIUE) dec. Alex Macki (SDSU), 3-2
SDSU's match with Gardner-Webb on Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
RABBITS RANKED: South Dakota State is well represented both individually and as a team in rankings conducted by a number of wrestling-related media outlets. Individually, five different Jackrabbit wrestlers appear in at least one Division I poll.
Returning NCAA qualifier Seth Gross holds the highest ranking ever by a Jackrabbit wrestler in the Division I era with a second-place ranking in the 133-pound division by Intermat and Trackwrestling following his victory over then-No. 2 Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State on Jan. 22. Gross, a national qualifier at 141 pounds last season, also is ranked fifth by WIN Magazine and FloWrestling.
Two-time NCAA qualifier Nate Rotert moved back up in the rankings following his Jan. 22 win over fourth-ranked Preston Weigel of Oklahoma State on Jan. 22. A junior from Spearfish, Rotert is ranked sixth by WIN Magazine and seventh by Intermat, FloWrestling and Trackwrestling. Earlier this season, Rotert rose to as high as fourth in the Intermat rankings, which marked the highest individual ranking by a Jackrabbit before Gross' ascension this week.
At 174 pounds, junior David Kocer cracked the rankings after a strong opening weekend in which he knocked off two ranked opponents. The Wagner native upped his standing after upsetting fifth-ranked Kyle Crutchmer of Oklahoma State on Jan. 22 to 13th in the FloWrestling rankings, as well as 15th by Intermat, WIN Magazine and Trackwrestling. His older brother, Alex, appears in the 149-pound polls this week with rankings of 18th by WIN Magazine, 20th by both FloWrestling and Intermat and 22nd by Trackwrestling.
Rounding out the list of ranked Jackrabbit wrestlers is junior 165-pounder Luke Zilverberg. The Belle Plaine, Minnesota, native stands 18th in the FloWrestling rankings and 19th by WIN Magazine.
After being the top team to receive votes in the USA Today/National Wrestling Coaches Association preseason poll, SDSU held the No. 20 spot in the team rankings for eight weeks until moving up one spot to 19th on Jan. 17, a spot the Jackrabbits hold again this week. The Jackrabbits first cracked the rankings Nov. 8 following their season-opening dual victory over Iowa State.
SDSU also is ranked 14th in the team dual rankings by WIN Magazine and stands 15th in the team dual rankings by Intermat and Trackwrestling, and 19th by FloWrestling.
HOT STREAK: With an 8-3 record to start the 2016-17 season, the Jackrabbit wrestling team has continued an impressive run of success in dual meets. Dating back to December 6, 2015, when it won all three duals at the South Dakota Showcase in Sioux Falls, SDSU has won 21 of its last 25 duals, with all four losses against nationally ranked opponents.
The victories at the 2015 South Dakota Showcase began a school-record streak of 12 consecutive dual victories, which was eventually snapped on Feb. 14, 2016, with a 19-13 loss at Oklahoma. SDSU later closed the 2015-16 dual season with a 23-14 victory against North Dakota State.
SDSU also is 10-3 in duals against Big 12 Conference opponents since joining the league as an affiliate member at the start of the 2015-16 season. The Jackrabbits' losses have been to Oklahoma State (twice) and Oklahoma.
LAST WEEK: South Dakota State won some key battles, but the top-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team proved to be too much in a 31-9 dual victory Sunday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The 19th-ranked Jackrabbits, who had their seven-match winning streak snapped, dropped to 8-3 overall and 4-1 against Big 12 Conference opponents. Oklahoma State, whose entire 10-man lineup in Sunday's dual featured a ranked wrestler, stayed unbeaten in duals at 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12.
All three of SDSU's wins came against a Cowboy wrestler in the top five of their respective weight classes in the most recent Intermat rankings. Seventh-ranked Seth Gross recorded only one takedown in his match against second-ranked Kaid Brock, but came away with a 6-4 decision. Gross led 3-2 after the first period and rode out the entire second period before scoring on a pair of escapes and a riding-time advantage. With the win, Gross improved to 19-1 overall and 9-0 in duals.
