BROOKINGS – In a back-and-forth dual between nationally ranked teams, 17th-ranked South Dakota State won the final two matches to pull out a 23-16 victory over No. 18 Central Michigan on Friday night at Frost Arena.
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BROOKINGS – In a back-and-forth dual between nationally ranked teams, 17th-ranked South Dakota State won the final two matches to pull out a 23-16 victory over No. 18 Central Michigan on Friday night at Frost Arena.
In running their dual win streak to four, the Jackrabbits improved to 4-2 on the season. Central Michigan dropped to 1-2.
Heading into the last two matches tied at 16, the Jackrabbits turned to fifth-year seniors Nate Rotert and Alex Macki to lead them to victory.
The sixth-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds, Rotert remained unbeaten in duals this season at 5-0 with a convincing 16-5 major decision over Jordan Atienza to give SDSU a 20-16 lead.
With Macki needing only to prevent a bonus-point victory by CMU to secure the team dual win, the Jackrabbit heavyweight spotted Matt Stencel a 2-1 lead through the first period. Macki drew even at 3-all through two periods. Stencel scored a takedown early in the third before Macki escaped and later tied the bout at 5 on a stalling call against Stencel. Aided by a boisterous crowd of 1,738, Macki took down a tiring Stencel in the closing seconds for a 7-5 victory.
The Jackrabbits took an early 7-0 lead by winning the first two matches. True freshman Connor Brown opened with a 5-3 decision over Drew Hildebrandt at 125 pounds. Top-ranked 133-pounder Seth Gross followed with a 16-2 major decision over Dresden Simon, extending his winning streak in dual matches to 25.
SDSU’s Henry Pohlmeyer had his upset bid against ninth-ranked Mason Simon came up a point short, 5-4, in the 141-pound match to put the Chippewas on the board. Third-ranked Justin Oliver of CMU tied the match at 7-all with a 10-2 major decision over Colten Carlson.
Luke Zilverberg, the 11th-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, put SDSU ahead 13-7 heading into intermission with a pin of Blake Montrie early in the second period of their match.
The Jackrabbit momentum evaporated quickly, however, as Logan Parks countered with a first-period pin of Zach Carlson.
In the lone matchup of the dual featuring a pair of ranked wrestlers, ninth-ranked David Kocer of SDSU recorded three second-period takedowns en route to a 10-5 decision over No. 15 C.J. Brucki.
The Chippewas tied the match for the final time at 16 as No. 15 Jordan Ellingwood downed the Jackrabbits’ Brady Ayers, 9-4.
The Jackrabbits will be off from competition until returning to action Dec. 29-30 at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
No. 17 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 23, No. 18 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 16
125: Connor Brown (SDSU) dec. Drew Hildebrandt (CMU), 5-3
133: No. 1 Seth Gross (SDSU) major dec. Dresden Simon (CMU), 16-2
141: No. 9 Mason Smith (CMU) dec. Henry Pohlmeyer (SDSU, 5-4
149: Justin Oliver (CMU) major dec. Colten Carlson (SDSU), 10-2
157: No. 11 Luke Zilverberg (SDSU) def, Blake Montrie (CMU), by fall 3:24
165: Logan Parks (CMU) def. Zach Carlson (SDSU) by fall 0:53
174: No. 9 David Kocer (SDSU) dec. Christian Brucki (CMU), 10-5
184: No. 15 Jordan Ellingwood (CMU) dec. Brady Ayers (SDSU), 9-4
197: No. 6 Nate Rotert (SDSU) major dec. Jordan Atienza (CMU), 16-5
285: Alex Macki (SDSU) dec. Matt Stencel (CMU), 7-5
