Wrestling 2/9/2023 4:32:00 PM

No. 1 UCO Hosts No. 3 Lopers For MIAA Title

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association title will be on the line Sunday afternoon at Hamilton Field House when top-ranked Central Oklahoma hosts No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney in a Senior Day showdown.

Match-time is 2 p.m. in the regular season finale for both teams.

The Bronchos are 12-1 on the season and 3-0 in league duals, while the defending national champion Lopers are 11-6 and 3-0. UCO has won four MIAA championships since joining the conference in 2013, including the last two.

"We've had a lot of great matches with Kearney over the years and I expect another battle," said UCO head coach Todd Steidley, who is 85-12 in his seventh year at the helm. "They've got another really good team, especially in the upper weights, and it will be quite a challenge for us.

"Our guys are looking forward to it. We want to finish the dual schedule the right way and going up against a big rival certainly gets your attention."

Seniors Nate Keim, Brik Filippo, Ty Lucas, Alex Kauffman and Tre'Vaughn Craig along with graduating juniors Dalton Abney, Anthony DesVigne and Christian Arriola will be recognized before the dual starts.

The Bronchos have two weeks off after Sunday's dual before hosting the NCAA Division II Super Regional IV Tournament on Feb. 26. The top-three placers at each weight from that 11-team meet advance to the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, set for March 10-11 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

ABOUT THE RIVALRY: UCO holds a 22-12 advantage in a series that started during the 1990-91 season. The Bronchos won 12 of the first 13 meetings, but UNK has an 11-10 lead since 2004.

Central got wins in the last two matches from 197 Dalton Abney and Hvy Shawn Streck to rally past the Lopers 18-17 last year in Kearney.

The two teams have combined for 11 NCAA Division II national titles, seven for the Bronchos (1992, '93, '94, '95, '02, '03 and '07) and four for UNK (2008, '12, '13 and '22). The Lopers were runner-up to UCO in 2003 and '07, while the Bronchos finished second behind UNK last season.

THE LINEUPS: Here's a look at the tentative lineup for Sunday's showdown, with UCO wrestler listed first:

125 – No. 9 Studd Morris, Jr. (27-5) vs. Bishop Murray, RS Fr. (19-11); 133 – No. 8 Dylan Lucas, So. (15-4) vs. Joseph Airola, Fr. (21-8) or Hector Serratos, RS Fr. (14-8); 141 – No. 8 Nate Keim, Sr. (18-6) vs. Daniel DeRozier, RS Fr. (21-9); 149 – No. 9 Brik Filippo, Sr. (19-8) vs. John Burger, Sr. (7-7); 157 – No. 3 Gabe Johnson, RS Fr. (26-5) vs. Teontae Wilson, Sr. (14-16); 165 - No. 7 Ty Lucas, Sr. (13-9) vs. Briar Reisz, RS Fr. (16-13); 174 – No. 10 Anthony DesVigne, Jr. (25-5) vs. No. 3 Austin Eldredge, Sr. (19-4); 184 – No. 11 Alex Kauffman, Sr. (8-2) vs. No. 1 Billy Higgins, Jr. (20-2); 197 – No. 2 Dalton Abney, Jr. (15-2) or Emmanuel Skillings, RS Fr. (5-1) vs. Jackson Kinsella, RS Fr. (22-10); Hvy – No. 2 Shawn Streck, Jr. (18-0) or Christian Arriola, Jr. (17-3) vs. No. 1 Lee Herrington, Sr. (20-3) or Crow Howard, RS Fr. (12-1).

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO is riding a 16-match home winning streak, with the last loss a 19-15 setback to the Lopers on Feb. 3, 2019. The Bronchos have won 31 of their last 32 duals, including a tough 24-15 victory over No. 8 Adams State on Feb. 3 in their last outing.

That dual was deadlocked at 15-all before UCO won the final two weights. Emmanuel Skillings -- filling in for injured defending national champion Dalton Abney for the sixth straight dual -- claimed a 7-2 decision at 197 and Shawn Streck scored a first-period fall in the final bout.

Streck is now 18-0 with 14 bonus-point wins (eight falls, five major decisions, one technical fall). Six of his eight pins have come in the first period.

Three starters have won 25-plus matches this season – Studd Morris (27-5), Gabe Johnson (26-5) and Anthony DesVigne (25-5), with each of them riding a six-match winning streak. Morris and DesVigne both have 12 bonus wins, while Johnson has 10.

Brik Filippo has reached the 90-win mark for his career (90-29), while Nate Keim has 85 (85-37) and Ty Lucas 79 (79-31).

ABOUT THE LOPERS: UNK has three All-Americans back from last year's national championship team – 174 Austin Eldredge, 184 Billy Higgins and Hvy Lee Herrington. That trio is a combined 59-9 this season.

Higgins finished third last season, while Eldredge came in fourth and Herrington fifth.

The Lopers have lost three duals by three points or less this season. UNK routed Fort Hays State (33-6) and Central Missouri (35-9) in its last two outings.

NATIONAL TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE: The UCO Athletic Department is planning to purchase discounted tickets in a group block for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships and want to give Broncho fans a chance to be included.
The all-session, reserved-seat tickets are $44 (regularly $52) and the UCO group will be located in Section 103 (lower-level, center) at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Fans will be able to pick up their tickets at the UCO Athletic Department or at the will call window in Cedar Rapids.

Payments are accepted by credit card or check made payable to UCO Athletics. Payments will be accepted at Sunday's dual with UNK or through 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15, via email to Meredith at mwilson75@uco.edu. Please call 405-974-2500 with any questions.

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Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney: 6' 1"; Junior; 197

Christian Arriola: 6' 3"; Junior; 285

Tre'Vaughn Craig: 5' 11"; Senior

Anthony DesVigne: 5' 11"; Junior

Brik Filippo: 5' 8"; Senior; 149

Gabe Johnson: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

Alex Kauffman: 5' 10"; Senior

Nate Keim: 5' 7"; Senior; 141

Ty Lucas: 5' 9"; Senior; 157

Studd Morris: 5' 0"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney
: 6' 1"; Junior; 197

Christian Arriola
: 6' 3"; Junior; 285

Tre'Vaughn Craig
: 5' 11"; Senior

Anthony DesVigne
: 5' 11"; Junior

Brik Filippo
: 5' 8"; Senior; 149

Gabe Johnson
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

Alex Kauffman
: 5' 10"; Senior

Nate Keim
: 5' 7"; Senior; 141

Ty Lucas
: 5' 9"; Senior; 157

Studd Morris
: 5' 0"; Junior