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South Dakota State University Athletics
Saturday, January 1
Chattanooga, Tenn.
10 a.m. CT
South Dakota State University
at
Southern Scuffle
Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia
JACKS FACE TOUGH FIELD AT SOUTHERN SCUFFLE
12/29/2021 3:54:00 PM | Wrestling
South Dakota State at Southern Scuffle
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The South Dakota State wrestling team will ring in the new calendar year with a return to the mat and tournament competition at the Southern Scuffle.
The two-day event runs Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 1-2) at McKenzie Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Competition begins at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (9 a.m. Central) on Saturday, with start time Sunday slated for 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT).
The tournament features wrestlers from seven top-20 teams and nearly 30 wrestlers ranked in the top 10 of their respective weight classes. The full tournament field is expected to consist of about 30 teams and more than 300 wrestlers from NCAA Division I wrestling programs.
Action and live results can be viewed through FloWrestling.org.
The Jackrabbits last competed at the Southern Scuffle during the 2013-14 season.
PROBABLE LINEUP:
125: Tanner Jordan • So., St. Paris, Ohio (10-7 overall)
133: Caleb Gross • So., Pound, Wis. (6-9 overall)
Trayton Anderson • So., Northfield, Minn. (2-6 overall)
141: #5 Clay Carlson • Jr., Willmar, Minn. (13-0 overall)
149: #32 Zach Price • Jr., Johnston, Iowa (9-5 overall)
Daniel Kimball • So., Buckingham, Iowa (12-7 overall)
157: Kenny O'Neil • Jr., Prior Lake, Minn. (10-8 overall)
165: Jack Thomsen • So., La Porte City, Iowa (10-8 overall)
174: #12 Cade DeVos • So., Altoona, Iowa (12-2 overall)
184: Cade King • Jr., Waseca, Minn. (3-2 overall)
197: #22 Tanner Sloan • Jr., Alburnett, Iowa (1-2 overall)
Nick Casperson • Jr., Beresford, S.D. (10-2 overall)
285: #23 A.J. Nevills • Jr., Clovis, Calif. (11-5 overall)
Bowen McConville • Jr., Renton, Wash. (9-6 overall)
LAST TIME OUT: After having their scheduled dual at Nebraska canceled due to COVID protocols within the Cornhuskers' program Dec. 18, the Jackrabbits were a late addition to the Huskie Duals in DeKalb, Illinois, and ended up sweeping the four-team event.
South Dakota State 59, Harper College (Ill.) 0
SDSU won eight of is 10 matches with the Hawks by pin. The other two victories came by forfeit and technical fall.
Cade King recorded the fastest pin of dual, needing only 59 seconds to beat Giovanni Jackson in the 184-pound weight class. Four more Jackrabbits won in the first period of their dual: Clay Carlson (141), Cade DeVos (174), Nick Casperson (197) and A.J. Nevills (285).
Daniel Kimball (149), Kenny O'Neil (157) and Tanner Cook (165) all recorded second-period pins. Tanner Jordan was handed a forfeit victory in the 125-pound match and Caleb Gross won by technical fall, 22-6, at 133.
125: Tanner Jordan (SDSU) won by forfeit
133: Caleb Gross (SDSU) tech. fall Tuvsin Zunnbayan (HACO), 22-6
141: Clay Carlson (SDSU) fall Teaken Leon (HACO), 2:36
149: Daniel Kimball (SDSU) fall Peyton Timmons (HACO), 4:59
157: Kenny O'Neil (SDSU) fall Cameron Jacobs (HACO), 3:57
165: Tanner Cook (SDSU) fall Aaron Taylor (HACO), 3:12
174: Cade DeVos (SDSU) fall Sam Dornbos (HACO), 1:41
184: Cade King (SDSU) fall Giovanni Jackson (HACO), 0:59
197: Nick Casperson (SDSU) fall Demarco Lee (HACO), 1:17
285: A.J. Nevills (SDSU) fall Jordan Williams (HACO), 2:32
South Dakota State 33, Kent State 6
The Jackrabbits took all but two matches against Kent State.
Tanner Cook and Clay Carlson picked up their second victories by pin of the day. Cook won the 165-pound match in 19 seconds and Carlson won at 141 in 3:19.
Cade DeVos and Nick Casperson each earned bonus-point victories in their respective matchups. DeVos won 17-1 by technical fall in 2:16 at 174. Casperson was victorious by a 12-0 major decision in the 197-pound meeting.
Daniel Kimball (149), Kenny O'Neil (157), Cade King, (184) and A.J. Nevills (285) all picked up wins by decision.
125: Jake Ferri (KENT) dec. Tanner Jordan (SDSU), 6-4
133: Brendon Fenton (KENT) dec. Caleb Gross (SDSU), 5-2
141: Clay Carlson (SDSU) fall Louis Newell (KENT), 3:19
149: Daniel Kimball (SDSU) dec. Kody Komara (KENT), 5-2
157: Kenny O'Neil (SDSU) dec. Enrique Mungia (KENT), 8-3
165: Tanner Cook (SDSU) fall Najee Lockett (KENT), 0:19
174: Cade DeVos (SDSU) tech fall Michael Ferree (KENT), 17-1; 2:16
184: Cade King, Jr. (SDSU) dec. Colin McCraken (KENT), 5-3
197: Nick Casperson, Jr. (SDSU) maj. dec. Tyler Bates (KENT), 12-0
285: A.J. Nevills (SDSU) def. Jacob Cover (KENT), 7-2
South Dakota State 26, Northern Illinois 9
Northern Illinois posed the biggest challenge of the day to the Jackrabbits. SDSU had one fall in the dual to go with two major-decision victories.
