South Dakota State (0-3, 0-0) is set to renew its in-state rivalry with Augustana (2-1, 0-0) on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The Jacks and Vikings will be the first wrestling event held in the new arena, with SDSU serving as the home team.
Last Time Out: SDSU dropped the inaugural Battle for the Border Bell to North Dakota State, 30-13 Saturday afternoon. Alex Kocer (149), Cody Pack (157) and Trey Hable (197) picked up points for the Jackrabbits. Kocer recorded a reversal with just 10 seconds left in the third period to win 6-5, while Pack recorded a 13-4 major decision win over last week’s Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week, Matt Gray. Hable made quick work of his opponent, pinning Colton Castlebury 42 seconds into the first period.
Jacks’ Facts: Redshirt freshman Alex Kocer’s 14 wins are a team-high. Kocer is just one win away from tying Cody Pack’s team-high of 15 wins last season. Kocer and Pack are tied with a pair of duals wins and a 2-1 overall dual record. Redshirt freshman Trey Hable’s pin in 0:34 in the first round of the Cyclone Open stands as the quickest pin on the year.
Scouting the Vikings: Augie is seeing SDSU for the second time this season, as the Vikings had 20 wrestlers compete at the 21st Annual Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 3. Augie had five placewinners on the day. Augie, who sits at 2-1 on the year, hosted a quadrangular two weeks ago where the defeated Chadron State and Morningside, before falling to Air Force. The Vikings are led by 11th-year head coach, Jason Reitmeier. He is assisted by Tom Meester and Nate Buys. Jayd Docken and Sean Derry are each ranked in InterMat’s latest D-II poll. Docken is ranked No. 5 while Derry is ranked No. 7.
Inside the Series: SDSU holds a 35-15-0 all-time advantage over Augie in a series dating back to 1965 where SDSU won the first matchup, 34-3. The most recent matchup came in 2003-04, where Augie defeated the Jacks, 30-7. Prior to losing two of the last three duals, SDSU had won 19 in a row, starting in 1987-88.
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The Sanford Pentagon: Located on the outskirts of Sioux Falls, the Sanford Pentagon is a 160,000 square foot facility includes nine basketball courts, including the “heritage” court where SDSU and Augie will wrestle. The Heritage Court seats 3,200 with four executive suites and is located in the center of the builiding and was designed with inspiration reminiscent of 1950’s/1960’s basketball.
Probable Matchups: 125 pounds – TJ North (Augie) vs. Isaac Andrade or Robiel Tesfaldet (SDSU)…133 pounds – Blake Jans or Brandon Chesnut (Augie) vs. Brance Simms or Ben Gillette (SDSU)…141 pounds – Jacob Anderson (Augie) vs. Alex Kocer or Eric Orozco (SDSU)…149 pounds Shawn Hatlestad (Augie) vs. Luke Zilverberg (SDSU)…157 pounds – Bradyn Neises (Augie) vs. Cody Pack (SDSU)…165 pounds – Parker Swanson (Augie) vs. Joe Brewster (SDSU)…174 pounds – Jeff Nielsen (Augie) vs. Brady Ayers or John Nething II (SDSU)…184 pounds – No. 7 Sean Derry (Augie) vs. Trey Hable or Brady Ayers or Ben Schwery (SDSU)…197 pounds – No. 5 Jayd Docken (Augie) vs. Nate Rotert (SDSU)…285 pounds – Michael Lowman (Augie) vs. J.J. Everard (SDSU)
Follow the Action: Fan who are not able to make it to Sioux Falls can follow along through TrackWrestling. Augustana will be supplying the live stats. The direct link can be found here: www.goaugie.com/wrlive
Looking Ahead: SDSU returns to the mat Saturday as its travels to Cedar Falls, Iowa to compete in the UNI Open. The Jacks return after a one-year hiatus from the event. Aaron Pickrel won the 125-lb championship the last time SDSU was at the UNI Open in 2011.
Socially Supreme: South Dakota State was named the Top Newcomer in the Best of Brand Annual Achievement Awards, as presented by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, in coordination with Elite Level Sport Marketing. Jackrabbit wrestling continues to launch itself into the national spotlight through expanded use of its social media platforms and the #GetJacked mantra. To go along with its popular “Jacked Up Monday” videos, SDSU has added “Jackrabbit Wrestling: All Access” as a second weekly video. These videos are released on Thursdays and gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the Jacks away from the mat.
Program History: 2013-14 marks the 65th season of Jackrabbit wrestling. SDSU owns a 502-347-22 (.589) program record. Chris Bono is the 12th coach in Jackrabbit history and owns a 44-32 career (.579). SDSU has won six conference championships, with the last coming in 1996-97.
SDSU Match Notes
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