South Dakota State wrestling has pushed its dual winning streak to 10 as it dispatched the Oklahoma Sooners 22-13 Jan. 28. The Jacks are now 10-2 overall and 5-0 in the Big 12.
The No. 12 Jacks shift their attention now to the unranked Iowa State Cyclones.
Despite usually being a contender in the Big 12, the Cyclones have not looked the part this season.
They are 1-4 in the Big 12 and have dropped two straight duals, with the latest being a 31-3 defeat at the hand of the No. 4 Oklahoma State Cowboys.
“They have some guys that can wrestle, we just need to stay focused and locked in,” Bono said.
The lone win for the Cyclones against the Cowboys was from their redshirt freshman, Ian Parker. Who defeated two-time defending national champion Dean Heil 5-3.
Earlier this season, the starting 141-pounder, Kanen Storr decided to transfer from Iowa State. Parker has filled into his position easily, as he has now won two straight matches.
Sophomore Henry Pohlmeyer will get a chance to slow down Parker’s momentum.
“Henry just needs to go out and wrestle, I am excited for that matchup,” head coach Chris Bono said.
The Cyclones have zero Intermat ranked wrestlers, while the Jacks have five.
Freshman Connor Brown is ranked as the No. 19 125-pounder. Brown will be coming off of a loss to No. 17 Christian Moody of Oklahoma.
Junior Seth Gross, the No. 1 133-pounder, continued his tear against Oklahoma. Gross recorded his fifth straight victory by pinfall. He will look to extend that streak against redshirt sophomore Markus Simmons, who is 18-11 this season.
Senior Luke Zilverberg, who is ranked No. 12 in the 157-pound weight class, will look to stay on the winning track after he bounced back with two straight wins following his loss against Archie Colgan, from Wyoming. Zilverberg will face off against redshirt sophomore, Chase Straw, who is coming off of a 5-3 defeat against Jonce Blaylock of Oklahoma State.
Senior Nate Rotert, the No. 9 ranked 197-pounder, continued his unbeaten dual season against Oklahoma, and will look to push his win streak to eight against sophomore Samuel Colbray, who has posted a 12-10 record this season.
Between common opponents, the Jacks look to have the upper hand as Iowa State dropped a 21-16 dual decision to Oklahoma.
Bono will be attempting to win his 100th dual as a head coach against Iowa State, who he coached for as an assistant for 10 seasons.
“It means nothing,” he said. “I want ten individual wins.”
The matchup between the Cyclones and Jackrabbits will start at 1 p.m. Feb. 4 in Frost Arena.
