Jacks to wrestle Fresno State for first time

Sunday, January 20

Fresno, Calif.

4 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Fresno State

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

1/18/2019 2:09:00 PM | Wrestling

Dual 7: South Dakota State (1-5, 0-2 Big 12) at Fresno State (4-6, 1-3 Big 12)

When	Sunday, Jan. 20 \| 2 p.m. Pacific Time (4 p.m. Central)
Where	Save Mart Center \| Fresno, California
TV	FloWrestling.org (subscription required)
Radio	None
Live Stats	TrackWrestling.com
Match Notes	South Dakota State \| Fresno State
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram \| #StayJacked

The South Dakota State University wrestling team will attempt to bounce back from a pair of home losses when it heads to Fresno State for a Big 12 Conference dual Sunday afternoon.

Action is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Pacific Time (4 p.m. Central) at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The match will be available for viewing online through FloWrestling.org (subscription required).

The Jackrabbits enter the weekend in search of their first Big 12 dual win of the season. SDSU is 1-5 overall and 0-2 in league matches after dropping home duals to Big 12 rival No. 14 Northern Iowa, 30-10, on Jan. 11, followed by a 34-0 setback in nonconference action Jan. 13 to No. 18 Pittsburgh. All five of the Jackrabbits' losses have been to ranked teams.

Fresno State, meanwhile, comes into the weekend with a 4-6 overall mark, including a 1-3 record in the Big 12 Conference. The Bulldogs, who travel to Utah Valley on Friday, lost by a 31-6 count Jan. 13 at Iowa State. FSU's league win was a 34-4 triumph at Northern Colorado on Nov. 11.

THE SERIES: Sunday's dual will mark the first-ever meeting between South Dakota State and Fresno State on the wrestling mat. The Bulldogs joined the Big 12 Conference as an affiliate member during the 2017-18 season, but the two squads did not wrestle each other in dual competition.

LAST WEEK: The Jackrabbits fell to a pair of ranked opponents in dual action, while several younger wrestlers fared well in tournament competition last weekend.

No. 14 Northern Iowa 30, SDSU 10
SDSU's Henry Pohlmeyer picked up an upset win at 149 pounds, but Northern Iowa's four other ranked wrestlers in the lineup all earned victories to propel the 14th-ranked Panthers to a 30-10 dual victory before a crowd of 1,327 Jan. 11 at Frost Arena.

UNI evened its dual record at 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 Conference. The Jackrabbits dropped to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in league duals.

The Panthers controlled the early portion of the match, racing out to a 14-0 lead through three matches. Jay Schwarm opened with a pin at 125 pounds, followed by a 9-4 decision by the Panthers' Jack Skudlarczyk over SDSU reserve Rylee Molitor in the 133-pound weight class.

At 141 pounds, 10th-ranked Josh Alber posted a 22-7 technical fall win over the Jackrabbits' Aric Williams.

The night's marquee matchup came at 149 pounds, where Pohlmeyer battled against ninth-ranked Max Thomsen. The 20th-ranked Pohlmeyer scored on an escape early in the second period and overcame a penalty point for locking hands midway through the third period to ride out the remainder of the final stanza on top to pick up the decisive point in a 2-1 victory by way of a minute-plus advantage in riding time.

Sophomore Colten Carlson made it two wins in a row for SDSU, pulling the Jackrabbits to within 14-7 with an action-packed bonus-point victory in the 157-pound matchup. Carlson gave up three first-period takedowns, but countered with three of his own for a 9-8 lead. The Willmar, Minnesota, native controlled the final two periods, pulling away for a 26-12 major decision.

UNI quickly seized the momentum back in its favor through the strength of its lineup. Starting with 12th-ranked Bryce Steiert at 165 pounds, three ranked Panther wrestlers tallied 13 points over the next three matches. Steiert and eighth-ranked 174-pounder Taylor Lujan each won by technical fall, while fifth-ranked Drew Foster edged the Jackrabbits' Zach Carlson, 3-1, at 184 pounds.

Martin Mueller earned the final victory of the night for SDSU, recording a takedown midway through overtime for a 3-1 sudden victory over Tyrell Gordon in the 197-pound matchup.

Izaak Shedenhelm capped the UNI victory with another 3-1 decision over Blake Wolters in the heavyweight bout.

No. 18 Pittsburgh 34, SDSU 0
Eighteenth-ranked Pittsburgh remained undefeated in duals this season, shutting out South Dakota State by a 34-0 count Jan. 13 at Frost Arena.

In improving to 8-0 overall, the Panthers won four matches by major decision and the other six by decision. Five of Pitt's dual wins this season have come against Big 12 foes.

Pitt opened the dual with back-to-back major decisions as Brandon Fenton defeated Gregory Coapstick, 14-0, at 125 pounds and fourth-ranked Mickey Phillippi scored a 14-4 major decision over Rylee Molitor in the 133-pound division.