David Kocer, the 20th ranked wrestler at 174 pounds, pulled off the biggest upset of the day with a 7-2 decision over fifth-ranked Kyle Crutchmer. Kocer recorded an early takedown and four-point near-fall to build a 6-0 lead in the first period and never allowed Crutchmer to mount any sort of offensive attack. A returning NCAA qualifier, Kocer improved to 14-5 overall and 9-2 in duals this season.
Also victorious in a matchup between highly ranked wrestlers was Jackrabbit 197-pounder Nate Rotert, who notched a 3-1, sudden-victory decision over fourth-ranked Preston Weigel. Rotert, ranked eighth, was awarded a point for stalling near the end of the second period and gave up an escape to open the third period. With time winding down in the overtime period, Rotert recorded a takedown to up his season mark to 13-3 and 7-2 in dual action.
The only matchup between ranked wrestlers that Oklahoma State won was at 149 pounds, where second-ranked Anthony Collica posted a 23-8 technical fall win over No. 20 Alex Kocer.
OSU received two other wins by technical fall – from 11th-ranked Nick Piccininni at 125 pounds and sixth-ranked Nolan Boyd in the 184-pound weight class. Seventh-ranked heavyweight Austin Schafer ended the dual with a first-period pin of Alex Macki.
Top-ranked 141-pounder Dean Heil won by major decision for Oklahoma State over Isaac Andrade, with 157-pounder Joe Smith and 165-pounder Chandler Rogers, both ranked sixth, turning in wins by decision.
GROSS IN DOMINANT FORM: Jackrabbit 133-pounder Seth Gross leads the team with a 19-1 record after posting a 6-4 decision over second-ranked Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State on Jan. 22.
Gross's lone loss of the season was a 2-0 overtime decision to then-third-ranked Eric Montoya of Nebraska in the semifinals of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Dec. 30. Gross later defeated Iowa State's Earl Hall by major decision to claim third place at the Midlands.
A sophomore from Apple Valley, Minnesota, Gross has had only three matches end in a decision so far this season. He has four wins by major decision, six by technical fall and seven by fall.
An NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds last season, Gross has a 45-15 career record with the Jackrabbits. He began his transition to the lower weight class by earning a spot on Team USA at the UWW Junior World Championships this past summer.
THE BROTHERS KOCER: Brothers and Wagner natives Alex and David Kocer have taken over the top two spots among active Jackrabbit wrestlers in career victories.
A two-time NCAA qualifier (2014, 2016), Alex Kocer has compiled an 83-38 overall record in his four seasons in a Jackrabbit singlet, moving into a three-way tie for 22nd place on the SDSU career victories list with Pat Timm (1994-98) and Jason Stripling (2004-09). A senior, he has turned in a 17-5 overall record at 149 pounds so this season, after a 24-12 mark during the 2015-16 campaign.
David Kocer has held down the starting spot at 174 pounds each of his three seasons at SDSU and has combined to go 70-38 during his Jackrabbit career. He led the Jackrabbits in victories last season and made his first NCAA appearance, finishing with a 30-13 record.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: South Dakota State University's Seth Gross was named Monday as Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Week after winning a top-10 matchup over the weekend.
The seventh-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds, Gross defeated second-ranked Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State, 6-4, in dual action on Jan. 22. A sophomore from Apple Valley, Minnesota, and a returning NCAA qualifier, Gross has posted a 19-1 overall record so far this season, including a 9-0 mark in duals.
Gross, who also was honored as FloWrestler of the Week by FloWrestling.org, is the third Jackrabbit wrestler to be named Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Week this season. David Kocer (174 pounds) received the award Nov. 7, with Luke Zilverberg (165 pounds) earning the recognition on Jan. 9.
Kocer put together a 4-1 record over two events, including defeating two ranked opponents, during the opening weekend of the season. He recorded a takedown with two seconds remaining in his Nov. 4 dual match against seventh-ranked Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State to pull out a 3-1 victory and help spark the Jackrabbits to a 27-9 team win.
