JACKS OPEN HOME DUAL SLATE SUNDAY

Sunday, January 10

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Northern Iowa

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

1/8/2021 1:46:00 PM | Wrestling

Duals 3 & 4: South Dakota State (1-1) hosts SDSU Triangular

When	Sunday, Jan. 10 2 p.m. vs. No. 23 Northern Iowa \| 5:30 p.m. vs. North Dakota State
Where	Frost Arena \| Brookings, South Dakota
TV	FloWrestling.org (subscription)
Radio	None
Live Stats	TrackWrestling.com
Match Notes	South Dakota State Notes \| UNI Wrestling Home Page \| NDSU Notes
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram \| #GetJacked

The South Dakota State University wrestling team opens the home portion of its schedule Sunday afternoon, hosting a dual triangular versus Big 12 Conference rivals Northern Iowa and North Dakota State.

Action begins at 2 p.m. at Frost Arena. Dual action will take place on the east mat, with additional matches between wrestlers not in their teams' respective lineups, slated to be contested on the west mat throughout the afternoon.Video coverage of both mats will be available through FloWrestling.org (subscription required).

SDSU and North Dakota State enter Sunday's triangular with identical 1-1 records. Both teams earned victories over Oregon State while falling to nationally ranked Missouri during competition in a four-team dual event Jan. 3 in Fargo, North Dakota.

Northern Iowa will be wrestling for the first time this season.

The order of duals is as follows:

No. 23 Northern Iowa vs. South Dakota State
Northern Iowa vs. North Dakota State
North Dakota State vs. South Dakota

Note: There will be a 10-minute intermission between dual meets

THE SERIES: Both Northern Iowa and North Dakota State are longstanding Jackrabbit opponents, dating back to when all three programs competed in the pre-Division I era as members of the North Central Conference.

Series vs. Northern Iowa
South Dakota State has found the going tough in its history against Northern Iowa, with the Panthers holding a 39-5-1 advantage in a dual series that dates back to the 1953-54 season. After a 20-year hiatus, the series resumed during the 2004-05 season, when the Jackrabbits joined UNI at the D-I level as both squads competed in the Western Wrestling Conference.

UNI competed in the Mid-America Conference for five seasons (2013-17) before gaining affiliate membership in the Big 12 Conference prior to the start of the 2017-18 campaign.

In last season's matchup, Jan. 10, 2020, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the Jackrabbits won five of the first six matches and went on to knock off 16th-ranked Northern Iowa, 25-13.

SDSU opened with victories from Danny Vega at 125 pounds and Zach Price in the 133-pound matchup before 17th-ranked Henry Pohlmeyer swung the momentum firmly in the Jackrabbits' favor by defeating seventh-ranked Max Thomsen, 9-1, in the 149-pound bout.

Pohlmeyer's win started a string of three consecutive victories that included a decision by Colten Carlson at 157 pounds and a pin by Tanner Cook at 165 pounds.

Tanner Sloan closed out the SDSU victories with a win by fall in the 197-pound match.

South Dakota State 25, No. 16 Northern Iowa 13 (Jan. 10, 2020 • at Cedar Falls, Iowa)
125: Danny Vega (SDSU) dec. #18 Jacob Schwarm (UNI), 10-6
133: Zach Price (SDSU) dec. Kyle Biscoglia (UNI), 11-4
141: #16 Michael Blockhus (UNI) dec. Clay Carlson (SDSU), 7-5
149: #17 Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU) major dec. #7 Max Thomsen (UNI), 9-1
157: Colten Carlson (SDSU) dec. Derek Holschlag (UNI), 4-0
165: Tanner Cook (SDSU) def. Austin Yant (UNI), by fall 6:11
174: #5 Bryce Steiert (UNI) major dec. Cade King (SDSU), 12-1
184: #4 Taylor Lujan (UNI) dec. #16 Zach Carlson (SDSU), 10-3
197: #20 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) def. Noah Glaser (UNI), by fall 1:42
285: #14 Carter Isley (UNI) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU), 3-1 [SV-1]
Note: Individual rankings by FloWrestling

Series vs. North Dakota State
South Dakota State and North Dakota State will meet for the 67th time in dual competition, when the two programs clash Sunday evening at Frost Arena. NDSU leads the all-time series between the two longtime rivals, 44-21-1, including a 13-5-1 advantage in the Division I era for both programs.

