For the second year in a row, South Dakota State University wrestler Seth Gross has been selected to compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic. The exhibition showcase is slated for Nov. 2 in Denver, Colorado.
Gross is expected to move up a weight class to compete in the 141-pound bout against North Carolina State’s Tariq Wilson, in what would be a rematch from their 133-pound semifinal clash at the 2018 NCAA Championships. Gross pinned Wilson in overtime en route to the national title, although Wilson battled back from an 8-3 deficit to force the extra session.
A senior from Apple Valley, Minn., Gross competed against Michigan’s Stevan Micic in the 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic in Princeton, N.J., in what proved to be a preview of the 2018 national title bout at 133 pounds. Gross won both matchups, winning the exhibition, 7-1, before claiming a 13-8 victory in postseason competition.
In becoming the first SDSU national champion at the Division I level, Gross finished the 2017-18 season with a 29-1 overall record, with his only loss coming to top-ranked 141-pounder Bryce Meredith of Wyoming in dual competition.
The remainder of the Jackrabbit wrestling squad is slated to open the season by hosting the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open on Nov. 4. That day-long tournament will be contested in the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex for the first time.