At the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 6, Kocer turned in a runner-up finish. He recorded technical falls in his first two matches before defeating 14th-ranked Micah Barnes of Nebraska by a 3-1 decision in the semifinals. Kocer fell to 15th-ranked Zahid Valencia of Arizona State in the finals.
A junior 165-pounder from Belle Plaine, Minnesota, Zilverberg, a junior 165-pounder from Belle Plaine, Minnesota, helped the 20th-ranked Jackrabbits to convincing home victories over Boise State (37-3) and Northern Colorado (34-6).
After giving up a takedown late in regulation in his match against Boise State's Demetrius Romero that forced overtime, Zilverberg came up with a takedown of his own midway through the extra session to pull out the 5-3 win on Jan. 6.
Against Northern Colorado's Keilan Torres — ranked 14th by FloWrestling — on Jan. 8, Zilverberg trailed 3-1 in the waning seconds of regulation, but came up with a reversal to send the match to overtime. He then came away with his second 5-3 victory of the weekend with a takedown of Torres 14 seconds into the sudden-victory period.
ATTENDANCE RECORD FALLS AGAIN: South Dakota State shattered its home dual attendance record Dec. 2 as it drew 4,087 fans to Frost Arena for a matchup against third-ranked Iowa. The previous record of 1,814 was set in the Nov. 4 season opener versus Iowa State.
COACH BONO: Chris Bono has engineered a successful rebuilding process during his tenure as head coach of the South Dakota State University wrestling program
Now in his fifth season, Bono has helped mentor Jackrabbit wrestlers to qualify for the NCAA Championships 12 times, including a program-best five wrestlers during the 2015-16 season.
In dual competition, Bono has led the Jackrabbits to a 44-37 record that includes back-to-back winning seasons for the first time at the Division I level. Bono's career dual record stands at 83-54, including a highly successful three-year run at Chattanooga.
The Jackrabbits entered a new era during the 2015-16 season by joining the Big 12 Conference as an affiliate member. After dropping early season duals to nationally ranked Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State and Iowa, the Jackrabbits reeled off a school-record 12 consecutive dual victories that propelled them into the top 25 of the Division I team rankings for the first time.
At the 2016 Big 12 Championship, SDSU turned in a fourth-place finish as Seth Gross (141 pounds), Cody Pack (157) and Nate Rotert (197) all finished as runners-up in their respective weight classes. That Jackrabbit trio were joined by brothers Alex and David Kocer from the 149- and 174-pound weight classes, respectively, as qualifiers for the NCAA Championships in New York City.
Four of the five Jackrabbit wrestlers won at least one match at the NCAA Championships as the Jackrabbits finished in a tie for 39th place. Gross and Pack each finished one win away from achieving All-America status. Pack was making his fourth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships.
While leading the Jackrabbits, Bono was also tabbed as coach for the U.S. Men's Freestyle team at the 2013 Pan American Championships. In the world event, Bono led Team USA to a 13-point victory.
Under Bono's leadership, the Jackrabbit wrestling program has consistently raised the bar in promoting the sport through innovative social media strategies. SDSU has received the Gold Standard honor from the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Elite Level Sport Marketing two times as part of their Best of Brand Awards.
His teams also have performed well in the classroom, placing in the top 25 for team grade-point average in rankings compiled by the National Wrestling Coaches Association each of the past two seasons. Individually, eight Jackrabbits wrestlers were honored on the 2016 Academic All-Big 12 Conference Wrestling Team.
Bono joined the UTC staff in 2005 after serving nine years as an assistant coach at Iowa State. He was the Cyclones' head assistant coach for five seasons.
Bono lettered at Iowa State from 1994-97 and ranks fifth on the program's all-time wins list with 130 victories. He won the NCAA 150-pound title as a junior and was a four-time NCAA?participant. Bono won the Big Eight title as a junior and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Championship in 1997.
He later served as an assistant coach at Iowa State for nine years, including holding the title of head assistant coach for five seasons before moving on to Chattanooga.