NDSU has won the last two matchups, including a narrow, 19-18 victory in the 2019-20 dual finale Feb. 21 at Frost Arena.

In last season's meeting, NDSU's two victories by technical fall — by Cam Sykora at 133 pounds and by Jared Franek at 157 pounds — proved to be the difference.

SDSU received bonus-point wins from Tanner Cook (major decision, 174 pounds) and Zach Carlson (technical fall, 184 pounds). Clay Carlson (141), Henry Pohlmeyer (149) and Tanner Sloan (197) were victorious by decision.

Sloan's win gave SDSU an 18-16 advantage heading into the final bout, the NDSU's Brandon Metz sealed the Bison victory with a 4-2 decision over Blake Wolters in the heavyweight matchup.

North Dakota State 19, South Dakota State 18 (Feb. 21, 2020 • at Frost Arena)
125: McGwire Midkiff (NDSU) dec. #25 Danny Vega (SDSU), 8-7
133: #13 Cam Sykora (NDSU) tech. fall Zach Price (SDSU), 19-4 [4:31]
141: Clay Carlson (SDSU) dec. Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU), 7-3
149: #9 Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU) dec. Jaden Van Maanen (NDSU), 3-0
157: #21 Jared Franek (NDSU) tech. fall Garrett Jordan (SDSU), 18-3 [7:00]
165: #11 Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) dec. Kenny O'Neil (SDSU), 9-3
174: Tanner Cook (SDSU) major dec. Luke Weber (NDSU), 17-8
184: #17 Zach Carlson (SDSU) tech. fall Noah Cressell (NDSU), 16-1 [7:00}
197: #12 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) dec. Cordell Eaton (NDSU), 3-2
285: #22 Brandon Metz (NDSU) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU), 4-2
Notes: Cook ranked 25th at 165 pounds; rankings by FloWrestling

BIG 12 SUCCESS: Now in its sixth season as an affiliate member of the Big 12 Conference for wrestling, South Dakota State has proven it can contend in one of the top wrestling leagues in the country.

Since joining the league at the start of the 2015-16 season, the Jackrabbits have combined to post a 30-13 record (.698 winning percentage) in duals against Big 12 opponents, with seven of those losses coming during the 2018-19 campaign. SDSU posted an 8-0 mark in Big 12 duals during the 2017-18 season.

The Jackrabbits also turned in back-to-back third-place efforts at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship in both 2017 and 2018, after a fourth-place finish at their inaugural league meet in 2016. SDSU posted another fourth-place finish in 2020, improving six spots in the team standings from the previous season.

RABBITS RANKED: Seven Jackrabbit wrestlers appear in individual national rankings heading into Sunday's home opener.

Sophomore 197-pounder Tanner Sloan leads the SDSU contingent with an eighth-place showing in the Intermat rankings. Sloan also holds rankings of ninth by Trackwrestling and WIN Magazine, and 10th from FloWrestling.

The Alburnett, Iowa, native is coming off a 2019-20 season in which he posted a 21-6 overall record and was an NCAA qualifier. Sloan capped his first season with an All-America selection by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Fellow NCAA qualifier Tanner Cook also is ranked in the same four polls at 165 pounds, topping out at No. 15 in the Trackwrestling rankings. Cook, who did not wrestle during the opening weekend, is also ranked 16th by Intermat and 17th by both FloWrestling and WIN Magazine. He burst onto the scene last season, compiling a 21-4 overall record with 14 pins.

The big mover in the polls after the opening weekend was Zach Price, who vaulted 10-plus spots in the Trackwrestling and FloWrestling polls to ninth and 13th, respectively, after downing a pair of higher-ranked opponents in Missouri's Matt Schmitt and Oregon State's Devan Turner. Price also moved into the Internat rankings at No. 13.

