Clay Carlson

Carlson, Sloan to compete at All-Star Classic

MANHEIM, Pa. — Returning All-Americans Clay Carlson and Tanner Sloan have been selected to represent the South Dakota State University wrestling team at the 2023 NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by Cliff Keen, next month.

The exhibition event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. Central) on Nov. 21 at Rec Hall on the campus of Penn State University and will feature matchups in all 10 collegiate weight classes in the men’s division, as well as four cross-divisional women’s freestyle matches. The event will be available for viewing through FloWrestling.org.

Carlson, a two-time All-American at 141 pounds, is slated to face Lachlan McNeil of North Carolina. A native of Willmar, Minnesota, Carlson placed fifth at 141 pounds at the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, finishing the season with a 27-10 record. McNeil recorded a fourth-place finish at the national tournament in posting a 27-9 overall record.

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Carlson receives Academic All-America Award

AUSTIN, Texas — South Dakota State wrestler Clay Carlson was honored Wednesday on the 2022-23 Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large Second Team as selected by the College Sports Communicators.

A native of Willmar, Minnesota, Carlson was selected to the honor squad after compiling a 3.92 undergraduate grade-point average as an animal science major as well as a 4.0 graduate GPA in pre-veterinary medicine.

On the mat, Carlson earned All-America honors for the second time in his collegiate career with a fifth-place finish in the 141-pound weight class at the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. He posted a 27-10 record during the 2022-23 campaign and brings a 101-41 career mark into his final season.

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Three SDSU Wrestlers Named Academic All-District

Three South Dakota State wrestlers were honored Tuesday as members of the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District At-Large Team. The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom.

All three Jackrabbit wrestlers named to the team were individual qualifiers for this past winter’s NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The honorees included:

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Carlson named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

IRVING, Texas — After a championship performance at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational over the weekend, South Dakota State University’s Clay Carlson was honored Tuesday at the Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Week.

A junior from Willmar, Minnesota, Carlson became the first South Dakota State wrestler to win an individual title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, claiming the 141-pound championship in competition Dec. 3-4. The top seed in the weight class and a returning All-American, Carlson went 4-0 over the two-day tournament with three of his wins over ranked wrestlers.

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Carlson Fares Well at U23 Nationals

LINCOLN, Neb. – For the second time in three months, South Dakota State’s Clay Carlson earned All-America honors at a major wrestling competition. This past weekend, Carlson recorded a fourth-place finish in the 65-kilogram weight class of the freestyle division at the 2021 UWW U23 Nationals.

A native of Willmar, Minnesota, Carlson posted a 7-2 record as a member of the Jackrabbit Wrestling Club. He opened with a 10-2 (VPO-1) victory over Chris Sandoval of the Northern Colorado Wrestling Club, followed by a 5-4 (VFA 1:54) win against Timothy Levine of the New England Regional Training Center.

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Carlson Earns Big 12 Scholar-Athlete Award

IRVING, Texas — South Dakota State’s Clay Carlson was honored Wednesday as the 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Jackrabbit to receive the award.

A redshirt sophomore from Willmar, Minnesota, Carlson has compiled a 3.931 grade-point average as an animal science/pre-veterinary major. He became the first SDSU wrestler to earn All-America recognition at the NCAA Division I Championships since 2018, placing eighth in the 141-pound weight class at the national meet. He qualified for the NCAA Championships with a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship in early March en route to a 20-9 record.

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