BROOKINGS – The South Dakota State wrestling team opened up its season Friday and came away with a 34-10 victory over Augustana. The Jackrabbits also hosted the Daktronics Open on Sunday.
Friday
• SDSU 34, Augustana 10
South Dakota State wrestlers recorded four pins, propelling the Jackrabbits to a 34-10 victory over Augustana in the season-opening dual for both squads Friday night at Frost Arena.
Three of SDSU’s pins came in a four-match stretch, starting with a second-period pin by returning All-American Clay Carlson in his 141-pound matchup against Kage Lenger.
Zach Price, ranked 24th at 149 pounds, followed with a second-period pin of Keaten Schorr, while 20th-ranked Tanner Cook marked his return to the lineup by needing only 22 seconds to put Miles Fitzgerald’s shoulders to the mat in the 165-pound bout. Prior to Friday, Cook last wrestled a collegiate match in March 2020.
Newcomer A.J. Nevills, ranked 24th at heavyweight, closed the dual with a win by fall over Steven Hajas.
Nick Casperson also recorded a bonus-point win for the Jackrabbits, notching a 12-3 major decision over Daniel Bishop in the 197-pound matchup.
In all, SDSU claimed seven of the 10 matches, with Tanner Jordan and Kenny O’Neil winning by decision at 125 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Augustana was led by 184-pounder Kolby Kost, who scored a 15-7 major decision over the Jackrabbits’ Tate Battani.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 34, AUGUSTANA 10
125: Tanner Jordan (SDSU) dec. Jaxson Rohman (AU), 6-4
133: Jack Huffman (AU) dec. Trayton Anderson (SDSU), 10-4
141: #11 Clay Carlson (SDSU) def. Kage Lenger (AU), by fall 3:44
149: #24 Zach Price (SDSU) def. Keaten Schorr (AU), by fall 5:40
157: Kenny O’Neil (SDSU) dec. Tyler Wagener (AU), 7-0
165: #20 Tanner Cook (SDSU) def. Miles Fitzgerald (AU), by fall 0:22
174: Cade Mueller (AU) dec. Marshall Hauck (SDSU), 5-0
184: Kolby Kost (AU) major dec. Tate Battani (SDSU), 15-7
197: Nick Casperson (SDSU) major dec. Daniel Bishop (AU), 12-3
285: #24 A.J. Nevills (SDSU) def. Steven Hajas (AU), by fall 6:17
Extra Matches
149: Daniel Kimball (SDSU) def. Noah North (AU), by fall 6:55
165: Dylan Schuck (AU) def. Dalton Lakmann (SDSU), by fall 3:50
Sunday
Daktronics Open
Nick Casperson reached the finals of the 197-pound weight class to lead a contingent of South Dakota State wrestlers Sunday at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open at Frost Arena.
A junior from Beresford, Casperson posted a 2-1 record on the day. He opened with a 12-7 decision over Northern Iowa’s Noah Glaser, followed by an 11-8 victory against Bennett Tabor of Minnesota.
In the championship bout, Nebraska’s Silas Allred came away with a first-period pin of Casperson.
Three other Jackrabbits came away with fourth-place finishes, starting with Tanner Jordan at 125 pounds. Jordan began the day by dropping an 8-4 decision to Corey Cabanban of Iowa State, then reeled off three consecutive victories, including a 5-2 decision over 17th-ranked Liam Cronin of Nebraska.
Jordan dropped his third-place match by fall to seventh-ranked Brody Teske of Northern Iowa.
Zach Price, ranked 24th at 149 pounds, placed fourth in his weight class with a 3-2 record on the day. He fell, 12-4, in the third-place matchup against Paniro Johnson, who was competing unattached.
Heavyweight Bowen McConville went 2-2 en route to his fourth-place finish, picking up wins by decision over Ethan Andersen of Iowa State and Cole Gripka of North Dakota State before being pinned by Northern Iowa’s Tyrell Gordon.
Jackrabbit freshmen Derrick Cardinal (133 pounds), Alek Martin (149 pounds) and Sam Kruger (184 pounds) all won their fifth-place matches.
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits are scheduled to compete in a pair of events next Sunday (Nov. 28). Non-starters are slated to wrestle at the Cyclone Open in Ames, Iowa, while the starting lineup will wrestle at Minnesota. The dual against the ninth-ranked Golden Gophers is set for a 1 p.m. start in Minneapolis.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE PLACINGS
125: Tanner Jordan, fourth
133: Derrick Cardinal, fifth
149: Zach Price, fourth; Alek Martin, fifth
157: Kenny O’Neil and Cael Swensen, tied for fifth
165: Tanner Cook, tied for fifth
184: Sam Kruger, fifth
197: Nick Casperson, second
285: Bowen McConville, fourth
