After a week of rest, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits look onto a pair of duals against Utah Valley and Wyoming tomorrow and Saturday respectively. Both duals will start at 7 p.m. and will be in First Bank & Trust Arena.
This season, the Jackrabbits sit at 10-3 on the year and 2-1 in Big 12 conference play.
SDSU’s three losses this season have come by ranked teams, losing to Minnesota in December and dropping two to Northern Iowa.
As of Jan. 19, the Jacks sit at No. 11 in the national rankings with two Big 12 opponents being ranked above them (No. 3 Oklahoma State and No. 5 Northern Iowa).
Ranked at No. 13 are the Cyclones of Iowa State, a team the Jackrabbits will face soon on Feb. 14, their last of a four-dual home stint.
“We’re in the bulk of the Big 12 season,” said head coach Damion Hahn. “From here on out… five remaining matches and four at home which is super, super nice.”
Utah Valley
In their first of dual of the weekend, the Jacks will take on the Wolverines of Utah Valley. This season, the Wolverines are 5-6 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12 Conference (Oklahoma State, Missouri and Wyoming).
Utah Valley has matched up against a plethora of ranked opponents including No. 16 Stanford, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 6 North Carolina State and No. 23 Mizzou. Before the end of the season, the Wolverines will have a matchup against the No. 12 Jackrabbits and the No. 20 Mountaineers of West Virginia.
The Jackrabbits and the Wolverines first hit the mat together in 2006 where Utah Valley won the home meet 25-16. They went on to win the next seven of eight duals.
In 2015, the Jackrabbits won their second dual against Utah Valley and started what is now a 9-0 run.
In the 165 pound weight class, Terrell Barraclough is currently ranked No. 4 nationally. The Penn State transfer will match up against SDSU’s Drake Rhodes, who is ranked at No. 11 in the nation. This season, Rhodes is 16-3 while Barraclough has only lost a single match.
Wyoming
The Cowboys are 8-5 this season and are 2-2 in conference play. Wyoming has had some tough duals this season, wrestling teams such as No. 3 Oklahoma State (L, 6-32), No. 22 Oklahoma (L,6-27) and No. 1 Penn State (L, 0-54) while also suffering losses to Northern Colorado and the University of Pennsylvania.
Throughout the years, Wyoming is 2-7 on the mat against the Jacks. Last season, South Dakota State handed Wyoming a 33-3 loss in Laramie, Wyoming. To add, the Cowboys are 0-5 when competing in duals against the Jackrabbits.
At 197 pounds, sophomore No. 11 Joey Novak has had quite a season so far. Novak is 14-3 on the year with five ranked wins. The New Prague, Minnesota native leads the team in pins this season with four.
Heavyweight Sam Mitchell has been solid for the Cowboys this season as well. Currently 17-6, Mitchell has scored the second most reversals on the team with seven behind Novak.
Gabe Willochell, a redshirt junior, has faced twelve 149 pound ranked opponents this season and will have to face NDSU’s No. 23 Gavin Drexler before coming to Brookings.
“We haven’t been home since the end of November, beginning of December and I think our fans kind’ve forgot that South Dakota State has a wrestling team, because we haven’t been home,” Hahn joked in a press conference. “It’s nice to get back home and finish the year out.”