SDSU wrestlers regroup at Wyoming

Sunday, February 10

Laramie, Wyo.

2 p.m. MT/3 p.m. CT

South Dakota State University

Wyoming

Photo by: Ricky Bassman

2/7/2019 4:05:00 PM | Wrestling

Dual 10: South Dakota State (2-7, 1-4 Big 12) at #13 Wyoming (13-4, 3-2 Big 12)

When	Sunday, Feb. 10 \| 2 p.m. Mountain Time (3 p.m. Central)
Where	UNIWYO Sports Complex \| Laramie, Wyoming
TV	FloWrestling.org (subscription required)
Radio	None
Live Stats	TrackWrestling.com
Match Notes	South Dakota State \| Wyoming
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram \| #StayJacked

Another week, another ranked opponent for the South Dakota State University wrestling team.

The Jackrabbits, 2-7 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12 Conference will travel to 13th-ranked Wyoming for a Sunday afternoon dual. Action is set for 2 p.m. Mountain Time (3 p.m. Central) at the UNIWYO Sports Complex in Laramie. The dual can be viewed through FloWrestling.org (subscription required).

Of SDSU's seven dual losses this season, six have come against ranked opponents. In their last outing, the Jackrabbits were blanked by 14th-ranked Iowa State, 47-0.

Wyoming, meanwhile, enters the week with a 13-4 overall record, including a 3-2 mark in Big 12 competition. The Cowboys split a pair of duals Feb. 3 in Bakersfield, California, falling to Fresno State, 21-12, in Big 12 action before scoring a 25-6 victory over CSU Bakersfield in a nonconference matchup. Wyoming is scheduled to wrestle Friday at Utah Valley.

THE SERIES: Sunday's dual will mark the 20th meeting on the mat between South Dakota State and Wyoming, a series that dates back to the 1953-54 season. Wyoming holds a 15-4 series advantage, with all four Jackrabbit victories coming in four of the last five meetings, including three in a row.

Last season's meeting, Jan. 18, 2018, at Frost Arena, provided one of the top moments in all of college wrestling as SDSU's Seth Gross moved up a weight class to challenge 141-pounder Bryce Meredith in a battle between top-ranked wrestlers. Meredith came out on top with a 4-2 decision, handing Gross his only loss of the season as the Jackrabbit wrestler went on to win an NCAA title at 133 pounds.

SDSU rallied from a 10-0 deficit through three matches to win the dual, 20-18. The Jackrabbits countered with five wins in a row, highlighted by Martin Mueller's first-period pin of Chaz Polson in the 184-pound bout. Nationally ranked David Kocer and Nate Rotert added major decisions for SDSU.

#15 South Dakota State 20, #22 Wyoming 18 (Jan. 18, 2018, at Frost Arena)
149: #19 Sam Turner (WYO) dec. Colten Carlson (SDSU), 3-0
157: #12 Archie Colgan (WYO) dec. #10 Luke Zilverberg (SDSU), 5-3
165: #14 Branson Ashworth (WYO) major dec. Zach Carlson (SDSU), 11-3
174: #9 David Kocer (SDSU) major dec. Kyle Pope (WYO), 9-1
184: Martin Mueller (SDSU) def. Chaz Polson (WYO), by fall 2:49
197: #11 Nate Rotert (SDSU) major dec. Cody Vigoren (WYO), 13-2
285: Alex Macki (SDSU) dec. Sam Eagan (WYO), 3-1
125: Connor Brown (SDSU) dec. Drake Foster (WYO), 8-6
133: #5 Montorie Bridges (WYO) tech. fall Tyler Pieper (SDSU), 22-7 [6:11]
141: #1 Bryce Meredith (WYO) dec. Seth Gross (SDSU), 4-2
Note: Gross ranked #1 at 133 pounds

LAST WEEK: The Jackrabbits split a pair of dual matches, winning one on their home mat before being shut out on the road the next night.

SDSU 26, Utah Valley 16
South Dakota State opened its wrestling dual against Utah Valley with four consecutive victories and went on to defeat the Wolverines, 26-16, in Big 12 Conference action Jan. 31 at Frost Arena.

Starting at 141 pounds, redshirt freshman Aric Williams got SDSU off on the right foot by recording a 14-5 major decision over Dylan Gregerson. Williams took control of the match by outscoring his opponent 9-0 in the second period, earning points on an escape, takedown, 2-point near-fall and 4-point near-fall.

The Jackrabbits added two more bonus-point wins as Henry Pohlmeyer notched an 18-0 technical fall over Cameron Haddock in the 149-pound matchup and Colten Carlson tallied a fall over Landon Knutzen at 157 pounds early in the third period to give SDSU a 15-0 lead through three bouts.

Senior Logan Peterson ran the SDSU winning streak to four with a 9-5 decision over Koy Wilkinson in the 165-pound division.

