Jackrabbits resume Big 12 duals

Thursday, January 31

Brookings, S.D.

7 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Utah Valley

Buy Tickets

SIOUX FALLS, SD - NOVEMBER 11: xxxxxxxxxx (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

1/29/2019 12:22:00 PM | Wrestling

Dual 8: Utah Valley (9-8, 0-2 Big 12) at South Dakota State (1-6, 0-3 Big 12)

When	Thursday, Jan. 31 \| 7 p.m. Central Time	Military Appreciation Night \| Teddy Bear Toss
Where	Frost Arena \| Brookings, S.D. \| Order Tickets
TV	FloWrestling.org (subscription required)
Radio	None
Live Stats	TrackWrestling.com
Match Notes	South Dakota State \| Utah Valley
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram \| #StayJacked

Dual 9: South Dakota State at No. 14 Iowa State (7-2, 4-1 Big 12)

When	Friday, Feb. 1 \| 7 p.m. Central Time
Where	Hilton Coliseum \| Ames, Iowa
TV	FloWrestling.org \| Cyclones.TV (subscriptions required)
Radio	None
Live Stats	TrackWrestling.com
Match Notes	South Dakota State \| Iowa State
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram \| #StayJacked

The South Dakota State University wrestling team continues a string of six consecutive dual meets against Big 12 Conference competition with matches on back to back nights this week.

The Jackrabbits, 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12, open the week by hosting Utah Valley Thursday night at Frost Arena. Competition on Military Appreciation Night begins at 7 p.m. All active duty and former military personnel can claim two complimentary tickets at the Frost Arena box office prior to the match by presenting proper identification.

A Teddy Bear Toss also will be held at intermission, with collected items — both teddy bears and other new toys — being directed to Sanford Children's Hospital.

Utah Valley also is in search of its first conference dual win of the season, entering the week with an 0-2 Big 12 mark and a 9-8 overall dual slate. The Wolverines, who are currently receiving votes in the national rankings after spending a few weeks this season in the top 25, are scheduled to wrestle three duals over four days, traveling to North Dakota State on Friday and Iowa State on Sunday.

SDSU will also travel to Iowa State this week, taking on the 14th-ranked Cyclones at 7 p.m. Friday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State, which has returned to the national rankings this season under second-year coach Kevin Dresser, has compiled a 7-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in the Big 12 so far this season. ISU dropped a 22-15 contest at then-third-ranked Oklahoma State on Jan. 27.

Both of the Jackrabbits' duals this week can be viewed online through FloWrestling.org (subscription required).

THE SERIES: The Jackrabbits hold modest winning streaks against both of this week's dual opponents, although they trail in each of the all-time series.

vs. Utah Valley State
SDSU and Utah Valley State have met every season since the 2005-06 campaign, when both squads became charter members of the Western Wrestling Conference. The Wolverines hold an 8-5 series advantage, although SDSU has won the past four matchups, including a 31-10 victory on Jan. 12, 2018, at Orem, Utah. The Jackrabbit win was highlighted by pins from Henry Pohlmeyer and Seth Gross.

Before the Jackrabbits' current series winning streak, Utah Valley had won seven duals in a row.

SDSU 31, Utah Valley 10 (Jan. 12, 2018, at Orem, Utah)
141: Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU) def. Matt Findlay (UVU), by fall 2:03
149: Colten Carlson (SDSU) def. Grant LaMont (UVU), by injury default 4:26
157: #10 Luke Zilverberg (SDSU) dec. Raider Lofthouse (UVU), 6-0
165: #16 Demetrius Romero (UVU) major dec. Logan Peterson (SDSU), 11-3
174: #9 David Kocer (SDSU) dec. Kimball Bastian (UVU), 6-2
184: Martin Mueller (SDSU) major dec. Gary Jantzer (UVU), 14-6
197: #11 Nate Rotert (SDSU) dec. Tanner Orndorff (UVU), 4-2
285: Dustin Dennison (UVU) dec. Alex Macki (SDSU), 6-2
125: #7 Taylor LaMont (UVU) dec. Connor Brown (SDSU), 8-7
133: #1 Seth Gross SDSU) def. Durbin Lloren (UVU), by fall 2:55

vs. Iowa State
The Jackrabbits have posted two consecutive convincing victories over Iowa State after the Cyclones won the first nine dual meetings between the two squads, dating back to the 1951-52 season when ISU claimed a 27-2 win.

Both of SDSU's victories came on its home mat at Frost Arena. The Jackrabbits opened the 2016-17 dual season with a 27-9 victory, before scoring a 30-15 triumph in last season's matchup, on Feb. 4, 2018. SDSU won seven of 10 bouts in last season's dual.

