Air Force @ South Dakota State

South Dakota State topped Air Force 32-9 in Brookings, SD on January 26, 2024, using a barrage of bonus points to build a decisive margin. The Jackrabbits collected five bonus victories while limiting Air Force to a lone pin, which made the difference in the dual meet.

The middle weights carried most of the damage for Air Force. Cael Swensen delivered a 17-2 technical fall at 157 pounds, while Alek Martin ground out a 9-1 major decision at 149. Cade DeVos added another major decision at 174 with a 14-4 win, and Bennett Berge closed out the major-point stretch with an 8-0 major at 184. That sequence of high-scoring outcomes quickly pushed South Dakota State well ahead on the scoreboard.

Tanner Sloan provided the finishing touch at 197, pinning Calvin Sund for six team points and effectively sealing the dual. Air Force’s only bonus came from heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson, who answered with a fall over Luke Rasmussen at 285, but it was too little, too late.

In short, South Dakota State’s three majors, a technical fall and a pin created the gap that decided the meet, producing the 23-point victory margin. Air Force managed some resistance, but the Jackrabbits’ stretch of bonus-point wins from 149 through 197 was the clear turning point in Brookings.