After Utah Valley got on the board with a major decision by 12th-ranked Kimball Bastian at 174 pounds, Zach Carlson registered the Jackrabbits' second technical fall of the night, earning a 17-1 win over Kyle Snelling less than a minute into the third period of their 184-pound bout.

The Wolverines pulled to with 23-16 with three consecutive wins, but Rylee Molitor put one final victory on the SDSU side of the ledger with an 8-5 decision over Isaiah Delgado in the 133-pound match.
SDSU was aggressive from the start, totaling 17 takedowns and 10 near-falls (seven 4-pointers and three of the 2-point variety) in the match.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 26, UTAH VALLEY 16
141: Aric Williams (SDSU) major dec. Dylan Gregerson (UVU), 14-5
149: Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU) tech. fall Cameron Haddock (UVU), 18-0 [4:15]
157: Colten Carlson (SDSU) def. Landon Knutzen (UVU), by fall 5:30
165: Logan Peterson (SDSU) dec. Koy Wilkinson (UVU), 9-5
174: #12 Kimball Bastian (UVU) major dec. Samuel Grove (SDSU), 12-3
184: Zach Carlson (SDSU) tech. fall Kyle Snelling (UVU), 17-1 [5:31]
197: Ashton Seely (UVU) def. Martin Mueller (SDSU), by fall 5:26
285: #16 Tate Orndorff (UVU) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU), 9-2
125: Josh Jensen (UVU) dec. Gregory Coapstick (SDSU), 3-2
133: Rylee Molitor (SDSU) dec. Isaiah Delgado (UVU), 8-5

Iowa State 47, SDSU 0
Fourteenth-ranked Iowa State notched four pins as part of a dominant performance on its home mat, shutting out South Dakota State, 47-0, in a Big 12 Conference wrestling dual Feb. 1 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Iowa State's first pin of the night came in the evening's second matchup as Zane Mulder recorded a first-period fall over the Jackrabbits' Logan Peterson at 165 pounds.

The Cyclones closed the dual with pins in three of the final four bouts in the lower weights. Alex Mackall pinned Gregory Coapstick in the first period of their 125-pound matchup, while eighth-ranked Austin Gomez stuck Rylee Molitor in the second period of the 133-pound match.

At 149 pounds, 15th-ranked Jarrett Degen got the best of Henry Pohlmeyer in the third period to wrap up the dual with another pin. Pohlmeyer led 4-2 after the first period following a pair of takedowns.

Winning by major decision for Iowa State were 11th-ranked Ian Parker at 141 pounds and 174-pounder Marcus Coleman. Willie Miklus, ranked sixth at 197 pounds, won by
forfeit for the final bonus-point win by the Cyclones.

#14 IOWA STATE 47, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 0
157: Chase Straw (ISU) dec. Colten Carlson (SDSU), 11-4
165: Zane Mulder (ISU) def. Logan Peterson (SDSU), by fall 1:55
174: Marcus Coleman (ISU) major dec. Samuel Grove (SDSU), 12-3
184: #15 Sam Colbray (ISU) dec. Zach Carlson (SDSU), 8-4
197: #6 Willie Miklus (ISU) won by forfeit
285: Gannon Gremmel (ISU) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU), 5-3
125: Alex Mackall (ISU) def. Gregory Coapstick (SDSU), by fall 2:25
133: #8 Austin Gomez (ISU) def. Rylee Molitor (SDSU), by fall 4:52
141: #11 Ian Parker (ISU) major dec. Aric Williams (SDSU), 17-6
149: #15 Jarrett Degen (ISU) def. Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU), by fall 5:48

PANEL RANKINGS: South Dakota State's Henry Pohlmeyer and Zach Carlson both appeared 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 17-9 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 16-7 overall record thus far, including a team-best mark of 5-4 in duals.

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.

OKLAHOMA DUAL RESCHEDULED: South Dakota State and Oklahoma have agreed to meet in dual action Feb. 22, rescheduling a competition that was originally scheduled for Dec. 7 and postponed due to weather.

The dual is slated for a 6 p.m. start at Lloyd Noble Center on the OU campus in Norman, Oklahoma, and will be televised on FOX Sports Oklahoma.

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 23-7 record in duals against Big 12 foes. 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.

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.

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 is in second place for the second consecutive week, and is followed by Iowa, Michigan and Missouri.

Three other Big 12 Conference programs are included in this week's top 25, including Iowa State at No. 12, Wyoming at No. 13 and Northern Iowa in the 17th spot. Fresno State is receiving votes.

Other Jackrabbit dual opponents currently ranked in the top 25 include No. 7 Minnesota and No. 16 Pittsburgh.

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.

Molitor and Williams each recorded their first collegiate dual wins in the Jan. 31 home victory over Utah Valley.

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 claim one.

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. 15 at North Dakota State. Action is set for 7 p.m. at Scheels Center on the NDSU campus in Fargo, North Dakota.

-GoJacks.com-