Bono earned his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from Iowa State in 1997.
THE ROSTER: The 2016-17 SDSU wrestling roster features 25 student-athletes from eight different states. Of the 25 wrestlers, eight are from South Dakota, seven are from Minnesota and four are from Iowa. California is represented by two wrestlers, while Colorado, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio each have one wrestler.
By class, three are seniors, six are juniors, four are sophomores, five are redshirt freshmen and seven are true freshmen.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits will return to Big 12 Conference action with a pair of home duals. SDSU hosts No. 14 Oklahoma at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, followed by a Feb. 4 matchup against Utah Valley as part of a tripleheader with the Jackrabbit basketball teams. The Feb. 4 dual is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Frost Arena.
Both duals can be viewed via the FloWrestling.org subscription service.
-GoJacks.com-
The Jackrabbits, 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12 Conference, opens the day with a 2:30 p.m. dual against host SIUE at the Sam Vadalabene Center. The Cougars enter the weekend with a 2-9 dual record, including a 2-2 record in the Southern Conference.
SDSU is scheduled to square off against Gardner-Webb in the final dual of the day at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs are 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the Southern Conference following a 19-17 loss at Appalachian State on Tuesday.
The host Cougars and Gardner-Webb kick off action Saturday with a 1 p.m. dual.
Video coverage of the dual against SIUE will be available through SIUECougars.com. Twitter updates also will be available through @GoJacksWrestle.
THE SERIES: Saturday's dual against SIUE will mark the seventh time the Jackrabbits and Cougars have met on the wrestling mat.
SDSU holds a 4-1-1 advantage in the series, which began with a 23-23 tie during the 2009-10 season. The Jackrabbits have met every season since and have won the last four meetings, including a 34-12 victory at Frost Arena last season.
SIUE's lone win in the series was an 18-12 triumph on Dec. 12, 2010, in Brookings.
South Dakota State 34, SIUE 12 (Jan. 22, 2016)
125: Ben Gillette (SDSU) major dec. Joe Antonelli (SIUE), 11-2
133: #17 Brance Simms (SDSU) dec. Dakota Leach (SIUE), 7-3
141: Seth Gross (SDSU) def. John Muldoon (SIUE), by fall 6:10
149: Alex Kocer (SDSU) def. John Fahy (SIUE), by fall 5:59
157: #6 Cody Pack (SDSU) dec. Eric Travers (SIUE), 5-1
165: Nate Higgins (SIUE) def. Luke Zilverberg (SDSU), by injury default (5:24)
174: David Kocer (SDSU) def. Clayton Bass (SIUE), by fall 6:48
184: Derek Nagel (SIUE) dec. Brady Ayers (SDSU), 10-5
197: #14 Nate Rotert (SDSU) def. Jake Tindle (SIUE), by fall 3:27
HWT: Chris Johnson (SIUE) dec. Alex Macki (SDSU), 3-2
SDSU's match with Gardner-Webb on Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
RABBITS RANKED: South Dakota State is well represented both individually and as a team in rankings conducted by a number of wrestling-related media outlets. Individually, five different Jackrabbit wrestlers appear in at least one Division I poll.
Returning NCAA qualifier Seth Gross holds the highest ranking ever by a Jackrabbit wrestler in the Division I era with a second-place ranking in the 133-pound division by Intermat and Trackwrestling following his victory over then-No. 2 Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State on Jan. 22. Gross, a national qualifier at 141 pounds last season, also is ranked fifth by WIN Magazine and FloWrestling.
Two-time NCAA qualifier Nate Rotert moved back up in the rankings following his Jan. 22 win over fourth-ranked Preston Weigel of Oklahoma State on Jan. 22. A junior from Spearfish, Rotert is ranked sixth by WIN Magazine and seventh by Intermat, FloWrestling and Trackwrestling. Earlier this season, Rotert rose to as high as fourth in the Intermat rankings, which marked the highest individual ranking by a Jackrabbit before Gross' ascension this week.
