Jackrabbits slip past Central Michigan
BROOKINGS, S.D. – 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 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 victory.
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 in the second period 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.
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits will be off from competition until returning to action Dec. 29-30 at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
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South Dakota State 23 Central Michigan 16
125: Connor Brown (SDS) over Drew Hildebrandt (CEMI) (Dec 5-3)
133: Seth Gross (SDS) over Dresden Simon (CEMI) (MD 16-2)
141: Mason Smith (CEMI) over Henry Pohlmeyer (SDS) (Dec 5-4)
149: Justin Oliver (CEMI) over Colten Carlson (SDS) (MD 10-2)
157: Luke Zilverberg (SDS) over Blake Montrie (CEMI) (Fall 3:24)
165: Logan Parks (CEMI) over Zach Carlson (SDS) (Fall 0:53)
174: David Kocer (SDS) over Christian Brucki (CEMI) (Dec 10-5)
184: Jordan Ellingwood (CEMI) over Brady Ayers (SDS) (Dec 9-4)
197: Nate Rotert (SDS) over Jordan Atienza (CEMI) (MD 16-5)
285: Alex Macki (SDS) over Matt Stencel (CEMI) (Dec 7-5)