BROOKINGS – The South Dakota State wrestling team got a much needed win Sunday as it topped Oklahoma 23-16 at Frost Arena. The Jacks won six out of the 10 matches in a back-and-forth affair.

“Good win this afternoon. We talk about the team a lot with our guys a lot and again it was another team effort. … Team effort up and down the lineup. I think the biggest thing that I’m happy with and proud of is we wrestled them last year and it was another team that put it on us. You look at where these guys are going, the direction they’re moving in and they’re making some strides,” SDSU head coach Damion Hahn said.

SDSU went down 4-0 after Oklahoma’s Justin Thomas won a major decision over Colten Carlson 16-3 in the 157-pound weight class. SDSU’s Tanner Cook brought life back to Jackrabbits and the Frost Arena crowd when he pinned Jose Lao Cooper at 165 in 40 seconds and put SDSU up 6-4.

The Sooners answered with a pin at 174. Anthony Mantanona pinned Cade King in the 21 seconds before the buzzer sounded in round three to put OU back up 10-6. Zach Carlson dominated his match against Darrien Roberts at 184, winning by major decision 10-0 and tying things up 10-10.

In the final match before the intermission it was SDSU’s Tanner Sloan against OU’s Jake Woodley. Sloan had fallen to Woodley earlier in the season, but came out on top with a 3-2 decision and gave the Jacks a 13-10 lead heading into the break.

“We felt going into [Sloan’s] match we were favored in the match. When Sloan lost, he was a little dinged up and you look at where he’s coming and the training that he has had, we were pretty confident with a win there even though it was technically an upset. Good, awesome, he wrestled hard,” Hahn said.

The first match out of the intermission was the most competitive match of the afternoon. SDSU’s Blake Wolters topped Josiah Jones in overtime 3-2 and expanded SDSU’s lead to 16-10. It was Wolters first win at Frost Arena.

Hahn has been saying all season that Wolters is close to getting over the hump and getting a victory as a heavyweight. He said he was proud of how far Wolters has come since he began his career at SDSU.

“I think he’s progressed since last year,” Hahn said. “I think that’s sort of the trajectory that we’re talking about. He’s kind of a local boy, from Pipeston, Minn. Comes to South Dakota State and I’m here and our staff comes in and you got kid who will run through the wall for you. He’ll do everything you ask and the effort he puts into it, when you’re talking about big guys, that goes a long way. From last year to this year, the gaps that were wide, against some of the best heavyweights, are getting smaller and smaller and smaller.”

At 125 SDSU’s Daniel Vega took care of business, beating Christian Moody 13-4 in a major decision to give the Jacks a 20-10 lead. SDSU lost its next to matches via decision to put the score at 20-16 and it came down to Henry Pohlmeyer to give the Jacks the victory.

Pohlmeyer staved off Jacob Butler at 149 in a 4-2 decision and improved SDSU’s record to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12. Hahn said there was no one else he’d rather have wrestle with the dual on the line than Pohlmeyer.

“Henry continues to do what Henry does and it’s been winning. … After you see the draw and see where we’re at, I was feeling confident. Going into 149 we got Henry Pohlmeyer coming up and that should seal the deal for us. I liked [having him last]. He did not like it. He does not like going last because he wants to go out there and scrap right away. He’s a high energy kid and wants to go,” Hahn said.

SDSU will be on the road for their next three duals. They will start by traveling to Stillwater, Okla. to face No. 8 Oklahoma State on Jan. 31st. The Jacks will then face West Virginia on Feb. 2nd and Ohio University on Feb. 9th.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 23, OKLAHOMA 16

157 – #19 Justin Thomas, OU, maj. dec. Colten Carlson [4-0]

165 – Tanner Cook, SDSU, pinfall Jose Lao Cooper [4-6]

174 – #10 Anthony Mantanona, OU, pinfall Cade King [10-6]

184 – #16 Zach Carlson, SDSU,, maj. dec. Darrien Roberts [10-10]

197 – #19 Tanner Sloan, SDSU, dec. #14 Jake Woodley [10-13]

285 – Blake Wolters, SDSU, dec. Josiah Jones [10-16]

125 – #25 Danny Vega, SDSU, maj. dec. Christian Moody [10-20]

133 –  #17 Anthony Madrigal, OU, dec. Zach Price [13-20]

141 – #7 Dom Demas, OU, dec. Clay Carlson [16-20]

149 – #10 Henry Pohlmeyer, SDSU, dec. #25 Jacob Butler [16-23]