SVU's Rose Wins Second National Championship; Hansen Takes Fifth

HAMPTON VA. - Southern Virginia University’s wrestling team can now boast having two all-Americans on its roster. Peter Rose and Pete Hansen earned All-American status at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association’s national tournament held March 12th-14th in Hampton, Virginia. This three-day tournament comprised approximately 350 college wrestlers from 84 college teams, including teams from California, New York, Vermont, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Georgia.

The tough competition could not prevent Peter Rose, a junior at SVU, from winning his second-consecutive national championship in the 157-pound weight class. Rose was also named an All-American for the third year in a row. Rose won the national championship in convincing manner, winning five matches, including two by major decision and one by pin. In addition, Rose surrendered only two takedowns during the tournament.

Rose, a state champion from Wasatch High School in Heber City, Utah, finished the season 30-1. Rose will return to SVU for his senior year, where he will attempt to join a very select group of four-time All-Americans.

Pete Hansen, a senior at SVU, also excelled at nationals, winning fifth place and All-American honors for the Knights in the 285-pound weight class. Hansen achieved this success by pinning four wrestlers—two in less than 55 seconds—and overcoming nagging knee and arm injuries.

Hansen, a graduate of Viemont High School in Bountiful, Utah, finished the year with 11 pins. Hansen will graduate this spring with a degree in business.

SVU head wrestling coach Nathan Casperson is proud of his new All-Americans as well as the team’s impressive 12th place finish (out of 84 teams), which occurred thanks to the efforts of All-Americans Peter Rose and Pete Hansen and the team’s other four national qualifiers: Logan Davis, Ahmed Dorghoud, Jonathan Eldredge, and Adam Welker.