Four other Jackrabbits, primarily in the lower weights, hold rankings in at least one poll. Senior 125-pounder Danny Vega, an NCAA?alternate a year ago, dropped to No. 28 in the Trackwrestling rankings, while sophomore Clay Carlson stands 22nd in the FloWrestling rankings and 27th in the Trackwrestling poll.

Closing out SDSU's individual rankings are newcomer Hunter Marko, 30th at 149 pounds by Trackwrestling, and redshirt freshman Cade DeVos, who appears in a pair of 157-pound rankings. The Altoona, Iowa, native holds rankings of 18th by FloWrestling and 20th from Trackwrestling.

LAST WEEK: Zach Price and Tanner Sloan each won both of their matches to help lead the South Dakota State wrestling team to a split of its two duals at the season-opening NDSU Quadrangular Jan. 6 in Fargo, North Dakota.

The Jackrabbits fell to 12th-ranked Missouri, 33-9, in the opener, then rallied for a 20-12 victory against Oregon State.

No. 12 Missouri 33, SDSU 9
Missouri recorded a pair of pins and won eight of 10 matches overall in defeating the Jackrabbits, 33-9. Keegan O'Toole at 157 pounds and Jeremiah Kent in the 184-pound matchup recorded the Tigers' wins by fall.

Price, ranked 24th at 133 pounds, put the Jackrabbits on the board with an upset of 12th-ranked Matt Schmitt, recording a takedown and two-point near-fall in the third period for a 7-5 decision.

Sloan made quick work of Missouri's Canten Marriott in the 197-pound matchup, putting his opponent's shoulders to the mat in 2 minutes and 37 seconds for the other Jackrabbit victory in the dual.

Three other Missouri wrestlers won by major decision: former Jackrabbit Connor Brown (125), 17th-ranked Allan Hart (141) and 18th-ranked Peyton Mocco (165). Zach Elam, ranked eighth at heavyweight, closed out the dual with a 6-0 decision over Blake Wolters.

Dual Results
125: Connor Brown (MIZZOU) major dec. #24 Danny Vega, 14-5
133: #24 Zach Price (SDSU) dec. #12 Matt Schmitt (MIZZOU), 7-5
141: #17 Allan Hart (MIZZOU) major dec. #25 Clay Carlson (SDSU), 14-4
149: #3 Brock Mauller (MIZZOU) dec. Hunter Marko (SDSU), 8-2
157: Keegan O'Toole (MIZZOU) def. #17 Cade DeVos (SDSU), by fall 2:10
165: #18 Peyton Mocco (MIZZOU) major dec. Kenny O'Neil (SDSU), 11-1
174: Sean Harman (MIZZOU) dec. Cade King (SDSU), 10-4
184: #24 Jeremiah Kent (MIZZOU) def. Nick Casperson (SDSU), by fall 1:47
197: #10 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) def. Canten Marriott (MIZZOU), by fall 2:37
285: #8 Zach Elam (MIZZOU) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU), 6-0
Note: Team rankings from NWCA Division I Coaches Poll; individual rankings by FloWrestling.org

SDSU 20, Oregon State 12
The Jackrabbits won three of the final four matches to pull out a 20-12 nonconference victory against Oregon State.

After each of the first eight bouts ended in decisions Sloan, ranked 10th at 197 pounds, gave SDSU a 17-12 lead with a 17-0 technical-fall victory over J.J. Dixon.

Blake Wolters closed out the Jackrabbit victory with a 4-1 decision over Brian Barnes in the heavyweight bout.

Price scored his second upset of the day by downing 11th-ranked Devan Turner, 6-3, in the second matchup of the dual at 133 pounds. Hunter Marko added a 3-1 decision with a takedown in the final seconds of the 149-pound match before back-to-back victories by Kenny O'Neil (165) and Cade King (174) gave the Jackrabbits their first lead of the dual at 12-9. King's victory was an 8-6 overtime decision.

