Wrestling 10/23/2020 9:00:00 AM Mike Kirk

Friday Feature: A Repeat Title

Friday Features Are Brought To You By UCO ROTC

EDMOND – The return of five All-Americans from a national championship team put a target on Central Oklahoma's back heading into the 1992-93 wrestling season, but the Bronchos were up to the task. And then some.

UCO entered that campaign loaded in the first seven weights, but didn't appear as deep as in previous years. Two champions were back in 118-pounder Randy Zellner and 158-pounder Keith Cunningham, while All-Americans Travis Moman (126), Ryan Martin (134) and Todd Drake (142) also returned, though Martin ended up missing the season with a knee injury suffered the year before.

"We're coming off a national championship year and that's good and everything, but that's in the past and it's time to forget in and move on," 11^th-year head coach David James said in the pre-season preview. "It's time to reload, get to work and start a new year."

The returners did their job, with the influx of several newcomers proving critical as the Bronchos went on to capture their second straight NCAA Division II national championship – and the program's 10^th in 15 years.

Central competed in just 11 duals, going 7-4 with losses to Division I powers Iowa, North Carolina State, Oklahoma and Missouri. The Bronchos fell to N.C. State 21-18 and the Sooners won the last three matches to overcome a 19-7 deficit in beating UCO by a point for the second straight year.

UCO wasn't tested in its other seven duals, rolling over Division I New Mexico and six Division II opponents.

The Bronchos also participated in four open tournaments and two invitationals, winning the Southwest Missouri Invitational behind champions Zellner, Cunningham and Mike Keim (134).

Central hosted the Midwest Regional and won that title by a 45-point margin while crowning eight champions. Zellner, Moman, Keim, Drake, Biff Jones (150), Wes White (158), Cunningham (167) and Chris Griffin (190) won titles, while Denny Kennedy (heavyweight) finished second in also qualifying for the national tournament.

That set the stage for the NCAA Division II Championships, which were set for March 5-6 in Brookings, S.D.

"Hopefully we're going up there with the intention of winning a national championship and not to defend one," James said in the Vista's tournament preview. "You can't look at what you've done in the past, because if you do you won't be rewarded."

The Bronchos were rewarded.

UCO crowned three champions – Drake, White and Cunningham – while also getting top-five finishes from Zellner, Keim, Jones and Moman in blitzing the field. The Bronchos racked up 108.5 points, far outdistancing Nebraska-Omaha's runner-up total of 68.

"I thought it was a great team effort and I couldn't be more proud of the way the guys performed," James said to the Oklahoman after the tournament. "I think it speaks well for the program and kids in the program to be able to win back-to-back national championships."

Drake, the lone senior on the team who had finished third the previous two years, entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed. He followed a first-round bye with a 9-6 win over the No. 7 seed, cruised to a 13-5 major decision in the semifinals over the No. 3 seed and then toppled top-seeded James Sisson of Portland State 7-6 in the finals.

Sisson was gunning for his fourth national title and led 3-1 entering the third period, but Drake scored a reverse and two takedowns in the final two minutes to rally for the huge upset.

"The whole week I've been thinking of the 16 years that I've been wrestling and that this was it," Drake told the Oklahoman. "This was my last match and I wanted to do the best I could do. It's a great way to end my career."

White, a mid-season addition from Oklahoma State who hadn't wrestled since the 1989-90 season because of illness, upheld his No. 1 seeding. The junior scored 35 points in cruising into the finals and then rolled to an 11-3 major decision for the gold medal.

Cunningham, the champion at 158 the previous year, was seeded No. 2 at 167 but it didn't matter. The junior followed an opening-round bye with a fall and 5-0 shutout before topped No. 1 seed Dan Hutcheson of Ferris State 5-2 in the title bout.

The top-seed Zellner coasted into the finals, but was denied a second straight championship with a 3-2 finals loss to North Dakota State's third-seeded Brian Kapusta.

Keim, who took over at 134 when Martin couldn't return from his injury suffered in the 1992 national tournament, made it all the way to the finals. The junior college transfer, seeded second, had 4-2, 9-0 and 7-3 wins in making the finals before falling to the No. 1 seed.

Jones finished fourth as he was seeded, while Moman took fifth after entering as the No. 3 seed.

Six of UCO's seven All-Americans were set to return the next season, which wasn't good news for the teams trying to chase the Bronchos.

Print Friendly Version