At 174 pounds, junior David Kocer cracked the rankings after a strong opening weekend in which he knocked off two ranked opponents. The Wagner native upped his standing after upsetting fifth-ranked Kyle Crutchmer of Oklahoma State on Jan. 22 to 13th in the FloWrestling rankings, as well as 15th by Intermat, WIN Magazine and Trackwrestling. His older brother, Alex, appears in the 149-pound polls this week with rankings of 18th by WIN Magazine, 20th by both FloWrestling and Intermat and 22nd by Trackwrestling.
Rounding out the list of ranked Jackrabbit wrestlers is junior 165-pounder Luke Zilverberg. The Belle Plaine, Minnesota, native stands 18th in the FloWrestling rankings and 19th by WIN Magazine.
After being the top team to receive votes in the USA Today/National Wrestling Coaches Association preseason poll, SDSU held the No. 20 spot in the team rankings for eight weeks until moving up one spot to 19th on Jan. 17, a spot the Jackrabbits hold again this week. The Jackrabbits first cracked the rankings Nov. 8 following their season-opening dual victory over Iowa State.
SDSU also is ranked 14th in the team dual rankings by WIN Magazine and stands 15th in the team dual rankings by Intermat and Trackwrestling, and 19th by FloWrestling.
HOT STREAK: With an 8-3 record to start the 2016-17 season, the Jackrabbit wrestling team has continued an impressive run of success in dual meets. Dating back to December 6, 2015, when it won all three duals at the South Dakota Showcase in Sioux Falls, SDSU has won 21 of its last 25 duals, with all four losses against nationally ranked opponents.
The victories at the 2015 South Dakota Showcase began a school-record streak of 12 consecutive dual victories, which was eventually snapped on Feb. 14, 2016, with a 19-13 loss at Oklahoma. SDSU later closed the 2015-16 dual season with a 23-14 victory against North Dakota State.
SDSU also is 10-3 in duals against Big 12 Conference opponents since joining the league as an affiliate member at the start of the 2015-16 season. The Jackrabbits' losses have been to Oklahoma State (twice) and Oklahoma.
LAST WEEK: South Dakota State won some key battles, but the top-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team proved to be too much in a 31-9 dual victory Sunday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The 19th-ranked Jackrabbits, who had their seven-match winning streak snapped, dropped to 8-3 overall and 4-1 against Big 12 Conference opponents. Oklahoma State, whose entire 10-man lineup in Sunday's dual featured a ranked wrestler, stayed unbeaten in duals at 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12.
All three of SDSU's wins came against a Cowboy wrestler in the top five of their respective weight classes in the most recent Intermat rankings. Seventh-ranked Seth Gross recorded only one takedown in his match against second-ranked Kaid Brock, but came away with a 6-4 decision. Gross led 3-2 after the first period and rode out the entire second period before scoring on a pair of escapes and a riding-time advantage. With the win, Gross improved to 19-1 overall and 9-0 in duals.
David Kocer, the 20th ranked wrestler at 174 pounds, pulled off the biggest upset of the day with a 7-2 decision over fifth-ranked Kyle Crutchmer. Kocer recorded an early takedown and four-point near-fall to build a 6-0 lead in the first period and never allowed Crutchmer to mount any sort of offensive attack. A returning NCAA qualifier, Kocer improved to 14-5 overall and 9-2 in duals this season.
Also victorious in a matchup between highly ranked wrestlers was Jackrabbit 197-pounder Nate Rotert, who notched a 3-1, sudden-victory decision over fourth-ranked Preston Weigel. Rotert, ranked eighth, was awarded a point for stalling near the end of the second period and gave up an escape to open the third period. With time winding down in the overtime period, Rotert recorded a takedown to up his season mark to 13-3 and 7-2 in dual action.
The only matchup between ranked wrestlers that Oklahoma State won was at 149 pounds, where second-ranked Anthony Collica posted a 23-8 technical fall win over No. 20 Alex Kocer.