Dual Results
125: Brandon Kaylor (OSU) dec. #24 Danny Vega (SDSU), 9-5
133: #24 Zach Price (SDSU) dec. #11 Devan Turner (OSU), 6-3
141: #19 Grant Willits (OSU) dec. #25 Clay Carlson (SDSU), 3-0
149: Hunter Marko (SDSU) dec. Lane Stigall (OSU), 3-1
157: #22 Hunter Willits (OSU) dec. #17 Cade DeVos (SDSU), 4-3 [TB-1]
165: Kenny O'Neil (SDSU) dec. Dillon Ulrey (OSU), 9-5
174: Cade King (SDSU) dec. Colton Beisley (OSU), 8-6 [SV-1]
184: Ryan Reyes (OSU) dec. Nick Casperson (SDSU), 8-4
197: #10 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) tech. fall J.J. Dixon, (OSU), 17-0 [6:31]
285: Blake Wolters (SDSU) dec. Brian Barnes (OSU), 4-1

NEW FACILITY ON THE HORIZON: The South Dakota Board of Regents approved plans in December for South Dakota State University to move forward with a $4 million on-campus wrestling training facility.

The nearly 16,000-square-foot Kurtenbach Family Wrestling Center would be constructed on the southwest corner of the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. Former SDSU wrestler and coach Frank Kurtenbach provided the lead gift for the facility, which will feature four competition mats, plus a strength and conditioning area, locker rooms, team room, coaches' offices and spaces for academics and nutrition.

"The approval from the Board of Regents to break ground on a state-of-the-art wrestling facility will forever change the landscape of SDSU Wrestling," SDSU head coach Damion Hahn said. "I can't thank our Jackrabbit family enough for the contributions that have been made toward this endeavor. I would like to make a special thank you to the Kurtenbach family for their vision and support of the project."

Pending final approval by the South Dakota Legislature, construction of the two-story structure is tentatively scheduled to begin in spring 2021.

COACH HAHN: Damion Hahn is overseeing a successful rebuilding of South Dakota State University wrestling as he is in his third season at the helm of the Jackrabbits' program. Hahn holds a 16-17 career dual record heading into the weekend.

During the 2019-20 season, the Jackrabbits returned to the winning side of the ledger in dual competition by posting a 12-6 overall record, including a 6-3 mark in the Big 12. Included in the dual victories were wins over nationally ranked Northern Iowa and Stanford.

SDSU also improved by six spots in the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championship, finishing fourth in the team standings at the 2020 competition. Four Jackrabbit wrestlers earned automatic qualifying berths in the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, with another receiving a bid as an alternate. The NCAA Championships were later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the National Wrestling Coaches Association selected 149-pounder Henry Pohlmeyer, 184-pounder Zach Carlson and 197-pounder Tanner Sloan as second-team All-Americans.

In his first season at SDSU, Hahn faced a rebuilding task as the Jackrabbits featured new starters in six spots in the lineup. SDSU finished with a 3-10 dual mark, including a 2-7 record against Big 12 foes. Pohlmeyer was the lone NCAA qualifier.

Hahn was hired at SDSU on April 9, 2018, following more than a decade of success as a member of the coaching staff at Cornell (N.Y.).

"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.

In accepting his first head coaching position, Hahn made 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 2018.

THE ROSTER: The 2020-21 SDSU wrestling roster features 30 student-athletes from 12 different states. Of the 30 wrestlers, eight are from Iowa, followed by seven from Minnesota and five native South Dakotans. Two Jackrabbit wrestlers hail from Wisconsin, while eight states — Arizona, California, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Washington — each are represented by one wrestler.

By class, four are seniors, three are juniors, 10 are sophomores, eight are redshirt freshmen and five are incoming freshmen.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits continue dual competition against Big 12 Conference opponents Jan. 17 with a pair of matches at the U.S. Air Force Academy. SDSU is slated to wrestle Northern Colorado at 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time (2:30 Central), followed by a matchup against host Air Force.

-GoJacks.com-