The Panthers, who featured five ranked wrestlers in their lineup, closed the first half of the dual with three consecutive decisions, including a 6-2 upset victory by Robert Lee over 20th-ranked Henry Pohlmeyer of SDSU.

Earning bonus-point wins for Pitt in the second half of the dual were 174-pounder Gregg Harvey and 11th-ranked heavyweight Demetrius Thomas.

Ridgewater Open Recap
In other weekend action, five Jackrabbit wrestlers won outright championships or shared titles during competition Jan. 12 at the Ridgewater Open in Willmar, Minnesota.

At 141 pounds, Willmar native Clay Carlson and teammate Zach Price shared the title. Carlson went 3-0 on the day, while Price received a first-round bye before winning two decisions to advance to the championship round. The two wrestlers did not square off in the title bout.

Two Jackrabbits also shared the title at 165 pounds as Kelby Hawkins and Kenny O'Neil reached the title tilt. Both wrestlers won their opening-round matches by fall. Hawkins won his semifinal match, 6-0, over Jacob Backlund of Ridgewater, while O'Neil posted an 18-2 technical fall over Neil Clement of Minnesota State, Mankato.

Freshman 197-pounder Tanner Sloan continued his impressive first season in a Jackrabbit singlet by winning his fourth open tournament of the year. Sloan improved to 21-2 after recording falls in his first two matches before scoring a 17-0 technical fall over Jacob Dykes of Southwest Minnesota State in the championship bout.

Also placing for the Jackrabbits were Russell Rucklos, third at 184 pounds, and Devon Sievers, who placed sixth at 174 pounds. SDSU's seven wrestlers combined for a 17-3 record in the tournament.

GROSS SIDELINED: Defending national champion Seth Gross announced Thursday that he will miss the remainder of the season due to a back injury that will require surgery. He intends to seek a medical hardship from the NCAA that would extend his eligibility through the 2019-20 season.

Gross, a native of Apple Valley, Minnesota, defeated Michigan's Stevan Micic, 13-8, in the 133-pound finale in Cleveland, Ohio, last March. He was honored as the Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Year after repeating as 133-pound champion and was a finalist for the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top collegiate wrestler. In posting a 29-1 overall record, Gross' only loss came when he moved up a weight class to take on top-ranked 141-pounder Bryce Meredith of Wyoming in dual action, dropping a 4-2 decision.

Gross' victory in the 2018 title match marked SDSU's first national championship — team or individual — in the Division I era, which began during the 2004-05 athletics season. He also became the Jackrabbits' first two-time All-American at the Division I level.

A national qualifier each of his first three seasons with the Jackrabbits, Gross competed at 141 pounds during the 2015-16 season before making back-to-back appearances in the 133-pound finals as a sophomore and junior.

Gross wrestled only once during the 2018-19 season, posting a first-period pin of Arizona State's Josiah Kline in dual action Nov. 11.

POHLMEYER RANKED: Following Seth Gross' announcement that he will miss the remainder of the 2018-19 season, 149-pounder Henry Pohlmeyer is the lone SDSU wrestler to appear in this week's individual rankings.

A junior from Johnston, Iowa, Pohlmeyer has compiled a 16-7 overall record so far this season, including a 3-3 mark in duals. He is ranked as high as 12th by TrackWrestling, while adding showings of 17th (Intermat), 18th (WIN Magazine) and 19th (FloWrestling).

Pohlmeyer downed then-ninth-ranked Max Thomsen of Northern Iowa, 2-1, in a Jan. 11 dual, but ended the weekend homestand with a 6-2 loss to Pittsburgh's Robert Lee.

Previously, Pohlmeyer recorded an eighth-place finish at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Dec. 29-30 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Pohlmeyer moved up to the 149-pound division this season after earning an at-large berth to the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships in the 149-pound division. He ended his sophomore season with a 23-11 overall record.

MUELLER RETURNS TO LINEUP: Junior Martin Mueller has returned to the Jackrabbit lineup in recent weeks, solidifying the 197-pound spot in dual competition.

The Rapid City native missed the team's first three duals due to injury. Starting with a 15-5 major decision over Oregon State's Bob Carlson in dual action Dec. 16, Mueller has posted a 2-1 record.

Mueller, who wrestled at 184 pounds last season, went 12-2 in duals en route to a 23-8 overall record and his first berth in the NCAA?Division I Wrestling Championships.

DUAL STREAK ENDS: South Dakota State had its school-record 14-dual winning streak come to an end Nov. 11, when the Jackrabbits fell to Arizona State, 30-9. The streak began last Dec. 3, when the Jackrabbits won all three of their duals against in-state foes at the Dakota Showcase in Spearfish.

SDSU outscored the opposition, 426-129, during its winning streak, which included an 8-0 mark against Big 12 Conference opponents.

BIG 12 SUCCESS: Now in its fourth season as an affiliate member of the Big 12 Conference for wrestling, South Dakota State has established itself as one of the top teams in the league.

Since joining the league at the start of the 2015-16 season, the Jackrabbits have combined to post a 22-5 record in duals against Big 12 foes, including a 15-3 mark since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.