OSU received two other wins by technical fall – from 11th-ranked Nick Piccininni at 125 pounds and sixth-ranked Nolan Boyd in the 184-pound weight class. Seventh-ranked heavyweight Austin Schafer ended the dual with a first-period pin of Alex Macki.
Top-ranked 141-pounder Dean Heil won by major decision for Oklahoma State over Isaac Andrade, with 157-pounder Joe Smith and 165-pounder Chandler Rogers, both ranked sixth, turning in wins by decision.
GROSS IN DOMINANT FORM: Jackrabbit 133-pounder Seth Gross leads the team with a 19-1 record after posting a 6-4 decision over second-ranked Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State on Jan. 22.
Gross's lone loss of the season was a 2-0 overtime decision to then-third-ranked Eric Montoya of Nebraska in the semifinals of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Dec. 30. Gross later defeated Iowa State's Earl Hall by major decision to claim third place at the Midlands.
A sophomore from Apple Valley, Minnesota, Gross has had only three matches end in a decision so far this season. He has four wins by major decision, six by technical fall and seven by fall.
An NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds last season, Gross has a 45-15 career record with the Jackrabbits. He began his transition to the lower weight class by earning a spot on Team USA at the UWW Junior World Championships this past summer.
THE BROTHERS KOCER: Brothers and Wagner natives Alex and David Kocer have taken over the top two spots among active Jackrabbit wrestlers in career victories.
A two-time NCAA qualifier (2014, 2016), Alex Kocer has compiled an 83-38 overall record in his four seasons in a Jackrabbit singlet, moving into a three-way tie for 22nd place on the SDSU career victories list with Pat Timm (1994-98) and Jason Stripling (2004-09). A senior, he has turned in a 17-5 overall record at 149 pounds so this season, after a 24-12 mark during the 2015-16 campaign.
David Kocer has held down the starting spot at 174 pounds each of his three seasons at SDSU and has combined to go 70-38 during his Jackrabbit career. He led the Jackrabbits in victories last season and made his first NCAA appearance, finishing with a 30-13 record.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: South Dakota State University's Seth Gross was named Monday as Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Week after winning a top-10 matchup over the weekend.
The seventh-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds, Gross defeated second-ranked Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State, 6-4, in dual action on Jan. 22. A sophomore from Apple Valley, Minnesota, and a returning NCAA qualifier, Gross has posted a 19-1 overall record so far this season, including a 9-0 mark in duals.
Gross, who also was honored as FloWrestler of the Week by FloWrestling.org, is the third Jackrabbit wrestler to be named Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Week this season. David Kocer (174 pounds) received the award Nov. 7, with Luke Zilverberg (165 pounds) earning the recognition on Jan. 9.
Kocer put together a 4-1 record over two events, including defeating two ranked opponents, during the opening weekend of the season. He recorded a takedown with two seconds remaining in his Nov. 4 dual match against seventh-ranked Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State to pull out a 3-1 victory and help spark the Jackrabbits to a 27-9 team win.
At the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 6, Kocer turned in a runner-up finish. He recorded technical falls in his first two matches before defeating 14th-ranked Micah Barnes of Nebraska by a 3-1 decision in the semifinals. Kocer fell to 15th-ranked Zahid Valencia of Arizona State in the finals.
A junior 165-pounder from Belle Plaine, Minnesota, Zilverberg, a junior 165-pounder from Belle Plaine, Minnesota, helped the 20th-ranked Jackrabbits to convincing home victories over Boise State (37-3) and Northern Colorado (34-6).
After giving up a takedown late in regulation in his match against Boise State's Demetrius Romero that forced overtime, Zilverberg came up with a takedown of his own midway through the extra session to pull out the 5-3 win on Jan. 6.
Against Northern Colorado's Keilan Torres — ranked 14th by FloWrestling — on Jan. 8, Zilverberg trailed 3-1 in the waning seconds of regulation, but came up with a reversal to send the match to overtime. He then came away with his second 5-3 victory of the weekend with a takedown of Torres 14 seconds into the sudden-victory period.
