The South Dakota State wrestling team will ring in the new calendar year with a return to the mat and tournament competition at the Southern Scuffle.
The two-day event runs Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 1-2) at McKenzie Arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Competition begins at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (9 a.m. Central) on Saturday, with the start time Sunday slated for 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT).
The tournament features wrestlers from seven top-20 teams and nearly 30 wrestlers ranked in the top 10 of their respective weight classes. The full tournament field is expected to consist of about 30 teams and more than 300 wrestlers from NCAA Division I wrestling programs.
Action and live results can be viewed through FloWrestling.org.
The Jackrabbits last competed at the Southern Scuffle during the 2013-14 season.
PROBABLE LINEUP:
- 125: Tanner Jordan – So., St. Paris, Ohio (10-7 overall)
- 133: Caleb Gross – So., Pound, Wis. (6-9 overall) / Trayton Anderson – So., Northfield, Minn. (2-6 overall)
- 141: #5 Clay Carlson – Jr., Willmar, Minn. (13-0 overall)
- 149: #32 Zach Price – Jr., Johnston, Iowa (9-5 overall) / Daniel Kimball – So., Buckingham, Iowa (12-7 overall)
- 157: Kenny O’Neil – Jr., Prior Lake, Minn. (10-8 overall)
- 165: Jack Thomsen – So., La Porte City, Iowa (10-8 overall)
- 174: #12 Cade DeVos – So., Altoona, Iowa (12-2 overall)
- 184: Cade King – Jr., Waseca, Minn. (3-2 overall)
- 197: #22 Tanner Sloan – Jr., Alburnett, Iowa (1-2 overall) / Nick Casperson – Jr., Beresford, S.D. (10-2 overall)
- 285: #23 A.J. Nevills – Jr., Clovis, Calif. (11-5 overall) / Bowen McConville – Jr., Renton, Wash. (9-6 overall)
RABBITS RANKED: Seven Jackrabbit wrestlers remain ranked by at least one majoring ranking service heading into weekend competition.
Undefeated this season at 13-0, returning 141-pound All-American Clay Carlson holds the highest ranking by a Jackrabbit after checking in this week at No. 5 in The Open Mat rankings. The junior from Willmar, Minnesota, also is tabbed sixth by Intermat, FloWrestling, and WIN Magazine.
Steadily moving up the charts this season is sophomore 174-pounder Cade DeVos. After wrestling last season at 157 pounds, DeVos has made a successful jump up two weight classes to hold 12th-place rankings from FloWrestling, Intermat, and The Open Mat. He also is ranked 15th in the most recent WIN Magazine poll after compiling a 12-2 mark so far this season.
Although he has been sidelined by injury most of this season, two-time NCAA qualifier Tanner Sloan holds on to a 22nd-place ranking from Intermat. He also is an honorable mention selection by FloWrestling.
Heavyweight A.J. Nevills checks in at No. 23 in the FloWrestling rankings and 24th by Intermat, while Tanner Cook is 26th in Intermat’s 165-pound rankings to go along with an honorable mention pick by FloWrestling.
Zach Price remains in the rankings at 149 pounds with a 32nd-place showing in the Intermat standings, along with honorable mention status from FloWrestling.
New to the rankings in recent weeks is junior 184-pounder Cade King, who is an honorable mention selection by FloWrestling. King previously wrestled at 174 pounds.
LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits return to dual action, hosting Wyoming and Northern Iowa in a triangular Jan. 9 at Frost Arena. The schedule is as follows:
- 11 a.m. – Wyoming vs. Northern Iowa
- 12:30 p.m. – Wyoming at South Dakota State
- 2 p.m. – Northern Iowa at South Dakota State
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