Jacks to compete at Big 12 Championship

SDSU wrestling is getting set for the Big 12 Championships that will be held in Kansas City, Missouri March 5th and 6th. 

After wrapping up a 14-6 regular as a team, the Jackrabbits, who are ranked 24th in the nation according to the USA Today/National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, enter the postseason with five nationally ranked individuals, headlined by senior, 157-pound Cody Pack. 

Pack, ranked fifth in the nation, is looking to become a four-time NCAA qualifier and enters the Big 12 Championships as the top ranked wrestler in the 157-pound weight class in the conference. Entering with a 25-2 individual record, Pack will also be looking to earn All-American status, which is awarded to the top eight wrestlers in their weight class nationally. 

Junior Nate Rotert is also looking to make a return trip to the NCAA Championships. Rotert, ranked 12th in the nation, enters competition this weekend with a 24-8 record in the 197-pound weight class, is also second in the Big 12 in his weight class. 

The Kocer brothers, Alex and David, are both ranked 28th in the nation, Alex in the 149-pound weight class and David in the 174-pound weight class. Alex is looking to make his second appearance in the NCAA Championships after earning a spot in the 2014 competition. 

Seth Gross is the final individual ranked wrestler for SDSU, ranked 26th in the 141-pound weight class. Gross enters the Big 12 Championships with a 21-11 record, winning each of his five matches, two of them by major decisions. 

Two other teams from the Big 12 enter the weekend as nationally ranked. Oklahoma State, ranked fifth in the nation as a team, owns a 20-15 victory over the Jacks from their Nov. 27 dual in Brookings while Oklahoma, ranked 11th in the nation, also owns a victory over SDSU, topping the Jacks 19-13 in Norman Feb. 13. 

The Big 12 Championships are set for this weekend with the NCAA Championships to take place in Madison Square Garden in New York from March 17 through 19.