The Jackrabbits also have turned in back-to-back third place efforts at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship the past two seasons after a fourth-place finish at their inaugural league meet in 2016.

RABBITS RANKED: The South Dakota State University wrestling team entered the 2018-19 season ranked in a tie for 20th place in the preseason poll conducted by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, but dropped out of the top 25 after losses in its first two duals.

The Jackrabbits return three national qualifiers from a squad that posted a 14-2 dual record and turned in a 12th-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Defending national champion Penn State received all 16 first-place votes in the Jan. 15 poll to continue to hold the top spot. Ohio State is second, followed by Oklahoma State in third.

Four other Big 12 Conference programs are included in this week's top 25, including Wyoming at No. 12 and Northern Iowa at 15th. Also ranked are Iowa State (16th) and Utah Valley (23rd).

Other Jackrabbit dual opponents currently ranked in the top 25 include No. 8 Minnesota, No. 14 Pittsburgh and No. 20 Arizona State.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Six different Jackrabbits have wrestled in their first collegiate duals through the first four head-to-head competitions this season. Making their dual debuts in the Nov. 11 matchup against Arizona State were Gregory Coapstick (125 pounds), Rylee Molitor (141 pounds) and Samuel Grove (184).

Against Oklahoma State on Nov. 17, Spencer Huber wrestled for the first time as a Jackrabbit, replacing Seth Gross in the lineup at 133 pounds.

Redshirt freshmen Aric Williams (141 pounds) and Kelby Hawkins (174 pounds) each made their collegiate dual debuts Dec. 16 in a win at Oregon State.

ROTERT TAKES ON NEW ROLE: Former South Dakota State University standout Nate Rotert has continued his long association with the Jackrabbit wrestling team by joining the staff as recruiting coordinator in August.

"Nate has been an integral part to the success of our program and exudes all that is SDSU," head coach Damion Hahn said. "He will help with our recruiting efforts immensely, and I am proud to bring him aboard."

A Spearfish native, Rotert was a four-time NCAA qualifier at 197 pounds while wrestling at SDSU from 2015-18, helping spark the Jackrabbits into nationally ranked program. He compiled a 99-37 career record, including a 50-14 mark in duals. Rotert won a Big 12 Conference individual title en route to a 28-5 mark his senior season.

COACH HAHN: Damion Hahn, who helped build Cornell into a national power over the past decade, was hired on April 9, 2018, to lead the South Dakota State wrestling program.

"Damion represents everything we are looking for in being able to take our wrestling program to the next level," said SDSU Director of Athletics Justin Sell in announcing the hire. "His success both as a collegiate wrestler and coach, along with his ability to recruit high-achieving student-athletes on and off the mat, made him the ideal candidate. He is a tremendous ambassador for the sport who will work tirelessly to ensure wrestling thrives both on our campus and across the country."

Hahn spent 12 years as an assistant coach and later the associate head coach at Cornell in Ithaca, New York. During his tenure, the Big Red recorded 11 top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships, including consecutive runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2011. He mentored 50 All-Americans, 12 of whom were individual NCAA champions. Cornell also won 12 straight Ivy League dual championships and 11 consecutive Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association team titles.

He picked up his first dual victory as a head coach Dec. 16, 2018, when the Jackrabbits rallied for a 19-17 win at Oregon State.

In accepting his first head coaching position, Hahn makes a return to the Midwest. As a collegiate wrestler at Minnesota, Hahn won NCAA individual national titles as a junior and senior. A four-time All-American, he also was a three-time Big 10 individual champion and was named the Jesse Owens Big 10 Male Athlete of the Year in 2004. The Golden Gophers won team NCAA championships during both his freshman and sophomore seasons. He finished his collegiate career with a 118-21 record.

Hahn was inducted into the University of Minnesota's M Club Hall of Fame in the summer of 2018.

Assisting Hahn are Cam Simaz, Cody Caldwell and Chris Dardanes. Simaz and Dardanes are new additions to the coaching staff, while Caldwell returned for his second year with the Jackrabbits.

Simaz was a three-time NCAA finalist at Cornell, where he wrestled under Hahn's direction. He won the 197-pound national title as a senior in 2012. Dardanes was a three-time All-American at Minnesota and Caldwell earned a trip to the national meet in 2014.

THE ROSTER: The 2018-19 SDSU wrestling roster features 28 student-athletes from nine different states. Of the 28 wrestlers, 11 are from Minnesota, followed by seven who are native South Dakotan. Iowa is represented by three wrestlers, while two wrestlers hail from California. Five states — Missouri, New York, Ohio, Texas and Washington — each have one wrestler.

By class, two are seniors, six are juniors, four are sophomores, seven are redshirt freshmen and nine are true freshmen.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits will have a 10-day break from competition before resuming dual action Jan. 31 with a home meet against Utah Valley. Start time is 7 p.m. at Frost Arena.

-GoJacks.com-