SDSU wrestlers receive academic awards

SDSU Sports Information

IRVING, Texas – Eighteen members of the South Dakota State wrestling team, including all of the Jackrabbits’ NCAA qualifiers from last season, were honored Tuesday as members of the 2024 Winter Academic All-Big 12 Team.

SDSU’s 15 first-team honorees were highlighted by Clay Carlson who was recognized for the fifth time, while Cade DeVos and Bowen McConville were recognized for the fourth year in a row. Carlson and DeVos were 2024 NCAA qualifiers, along with fellow first-team selections Bennett Berge, Derrick Cardinal and Cael Swensen.

All three of the Jackrabbits’ Second Team honorees — Tanner Jordan, Alek Martin and Tanner Sloan — also competed in the 2024 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

First team members are those who have achieved an average grade of 3.2 or higher, while second team selections have an average grade between 3.0 and 3.19.

First team

Bennett Berge, So., Mantorville, Minnesota – Construction Management;

Jaxon Bowes, R-Fr., Brookings – Construction Management;

Derrick Cardinal, So., Forest Lake, Minnesota – Exercise Science;

Clay Carlson, Sr., Willmar, Minnesota – Animal Sciences;

Tanner Cook, Sr., Ilion, New York – Mass Communications;

Cade DeVos, Sr., Altoona, Iowa – Pharmacy;

Brock Fettig, R-Fr., Bismarck, North Dakota – Business Economics;

Connor Gaynor, So., Mokena, Illinois – Exercise Science;

Caleb Gross, Sr., Pound, Wisconsin – Civil Engineering;

Daniel Kimball, Sr., Buckingham, Iowa – Exercise Science;

Bowen McConville, Sr., Renton, Washington – Business Economics/Criminology;

Brandon Meredith, Sr., Limerick, Pennsylvania – Business Economics;

Luke Rasmussen, R-Fr., Brookings – Aviation;

Cael Swensen, So., Plymouth, Minnesota – Business Economics;

Spencer Trenary, Sr., Rolfe, Iowa – Pharmacy.

Second team

Tanner Jordan, Sr., St. Paris, Ohio – Natural and Fisheries Sciences;

Alek Martin, So., St. Paris, Ohio – Sports and Recreation Management;

Tanner Sloan, Sr., Alburnett, Iowa – Agricultural Sciences.

To be eligible for the team, student-athletes must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, either cumulatively or over the two preceding semesters, and must have participated in 20 percent of their team’s scheduled competitions. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residency. Senior student-athletes who have participated for at least two years and meet all criteria except participation are also eligible.

Also on Tuesday, the following four Jackrabbit wrestlers were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Men’s At-Large Team: Berge, Cardinal, DeVos and Swensen. The at-large team is comprised of student-athletes who compete in fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, skiing, tennis, water polo and wrestling.

Student-athletes nominated to the CSC Academic All-District® Team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.50, be at least a sophomore at the academic level and have competed in at least 70 percent of the team’s scored events. Berge and DeVos have been selected to advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America® consideration in July.