College Wrestling

Jackrabbit wrestling adds Carlson, Berge to staff

SDSU Sports Information
Posted 10/9/24

South Dakota State wrestling coach Damion Hahn announced two additions to the Jackrabbit Wrestling staff on Tuesday.

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College Wrestling

Jackrabbit wrestling adds Carlson, Berge to staff

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BROOKINGS — South Dakota State wrestling coach Damion Hahn announced two additions to the Jackrabbit wrestling staff on Tuesday.

Former South Dakota State wrestler Clay Carlson will join the Jacks staff as the third assistant coach for the 2024-25 season alongside Cam Simaz and Cody Caldwell.

A native of Wilmar, Minnesota, Carlson returns to the South Dakota State wrestling program after wrestling for the Jacks program for six years from 2018-19 to 2023-24. Carlson was a four-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time All-American at 141 pounds for the Jackrabbits. Carlson was a vital part of the Jackrabbits squad that placed third at the Big 12 Championships, sending a program record-tying eight wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24.

During the 2022-23 season, Carlson became the 15th wrestler in program history to reach the 100-win mark. He finished his collegiate career ranked sixth on the SDSU victories list with 116.

In addition to his success on the mat, Carlson was also a five-time Academic All-Big 12 Wrestling First-Team and a two-time Big 12 Conference Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

“The addition of Clay to our staff is a full circle moment. He went through our program and had success as both a student and an athlete,” Hahn said. “He knows what it takes to compete at the highest level and I’m truly excited to have him mentoring the next generation of Jackrabbit Wrestlers.”

Alongside Carlson, Hahn also announced the addition of Brady Berge as the head coach of the Jackrabbit Wrestling Club Regional Training Center. Berge originally joined the Jackrabbits staff as a volunteer assistant coach in 2021-22 and remained in that role until this season.

A native of Mantorville, Minnesota, Berge competed at Penn State for four seasons, 2017-18 through 2020-21, compiling a 31-9 career record. He wrestled at 149 pounds for the Nittany Lions during the 2018-19 season, earning his first trip to the NCAA Championships and finishing with a 20-5 overall record.

After having his 2019-20 season cut short due to injury, Berge returned to the starting lineup in 2020-21 at 157 pounds. He went undefeated in dual competition (5-0) and earned his second NCAA berth after placing sixth at the 2021 Big Ten Conference Championships. He won his first two matches at nationals before withdrawing from the tournament due to injury, ending his season with a 10-3 overall mark.

Berge’s brother, Bennett, is currently a member of the SDSU wrestling program where he was an All-American in 2023-24.

“Brady has been instrumental in the success of our program. Having him as the Head RTC Coach is a big step in the right direction for our program,” Hahn said. “A full-time head coach in this position helps our athletes continue to develop and pursue international success.”

Carlson and Berge join a Jackrabbit wrestling program after a highly successful 2023-24 season. The Jacks sent eight wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament and had a program record four All-Americans. The schedule for the 2024-25 season can be found on GoJacks.com.