ATTENDANCE RECORD FALLS AGAIN: South Dakota State shattered its home dual attendance record Dec. 2 as it drew 4,087 fans to Frost Arena for a matchup against third-ranked Iowa. The previous record of 1,814 was set in the Nov. 4 season opener versus Iowa State.
COACH BONO: Chris Bono has engineered a successful rebuilding process during his tenure as head coach of the South Dakota State University wrestling program
Now in his fifth season, Bono has helped mentor Jackrabbit wrestlers to qualify for the NCAA Championships 12 times, including a program-best five wrestlers during the 2015-16 season.
In dual competition, Bono has led the Jackrabbits to a 44-37 record that includes back-to-back winning seasons for the first time at the Division I level. Bono's career dual record stands at 83-54, including a highly successful three-year run at Chattanooga.
The Jackrabbits entered a new era during the 2015-16 season by joining the Big 12 Conference as an affiliate member. After dropping early season duals to nationally ranked Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State and Iowa, the Jackrabbits reeled off a school-record 12 consecutive dual victories that propelled them into the top 25 of the Division I team rankings for the first time.
At the 2016 Big 12 Championship, SDSU turned in a fourth-place finish as Seth Gross (141 pounds), Cody Pack (157) and Nate Rotert (197) all finished as runners-up in their respective weight classes. That Jackrabbit trio were joined by brothers Alex and David Kocer from the 149- and 174-pound weight classes, respectively, as qualifiers for the NCAA Championships in New York City.
Four of the five Jackrabbit wrestlers won at least one match at the NCAA Championships as the Jackrabbits finished in a tie for 39th place. Gross and Pack each finished one win away from achieving All-America status. Pack was making his fourth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships.
While leading the Jackrabbits, Bono was also tabbed as coach for the U.S. Men's Freestyle team at the 2013 Pan American Championships. In the world event, Bono led Team USA to a 13-point victory.
Under Bono's leadership, the Jackrabbit wrestling program has consistently raised the bar in promoting the sport through innovative social media strategies. SDSU has received the Gold Standard honor from the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Elite Level Sport Marketing two times as part of their Best of Brand Awards.
His teams also have performed well in the classroom, placing in the top 25 for team grade-point average in rankings compiled by the National Wrestling Coaches Association each of the past two seasons. Individually, eight Jackrabbits wrestlers were honored on the 2016 Academic All-Big 12 Conference Wrestling Team.
Bono joined the UTC staff in 2005 after serving nine years as an assistant coach at Iowa State. He was the Cyclones' head assistant coach for five seasons.
Bono lettered at Iowa State from 1994-97 and ranks fifth on the program's all-time wins list with 130 victories. He won the NCAA 150-pound title as a junior and was a four-time NCAA?participant. Bono won the Big Eight title as a junior and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Championship in 1997.
He later served as an assistant coach at Iowa State for nine years, including holding the title of head assistant coach for five seasons before moving on to Chattanooga.
Bono earned his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from Iowa State in 1997.
THE ROSTER: The 2016-17 SDSU wrestling roster features 25 student-athletes from eight different states. Of the 25 wrestlers, eight are from South Dakota, seven are from Minnesota and four are from Iowa. California is represented by two wrestlers, while Colorado, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio each have one wrestler.
By class, three are seniors, six are juniors, four are sophomores, five are redshirt freshmen and seven are true freshmen.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits will return to Big 12 Conference action with a pair of home duals. SDSU hosts No. 14 Oklahoma at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, followed by a Feb. 4 matchup against Utah Valley as part of a tripleheader with the Jackrabbit basketball teams. The Feb. 4 dual is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Frost Arena.
Both duals can be viewed via the FloWrestling.org subscription service.
-GoJacks.com-
Players Mentioned
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/ WrestlingWrestling Weekly Update (03.25.2025)
Tuesday, March 25
Wrestling NCAA Championships Session 3 Highlights (03.21.2025)
Friday, March 21
Wrestling NCAA Championships Session 2 Highlights (03.20.2025)
Friday, March 21
Wrestling NCAA Championships Session 1 Highlights (03.20.2025)
Thursday, March 20