EDMOND – The 1984-85 season looked like it was going to be a rebuilding one for Central Oklahoma's powerhouse wrestling program. After all, only three starters returned from the previous year's national championship team and there was just one senior on the 38-man roster.
Some rebuild.
The Bronchos of head coach David James stormed to their second straight NAIA national title behind a dominating national tournament performance, giving UCO its fifth championship in seven years. The 1984-85 squad is the focus of this week's Friday Feature.
James was cautious entering the season.
"We may take some lumps this year," the third-year coach said in the 1984-85 media guide's preseason preview. "But we'll keep working and hopefully qualify 10 wrestlers to defend the title."
UCO's dual record wasn't impressive at 11-9, but the Bronchos wrestled 11 Division I teams (going 3-8) and battling that competition helped spur the team's improvement throughout the season. Central also crowned seven individual champions – with lone senior Ricky Bollenbach nabbing Outstanding Wrestler honors -- in cruising to the Central Missouri Invitational crown and was runner-up in the D1-dominated Southwest Missouri Invitational.
Seven individuals qualified for the NAIA National Championships, which were held March 7-9 in Jamestown, N.D., and UCO entered the three-day meet ranked No. 2 behind Simon Fraser. James was cautiously optimistic entering the tournament.
"I think all seven of our guys have an opportunity to win," James told the Vista. "It's going to be a wide-open field this year. Simon Fraser would have to be the heavy favorite, but I don't see anyone running away with it."
But indeed, that's what happened. All seven qualifiers placed in the top three and the Bronchos stampeded to another championship, racking up 123 ¼ points to outdistance second-place Colorado State-Pueblo by 43. Simon Fraser ended up fourth.
Bollenbach made the most of his only national tournament appearance by winning the gold medal at 142 pounds and UCO had five others fall in the finals. Billy Reid (118), Joe Starzenski (134), Kevin Freeman (150), Jack O'Connor (158) and Howard Seay (167) all finished second, while Johnny Deaton (177) took third.
"I felt good about our chances, but didn't expect to win this big," James said in the Vista's tournament wrap-up. "Last year it was really nice to win, but this year is a little special because these guys didn't have the credentials of other teams we've had in the past. It's special to see kids like that move up into the elite."
Bollenbach was seeded just fifth before rolling to his title, following a first-round bye with three decisions and a first-period fall in the finals. Reid and O'Connor were both seeded No. 2 and each had a couple of close calls in making the finals before losing tough decisions.
Starzenski was seeded third and wasn't tested in making the finals before dropping a 13-7 decision. The fifth-seeded Freeman coasted into the finals and then was handed a bitter defeat, losing on judges criteria in overtime by virtue of his opponent having a five-second riding time advantage.
Seay, seeded seventh, knocked off the No. 3 seed in the semifinals before losing to the top seed in the title match. The 10th-seeded Deaton upended the No. 3 seed twice – 21-11 in the second round and by fall in the consolation finals -- in taking third to round out Central's impressive performance.
Six of UCO's seven placers were due to return in 1985-86, which wasn't good news for any NAIA team looking to stem the growing dominance of the Broncho program.
