Jody Marple was a four-time national qualifier for Central Oklahoma's powerhouse wrestling team in the late 1990s and helped the Bronchos continue their long-standing tradition of success. A tenacious competitor and consistent force in the middle of the lineup throughout his career, Marple led UCO to four straight top-four national tournament finishes.
A prep standout at Altus (Okla.) High School, Marple spent his freshman year at Oklahoma before transferring to UCO before the 1996-97 season. He went 30-17 and won the Midwest Regional title at 150 pounds that year.
Jody captured another regional crown the following season and was the national runner-up at 150 in finishing 34-14. He was seeded sixth at the national tournament, but knocked off the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in making the finals before falling to the No. 1 seed.
Marple claimed a third straight regional championship as a junior at 157 pounds and ended with a 36-11 record that included 12 bonus-point wins.
Jody moved from 157 to 165 late in his senior season in 1999-00 and earned All-America honors for the second time while finishing 26-7. The third-seeded Marple won his first two matches, lost in the semifinals to the No. 2 seed and rebounded with two consolation wins to take third in sparking UCO to a surprising runner-up showing in the team race.
Marple finished his career with a 126-49 record, including 38 bonus wins. He ranks ninth on Central's all-time wins list.
In this week's installment of our look back at some of Central's past athletic greats, here's a brief conversation with Jody Marple.
Degree(s) earned at UCO:Â Â Bachelor of Science in Education
How did UCO prepare you for success:Â By teaching me to always work hard and learn from successful people around you. UCO also taught me how to work through challenging times, always have a positive attitude, and to do my very best.
Favorite memory at Central: Our team competing in the National Tournament my senior year in 2000. We had our struggles throughout the year and had lost duals to some teams that we shouldn't have. We were ranked 10th nationally before going to the Regional Tournament. However, Coach James made some adjustments to the lineup that he felt would make us more competitive as a team, We ended up qualifying seven wrestlers for the National Tournament where we finished second as a team. We obviously would've rather finished first, but finishing second was an accomplishment that year considering the adversity that we went through.
Best thing about going to UCO: Developing relationships with coaches, teammates and alumni
Who were your favorite professors, coaches, etc:Â Coach James and Coach Shawn Bateman played an instrumental role for me and my wrestling career at UCO. Wrestling on the college level is a grind, both mentally and physically. There were times where I would get very frustrated and wanted to quit due to the lack of success I was having. However, I found that wrestling in college is a marathon, not a sprint. Coach James and Coach Bateman helped me get through that on both the technical and mental aspect of it.
If you could give advice to a current student-athlete at UCO, what would it be:Â Enjoy wrestling and make the most of your opportunities and experiences at UCO. Expect a lot of challenges along the way and do your best to work through those challenges. Most importantly, graduate and get your degree.
Career path:Â I was a teacher and a coach for seven years. I coached at Perry High School and Midwest City High School during that time. I was very fortunate to have coached under some of the best coaches and to have been at two of the most traditionally rich programs in the state. I believe that contributed significantly to the success I had while coaching. After coaching, I started a career in Pharmaceutical Sales and continue in that today.
Where do you currently live:Â Tuttle, Okla.
Family: My wife, Leah, and I have two boys, Bostik, 9 and Titus, 7 and a daughter, Aspyn, 4
Â
Â
