Bronchos Primed For Repeat Bid

Climbing the mountain top is one thing, staying there is another. And that's the goal for Central Oklahoma in 2023-24 as the Bronchos take aim at a second straight NCAA Division II national championship.

UCO ended a long title drought last year in running away with its 16th national championship and the Bronchos appear loaded in their quest to repeat.

Five All-Americans -- spearheaded by a pair of individual champions -- and another national qualifier return from last year's squad that went 13-1 in duals before capturing a third straight regional crown and the program's first national title since 2007.

But that was last season and the Bronchos aren't interested in looking back.

"We look at it as we're in pursuit of winning the national championship this year, not defending anything," said eighth-year head coach Todd Steidley, who has an 86-12 dual record at UCO. "Our goal is to get better every day and to position ourselves to win the 2024 national championship.

"No one has won it this year and we don't have anything to defend. We're moving forward with that mindset and trying to be prepared for March."

UCO will preview most of its 2023-24 team with Sunday's 4 p.m. Bronze-Blue intrasquad dual at Hamilton Field House. Returning team members will receive their national championship rings prior to the match.

Leading the Bronchos are national champions Dalton Abney and Shawn Streck, two of the best on any level. Abney will be gunning for his third straight title at 197 pounds, while Streck returns at heavyweight looking to duplicate a season that ended with him being named Division II Wrestler of the Year.

UCO's other returning All-Americans are 141 Dylan Lucas, 157 Gabe Johnson and 184 Anthony DesVigne, with Lucas and DesVigne set to move up a weight this season. Also back is 125 Studd Morris, a national qualifier who came within one win of earning All-America honors.

There will be new faces at a few weights, but a mixture of returning squad members and newcomers will battle for those spots and Steidley is excited about their potential.

"We've got a good mix of guys who have been around a long time and younger guys looking to make their mark," Steidley said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what some of our younger guys can do. And there's a lot of changes we can make in the lineup, which is good."

So all signs point to the Bronchos making another spirited run at the national championship come next March, though plenty of challengers await.

"There's a lot of good teams in Division II," Steidley said. "I think it will be a dogfight at the national tournament, but we should be right in the middle of it."

Here's a weight-by-weight look at the Bronchos.

125 Pounds: UCO starts off with a senior veteran in Studd Morris, who really came into his own last season. Morris led the team in wins, going 34-7 with 17 bonus-point victories and capturing the regional title before coming up just short of earning All-America status.

He's back and determined to finish his career in style, though sophomore Garrett Steidley will push the issue. Steidley went 14-8 while seeing action at 125 and 133 last year and is certainly capable of handling the position.

Both are battling injury issues to start the season, so redshirt freshman Guy Clevenger and a host of rookies will look to fill the void until their return.

133 Pounds: UCO will have a new starter here and it looks to be a tight battle between fourth-year junior Peter Rolle and sophomore Caleb Tanner.

Rolle has seen limited action during his career but has a lot of ability, while the gifted Tanner is a four-time state champion who transferred to UCO from Oklahoma at the semester break last year.

It will be interesting to see who comes out on top, though the Bronchos have confidence in both.

Redshirt freshman Barrett Hilton could also be a factor and a couple of freshmen provide additional depth.

141 Pounds: The Bronchos have the first of their five returning All-Americans at this weight in junior Dylan Lucas, who is set to bump up from 133 and contend for the national championship.

The explosive Lucas had a tremendous season in 2022-23 in his return to the mat after a lengthy layoff, going 23-6 with 17 bonus-point wins. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the prestigious Midwest Classic, rolled to the regional title and finished third in the national tournament.

Redshirt freshman Josh Taylor and sophomore Ryder Ramsey will both push Lucas and have shown they can be productive. Freshman add more depth.

149 Pounds: Another weight that will feature a new starter, with a trio of contenders vying for the position.

Junior Dylan Brown, sophomore Antonio George and redshirt freshman Bam West are all in the running and it's a toss-up as to who will emerge on top.

Brown probably rates as the favorite due to his success at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he was a two-time All-American. He finished 36-7 as the national runner-up last year.

George came to UCO from Oklahoma at the semester break last year and saw action in a couple of duals, while West went 10-3 with nine bonus-point wins during his redshirt campaign.