Clay Carlson recorded his third pin of the afternoon, this time ending his match in 1:54 at 141 pounds. Tanner Jordan and Nick Casperson posted major decision wins for the Jacks. Jordan came out on top of the 125-pound match with a 14-2 victory, while Casperson won 12-2 at 197.
Caleb Gross narrowly defeated Mikey Kaminski, 3-2, at 133. Cade Devos (174) also won in a close match, beating Mason Kauffman 3-1.
Daniel Kimball (149) and A.J. Nevills (285) also added wins for SDSU.
125: Tanner Jordan (SDSU) maj. dec. Bryce West (NIU), 14-2
133: Caleb Gross (SDSU) dec. Mikey Kaminski (NIU), 3-2
141: Clay Carlson (SDSU) fall Jaivon Jones (NIU), 1:54
149: Daniel Kimball (SDSU) dec. Anthony Cheloni (NIU), 7-3
157: Anthony Gibson (NIU) dec. Kenny O'Neil (SDSU), 4-0
165: Izzak Olejnik (NIU) dec.Tanner Cook (SDSU), 8-3
174: Cade DeVos (SDSU) dec. Mason Kauffman (NIU), 3-1
184: Brit Wilson (NIU) dec. Cade King (SDSU), 5-2
197: Nick Casperson (SDSU) maj. dec. Tristin Guaman (NIU), 12-2
285: A.J. Nevills (SDSU) dec. Terrese Aaron (NIU), 7-4
RABBITS RANKED: Seven Jackrabbit wrestlers remain ranked by at least one majoring ranking service heading into weekend competition.
Undefeated this season at 13-0, returning 141-pound All-American Clay Carlson holds the highest ranking by a Jackrabbit after checking in this week at No. 5 in The Open Mat rankings. The junior from Willmar, Minnesota, also is tabbed sixth by Intermat, FloWrestling and WIN Magazine.
Steadily moving up the charts this season is sophomore 174-pounder Cade DeVos. After wrestling last season at 157 pounds, DeVos has made a succesful jump up two weight classes to hold 12th-place rankings from FloWrestling, Intermat and The Open Mat. He also is ranked 15th in the most recent WIN Magazine poll after compiling a 12-2 mark so far this season.
Although he has been sidelined by injury most of this season, two-time NCAA qualifier Tanner Sloan holds on to a 22nd-place ranking from Intermat. He also is an honorable mention selection by FloWrestling.
Heavyweight A.J. Nevills checks in at No. 23 in the FloWrestling rankings and 24th by Intermat, while Tanner Cook is 26th in Intermat's 165-pound rankings to go along with an honorable mention pick by FloWrestling.
Zach Price remains in the rankings at 149 pounds with a 32nd-place showing in the Intermat standings, along with honorable mention status from FloWrestling.
New to the rankings in recent weeks is junior 184-pounder Cade King, who is an honorable mention selection by FloWrestling. King previously wrestled at 174 pounds.
BIG 12 SUCCESS: Now in its seventh 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 32-18 record (.640 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.
SDSU's first duals against Big 12 opponents are set for Jan. 9, when the Jackrabbits host Wyoming and Northern Iowa in a triangular at Frost Arena.
NEW FACILITY ON THE HORIZON: Ground was broken in September for a new $4 million on-campus wrestling training facility.
The nearly 16,000-square-foot Kurtenbach Family Wrestling Center is being 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."
The South Dakota Board of Regents approved plans for the project in December 2020. The facility is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022.
COACH HAHN: Damion Hahn is overseeing a successful rebuilding of South Dakota State University wrestling as he is in his fourth season at the helm of the Jackrabbits' program. Hahn holds a 24-23 career dual record.
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.
During a pandemic-altered 2020-21 season, Hahn led the Jackrabbits to a 5-6 dual record. Despite slipping to an eighth-place finish at the Big 12 Conference meet, the Jackrabbits qualified five wrestlers for the NCAA?Championships, with Clay Carlson earning All-America honors with an eighth-place finish at 141 pounds.
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 2021-22 SDSU wrestling roster features 36 student-athletes from 13 different states. Of the 36 wrestlers, 10 are from Iowa, followed by seven from Minnesota and six native South Dakotans. Two Jackrabbit wrestlers hail from Ohio, Wisconsin and California, while seven states — Illinois, Michigan, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington — each are represented by one wrestler.
By class, two are seniors, 10 are juniors, 11 are sophomores, one is a redshirt freshman and 12 are incoming freshmen.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits return to dual action, hosting Wyoming and Northern Iowa in a triangular Jan. 9 at Frost Arena. The schedule is as follows:
- 11 a.m. – Wyoming vs. Northern Iowa
- 12:30 p.m. – Wyoming at South Dakota State
- 2 p.m. – Northern Iowa at South Dakota State
-GoJacks.com-
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