No. 8 Central Oklahoma Hosts No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney

1/19/2017 11:17:00 AM | By: Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma junior Caleb Cotter is 20-2 on the season and is the third-ranked heavyweight in the country. [UCO Photo Services]

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EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma wrestling team, ranked eighth in the nation, is hosting the University of Nebraska-Kearney, ranked fourth in the country, in a conference dual in Hamilton Field House on Friday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.

There are many things going on off the mat Friday as well. The Athletics Department is hosting Hall of Fame night, honoring and recognizing the 26 wrestlers – and the 1979 team – in the UCO Hall of Fame. There will be a tuition waiver awarded to one student during the match. Students only need to scan their ID to be entered to win. And there will also be free parking in the field directly south of Hamilton Field House.

On the mat, Friday is set to be a top-10 showdown. Central Oklahoma (12-0) has won its last 19 duals dating back to last season and has three wrestlers nationally ranked. Nebraska-Kearney (12-5) has won four-straight and has seven wrestlers in the top-11 for their respective weight classes.

"This is going to be a huge dual," UCO head coach Todd Steidley said. "It always is between UCO and Kearney."

The regular season Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association title has gone to the winner of the UCO-Kearney dual in three of the past four seasons.

Friday's dual could feature two matchups where both wrestlers are nationally ranked. At 125 pounds, UCO's Josh Lindsey has been battling an injury and is going to be a match-time decision.

Lindsey is ranked third in the country, is 21-5 this season, and has 10 falls. Kearney has Freshman Vlad Kazakov listed as its probable starter at 125 pounds. Kazakov is ranked 11th in the country and is 23-10 this season.

Caleb Cotter has also been dealing with an injury. The heavyweight has missed almost a month of action. But his tear through all competition in the fall led him to the No. 3 ranking in his class.

Cotter is 20-2 this season with 11 bonus-point wins. He made the final match in all five tournaments he wrestled in, and won three of them.

Kearney boasts the No. 6 heavyweight in the country in Kevin Barnett. The junior is 21-4 on the season.

The third Broncho nationally ranked is Greg Wilson, who is seventh at 197 pounds. Wilson went on a tear of his own last week in Kearney, Neb. at the Midwest Duals. The Bronchos went 3-0 beating Western State, Chadron State, and Southwest Minnesota State.

Wilson went 3-0 in those duals and won in style. He pinned his first opponent in 23 seconds, he won an easy 8-2 decision in the second dual, and ended the day with a 17-1 technical fall.

Friday is the beginning of a busy weekend for the Bronchos. UCO hosts Kearney on Friday night, Adams State on Saturday night, and Colorado State-Pueblo on Monday night.

Following this weekend, UCO has just three duals remaining before the conference championships. The Bronchos will wrestle Lindenwood, Newman, and Fort Hays State to finish the regular season.

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