SDSU 30, Iowa State 15 (Feb. 4 2018, at Frost Arena)
125: #20 Connor Brown (SDSU) def. Sinjin Briggs (ISU), by fall 2:07
133: #1 Seth Gross (SDSU) major dec. Markus Simmons (ISU), 12-3
141: Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU) won by forfeit
149: Jarrett Degen (ISU) tech. fall Colten Carlson (SDSU), 19-4 [5:10]
157: #16 Luke Zilverberg (SDSU) dec. Chase Straw (ISU), 10-7
165: Logan Peterson (SDSU) tech. fall Skyler St. John (ISU), 16-1 [5:10]
174: #14 David Kocer (SDSU) dec. Danny Bush (ISU), 9-2
184: Martin Mueller (SDSU) dec. Dane Pestano (ISU), 6-5
197: Sam Colbray (ISU) def. #11 Nate Rotert (SDSU), by fall 5:22
285: Marcus Harrington (ISU) major dec. Alex Macki (SDSU), 10-1

LAST TIME OUT: Fresno State recorded pins in three of the first four matches and went on to defeat South Dakota State, 38-3, in a Big 12 Conference wrestling dual Jan. 20 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

The victorious Bulldogs improved to 6-6 and 3-3 in the Big 12. SDSU dropped to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in league duals. The matchup marked the first-ever wrestling dual between the two squads.

Fresno State's early blitz began when Robert Garcia notched a first-period fall over the Jackrabbits' Gregory Coapstick in the opening bout at 125 pounds.

After Gary Joint tallied a 9-0 major decision over SDSU's Rylee Molitor, Christopher Deloza and Khristian Olivas came up with back-to-back second-period pins to build the Bulldog lead to 22-0. Deloza downed Aric Williams, while the 17th-ranked Olivas recorded his second pin in three weeks against 19th-ranked Henry Pohlmeyer — the first coming in the seventh-place match at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 30.

The next four matches all resulted in decisions, with Fresno State claiming the first three. Zach Carlson ended the Jackrabbit drought by avenging a loss to Jackson Hemauer at the Midlands with a 4-3 decision. After a scoreless first period, Carlson scored on a reversal late in the second period for a 3-2 lead and rode out nearly the entire third period to pick up the decisive point via a minute-plus of riding time.

Fresno State closed out the dual with a major decision by 16th-ranked Josh Hokit and a 2-0 decision by heavyweight A.J. Nevills.

FRESNO STATE 38, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 3
125: Robert Garcia (FSU) def. Gregory Coapstick (SDSU), by fall 2:31
133: Gary Joint (FSU) major dec. Rylee Molitor (SDSU), 9-0
141: Christopher Deloza (FSU) def. Aric Williams (SDSU), by fall 4:44
149: #17 Khristian Olivas (FSU) def. #19 Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU), by fall 3:39
157: Jacob Wright (FSU) dec. Colten Carlson (SDSU), 4-1
165: Isaiah Hokit (FSU) dec. Logan Peterson (SDSU), 11-5
174: Dominic Kincaid (FSU) dec. Samuel Grove (SDSU), 4-1
184: Zach Carlson (SDSU) dec. Jackson Hemauer (FSU), 4-3
197: #16 Josh Hokit (FSU) major dec. Martin Mueller (SDSU), 18-5
285: A.J. Nevills (FSU) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU), 2-0

PANEL RANKINGS: South Dakota State's Henry Pohlmeyer and Zach Carlson both appear in the first installment of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches' Panel Rankings, which were released Jan. 24.

A junior from Johnston, Iowa, Pohlmeyer is ranked 18th in the 149-pound weight class. He has posted a 16-8 overall record this season after earning a trip to nationals in the 141-pound division during the 2017-18 campaign.

Elsewhere, Pohlmeyer stands 13th in the TrackWrestling individual rankings, is ranked 17th by WIN Magazine and holds the 18th spot in the Intermat rankings.

Carlson, a junior 184-pounder from Kerkhoven, Minnesota, filled the 33rd and final spot in the 184-pound weight class. He is enjoying his best season as a Jackrabbit, posting a 15-6 overall record thus far.

The coaches' panel rankings will be updated periodically throughout the season.

Conference allocations to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be determined in part based on the panel rankings, with additional spots available on an at-large basis to fill the 330-wrestler field — 33 wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes. SDSU will compete at the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championship March 9-10 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

GROSS SIDELINED: Defending national champion Seth Gross recently announced that he will miss the remainder of the season due to a back injury that will require surgery. He intends to seek a medical redshirt 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. Gross has a 90-17 career 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 2-2 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.

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 22-6 record in duals against Big 12 foes, including a 15-4 mark since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. SDSU posted an 8-0 mark in Big 12 duals during the 2017-18 season.

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.

NATIONALLY 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. 29 poll to continue to hold the top spot. Reigning Big 12 Conference champion Oklahoma State moved up to second in this week's poll, and is followed by Iowa, Michigan and Missouri.

Three other Big 12 Conference programs are included in this week's top 25, including Wyoming at No. 11, Iowa State at No. 14 and Northern Iowa in the 16th spot. Oklahoma and Utah Valley are receiving votes.

Other Jackrabbit dual opponents currently ranked in the top 25 include No. 7 Minnesota and No. 13 Pittsburgh.

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.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Six different Jackrabbits 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.

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 continue Big 12 Conference dual action Feb. 10 at Wyoming. Action is set for 2 p.m. Mountain Time (3 p.m. Central) at the UNIWYO Sports Complex in Laramie, Wyoming.

-GoJacks.com-