Two-time NCAA qualifier AJ Nevills will join the South Dakota State wrestling program as a graduate transfer for the 2021-22 season, Jackrabbit head coach Damion Hahn announced Tuesday.
“AJ brings a tremendous amount of talent with him to Brookings,” Hahn said. “He is a great addition to our team and we are excited to have him join us next season.”
By Matt Krumrie
A strong group of returning wrestlers and the potential impact of a couple of transfers ready to step into the lineup has head coach Damion Hahn excited about the upcoming wrestling season.
Eight starters return for the Jackrabbits, and four with Minnesota ties look to continue to make an impact. Those four include Clay Carlson (141/Willmar), Colten Carlson (149/Willmar), Cade King (174/Waseca/Owatonna HS), and Blake Wolters (285/Pipestone).
"Although we will still be a relatively young team, we return up to eight starters and have good depth," says Damion Hahn, now in his third season as head coach. "There are still a lot of unknowns in regards to our schedule and how the season will play out, but our preparation and expectations haven’t changed."
OMAHA, Neb. – South Dakota State University wrestlers Tanner Sloan and Spencer Trenary each won age-group titles during competition at the 2020 United World Wrestling Junior and U23 Nationals held over the weekend at the Convention Center at CHI Health Center.
With their victories, Sloan and Trenary, who were competing as members of the Jackrabbit Wrestling Club, earned bids to the 2021 Senior World Team Trials and 2021 Junior World Team Trials, respectively.
Sloan, a native of Alburnett, Iowa, posted a 3-0 record to win the 97-kilogram weight class in the U23 Freestyle division. He opened the tournament with a 9-6 victory over Jacob Boyd and advanced to the championship bout with a 15-4 win over Duncan Lee.
South Dakota State University head coach Damion Hahn announced the Jackrabbit wrestling team’s 2021 recruiting class Wednesday with the addition of six high school standouts who signed a National Letter of Intent.
The signees, who plan to enroll at SDSU next fall and hail from four different states, are:
Members also provide additional flexibility in championships selection, membership requirements
Winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it, the Division I Council decided. The same flexibility was provided to student-athletes after the spring season was canceled in 2020 and the fall season was seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Council met by videoconference Tuesday and Wednesday.
“The pandemic will continue to impact winter sport seasons in ways we can’t predict. Council members opted to provide for winter sport student-athletes the same flexibility given spring and fall sports previously,” said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Pennsylvania. “The actions today ensure the continuation of local decision-making in the best interest of each institution and its student-athletes.”
Spencer Lee’s pathway to become a four-time NCAA champion could be cleared again, and the drive for five might be alive for Yianni Diakomihalis and Mekhi Lewis.
The NCAA’s Division I Council voted Tuesday in favor of granting an additional year of eligibility to winter sports athletes, college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman reported. Goodman tweeted that the decision could be brought back for reconsideration and won’t be official until the close of Wednesday’s meetings.
In August, the NCAA granted blanket waivers to athletes participating in fall sports, enabling them to compete this season without exhausting a year of eligibility. The NCAA also ruled then that schools would be allowed a temporary expansion of scholarship limits to accommodate seniors who opt to return for an additional season. Continue reading at trackwrestling.com
Manheim, PA – The NWCA Division I Leadership Group (LG) sent a letter on Wednesday to all Division I Coaches, Athletic Directors, Senior Women’s Administrators and Conference Liaisons to recommend a shift to the 2020-21 season as a result of ongoing complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roman Rogotzke of Stillwater Area has committed to wrestling for South Dakota State University following his upcoming senior season.