Andrew Holtan | The Brookings Register
BROOKINGS – South Dakota State wrestling has one more dual before the postseason and the Jackrabbits are hoping to finish off a season that has been full of firsts with more success.
SDSU started the season with all 10 starters ranked in their respective weight classes. The Jackrabbits now have eight ranked guys as they head into the final weeks of the regular season.
The Jacks dropped to No. 19 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Poll after falling to Northern Iowa on Sunday. It was the second time this season that SDSU has lost to UNI.
SDSU had won three of the previous four matches going into the dual with the Panthers. The Jacks are now 12-4 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12.
Health has played a factor in SDSU’s team success over the past month. The Jacks were without No. 19 ranked Brady Roark in the 125-pound weight class against the Panthers. No. 26 ranked Alek Martin at 149 and No. 28 ranked Marcus Espinoza-Owens at 165 also missed that dual.
Hahn said as long as the Jacks are healthy, they will have success in the postseason.
“We got to be healthy,” Hahn said. “If we are, I mean our guys are solid. I don’t know how many sports are out there with that level of physical contact that are wrestling multiple times on a weekend. So giving these guys the time, their bodies to recover is super important for their overall performance.
“Especially when you throw the weight component in there, it matters. Give a guy a little bit of time to not even manage his weight, but give him that ability to maybe have a weekend off of cutting weight. There are a lot of things that play into it, but I like where our guys are at.”
Bennett Berge improved to 12-2 in the 197-pound weight class and he is ranked No. 5. Julian Tagg also picked up a win on Sunday and he is now 15-4 and ranked 11th in the 141-pound weight class. No. 15 ranked Cael Swensen is now 21-4 at 157 after winning on Sunday and No. 14 ranked Moses Espinoza-Owens dropped to 23-6 after a loss at 174.
After Sunday’s loss to UNI, Hahn said his wrestlers need to be more attentive when going for takedowns.
“ I don’t know how many takedowns that we were close to getting that they were able to, I don’t mean any disrespect, but weasel their way out,” Hann said. “That happened a number of times. And it’s not for lack of effort on our part. It’s not for lack of going over those situations in those areas. But we need to be diligent. We need to be maybe a little more ultra-focused in those moments.
“But we need to continue to work to perfect those areas because I feel that’s where we’re getting beat. … So I think that’s probably the biggest thing. If we can continue to improve there, heck, man, I mean, some of these matches are not as close as they are.”
Earlier this season, SDSU beat then No. 7 ranked Minnesota on the road, 18-14. It was the first time that the Jackrabbits beat the Golden Gophers since 1974. After that victory, the Jacks moved up to No. 8 in the NWCA rankings, which then was the highest ranking in school history. They followed that up with a win over Arizona State for the first time ever and then came in second at the NWCA National Duals.
Last year, Hahn sent a program-record nine wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. With all the success that Hahn has built, he said he still wants to get more fans in the stands and continue to develop his wrestlers because it’s a special program.
“[My staff and I have] been here eight years, and outside of maybe the first year, we have done something that we have never done before,” Hahn said. “I mean, that’s pretty darn special. … These guys, I don’t know if they understand the magnitude of that, because it’s special. We’ve hit milestones, and that’s unique. I mean, it is.
“[Credit] goes to these guys. You know, I mean, those are the ones that are out there wrestling. They’re toeing the line every time they, you know, get on that mat. They deserve all the credit. … We need to keep putting people in the stands because what these kids are doing is unbelievable. I mean, there’s not another sport in America, I believe, what these guys are doing tops everything. I truly, truly believe that.”
SDSU will close out the regular season on Feb. 22 at home against North Dakota State at 2 p.m. The Jacks will participate in the Big 12 Championships in Tulsa, Okla., March 6-7 and then will head to the NCAA Championships in Cleveland March 19-21.
Leave a Reply