South Dakota State University will host North Dakota State University in the annual Border Bell Dual on Sunday, February 22 at 2 p.m. CT. The wrestling meet will take place at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings, South Dakota, and will be available for viewing on Midco Sports Plus.
The Jackrabbits are aiming to extend their winning streak against the Bison to five duals. In the previous four meetings, SDSU has outscored NDSU by a combined margin of 108-36. Last season’s matchup in Fargo saw SDSU win 23-10, with six of ten matches decided by one takedown or less. The last time the Bison visited Brookings, SDSU won convincingly with a score of 34-6.
SDSU’s projected lineup includes several nationally ranked wrestlers according to coaches’ rankings as of February 17: Brady Roark (No. 19 at 125 pounds), Julian Tagg (No. 10 at 141), Cael Swensen (No. 13 at 157), Marcus Espinoza-Owens (No. 29 at 165), Moses Espinoza-Owens (No. 15 at 174), Bennett Berge (No. 4 at 197), and Luke Rasmussen (No. 25 at heavyweight).
In their most recent competition, the Jackrabbits secured four first-place finishes at the inaugural Jackrabbits Open from Cale Seaton, Jared Thiry, Quin Morgan, and Micah Hach. Several other wrestlers finished second or third in their brackets.
SDSU is currently ranked No. 19 in the NWCA Division I Coaches Poll with a record of 12-4 and holds second place in the NWCA Mid-Major Poll among Big 12 teams.
Brady Roark is highlighted as a wrestler to watch this weekend as he faces Zeke Witt of NDSU, who is ranked No. 27 nationally at 125 pounds. Roark enters with a season record of 17-3 overall and a dual record of 9-1.
Key storylines for SDSU include the return of Cael Swensen and Alek Martin after missing last season due to injuries, efforts to replace two-time All-American Cade DeVos at 174 pounds, and All-American Bennett Berge moving up from the 184-pound class to compete at 197 pounds this year.
Under head coach Damion Hahn, SDSU set program records during the previous season by sending nine wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia and Hahn becoming the winningest coach at the Division I level in school history with over sixty-five wins.
The Jackrabbits have also seen success off-season on freestyle and Greco-Roman circuits, including Quin Morgan’s U20 Greco-Roman Championship win and strong performances from Tommy Dineen and Daniel Guanjuato.
Looking ahead, SDSU’s next major event will be the Big 12 Championships held March 6–7 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team has placed third each of the past two years and aims for another strong showing this season.