Several rookies give the Bronchos more depth.

157 Pounds: All-American Gabe Johnson is back and the Bronchos expect the sophomore standout to use last year's success as a springboard for bigger things.

Johnson had an outstanding season, finishing 33-7 with 12 bonus-point wins. He captured the regional crown before finishing seventh in the national tournament and should be a top title contender this year.

Sophomore Bryce Dauphin, a transfer from Wyoming, is capable of pushing Johnson. Sophomore Brady DeArmond and redshirt freshman Aidan Boline are also available.

165 Pounds: Junior Hunter Jump is set to take over as the starter and has the ability to be an All-American.

Jump went 22-7 as the starter in 2021-22, just missing qualifying for the national tournament with a fourth-place regional finish. He suffered a season-ending injury early last year, but is back to full strength and ready to show what he can do.

Depth isn't great here, with freshman Kaleb Owen the only other listed 165-pounder, though junior Zane Coleman or redshirt freshman Jaxon Randall could drop down from 174 if needed.

174 Pounds: UCO will have a new face in the lineup here, with a trio of challengers battling for the No. 1 spot.

Junior transfer Zane Coleman, sophomore letterman Barrett Haemker and redshirt freshman Jaxon Randall are the contenders and it's anybody's guess as to who will take over.

Coleman, a four-time Oklahoma state champion who came to UCO from Arizona State, probably rates as the slight favorite. Haemker went 6-2 in limited action last year, while Randall missed the season with injury.

Talented freshman Tucker Waitman is also available.

184 Pounds: Senior Anthony DesVigne is slated to be here after earning All-America honors at 174 last season, though he could drop back down if needed.

The powerfully-built DesVigne has competed at four weights during his career (157, 165, 174 and 184) and came into his own last season, going 31-8 with 13 bonus-point wins. He claimed the regional title before taking seventh at nationals and the confidence gained from that success should be a big boost this season.

Redshirt freshman Garrett Wells showed what he can do last year, going 16-1 in four open tournaments. Wells will be the starter early as DesVigne recovers from off-season surgery and his performance may dictate what happens at this weight in the second semester.

Sophomore lettermen Kohner Gallagher and Kohl Owen provide excellent depth.

197 Pounds: A senior star is back and has a chance to make history.

Due to a COVID-induced extra year, Dalton Abney is looking to become what would be UCO's only five-time All-American while also searching for a third straight national title.

Abney overcame a mid-season injury to win both the regional and national championships last year, finishing 23-2 with 11 bonus-point wins. The opportunity to stamp himself as one of UCO's all-time greats has Abney focused on a fantastic finish and there's no question he'll be favored to do just that.

Sophomore Emmanuel Skillings went 6-1 filling in for Abney last year and definitely has the skills to be the starter. He will fill in on occasion and continue to pick up valuable experience.

Junior Seth Sarasua adds more depth.

Heavyweight: UCO's other returning national champion resides here and senior standout Shawn Streck made history himself last season in becoming the program's first-ever heavyweight gold medalist.

Streck was brilliant last season in going 26-0 with 16 bonus-point wins while giving up just two offensive points and was named Division II Wrestler of the Year. Expect more of the same in 2024 from this unstoppable force.

Streck will miss the first part of the season because of semester limits, but the Bronchos don't drop off much with junior Braden Morgan in the lineup. Morgan went 14-1 last season in a back-up role and is an All-America contender in his own right.

Freshman Alex Sutterfield is also here and sophomore Emmanuel Skillings could come up from 197 if needed.

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Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney: 6' 1"; Junior; 197

Brady DeArmond: 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman

Anthony DesVigne: 5' 11"; Junior

Barrett Haemker: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

Gabe Johnson: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

Hunter Jump: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Braden Morgan: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Studd Morris: 5' 0"; Junior

Kohl Owen: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

Ryder Ramsey: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney
: 6' 1"; Junior; 197

Brady DeArmond
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman

Anthony DesVigne
: 5' 11"; Junior

Barrett Haemker
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

Gabe Johnson
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

Hunter Jump
: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Braden Morgan
: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Studd Morris
: 5' 0"; Junior

Kohl Owen
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

Ryder Ramsey
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman