Consolation Performance Led UCO To Title

Competing in the consolation rounds of a national tournament is a difficult task, coming after individual national championship dreams have been dashed and the crowds are undoubtedly thinner.

But those wrestle-back matches often determine who will emerge with the team title and that was certainly the case in Cedar Rapids, Iowa last weekend when Central Oklahoma captured its first NCAA Division II championship since 2007.

The performance of individual winners Dalton Abney (197 pounds) and Shawn Streck (heavyweight) was obviously crucial, but there's no question that UCO's amazing success in the consolation rounds is what powered the Bronchos to their 16th title.

UCO had 22-6 record in the consolation rounds, including 13-5 on the final day when the Bronchos turned a precarious 6.5-point lead over Lander into a 43-point runaway.

Dylan Lucas (133), Nate Keim (141), Brik Filippo (149), Anthony DesVigne (174) and Alex Kauffman (184) all bounced back from quarterfinal losses to earn a spot on the podium. Lucas and Keim ended up third, while Kauffman came in fifth, Filippo sixth and DesVigne seventh.

Ty Lucas (165) rebounded from a semifinal setback to place third and Gabe Johnson (157) overcame a first-round loss to finish seventh. Studd Morris (125) also had two consolation wins, though he fell short of placing as UCO finished with a school-record nine All-Americans.

"It was a display of mental toughness," head coach Todd Steidley said. "We told the team before the tournament that if things don't go well to be prepared to come back, that championships are won on the back side. And man did they respond."

Indeed they did.

UCO was 8-0 in matches determined by two points or less in the consolations and had wins over eight higher seeds. The Bronchos won five of six bouts in the "blood round" that ensured All-America status – four of those by two points or less -- and ended their impressive consolation performance by taking six of seven placement matches.

"Our guys didn't miss a beat," Steidley said. "They just came back and continued to wrestle hard. As the tournament got deeper and tougher, our guys got deeper and tougher. It was just an amazing display of mental fortitude."

D. Lucas and Keim both four straight in the consolations, including three on Saturday.

The eighth-seeded Lucas beat the Nos. 2, 4 and 7 seeds on the final day, capped by a 10-3 rout of No. 2 Eric Bartos of Mercyhurst in the bronze medal match.

The sixth-seeded Keim knocked off top-seed and defending national champion Zeth Brower of Lander 7-4 in the consolation semifinals before ending his career with a defensive fall of No. 5 Peter Kuster of Drury. Keim entered that bout with a 4-10 career record against Kuster.

Nate's clutch consolation performance also gave UCO its fourth father-son All-America pairing. His dad, Mike, was an All-American for the Bronchos in 1993 and '95. They joined the Filippo duo of Brik and dad (Jimmy, 1990), who achieved that last year.

Ty Lucas joined his brother as a third-place finisher with two tough wins after falling in Saturday morning's semifinals. The seventh-seeded senior pulled out a 3-1 overtime win in the consolation semis, then upended No. 4 Daniel Hunsberger of Lander 3-2 in finishing as a three-time All-American.

Dylan and Ty became the ninth set of brothers to earn All-America honors at UCO.

The unseeded Kauffman went 5-2 in the tournament, including 3-1 in the consolations. He beat the Nos. 5 and 8 seeds while losing to Nos. 1 and 2 in becoming a two-time All-American.

Filippo won his first two consolation contests before dropping two straight in coming in sixth and ending his career as a two-time All-American.

Johnson and DesVigne both lost their first consolation bout Saturday morning before finishing with wins in the seventh-place match, with Johnson scoring a first-period fall.

UCO's consolation warriors may not have stood on top of the podium as individual champions, but they're definitely the reason the Bronchos hoisted the team trophy. And that's all they cared about anyway.

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Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney: 6' 1"; Junior; 197

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

Shawn Streck: 6' 1"; Junior; 285

Dylan Lucas: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney
: 6' 1"; Junior; 197

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

Shawn Streck
: 6' 1"; Junior; 285

Dylan Lucas
: 5' 6"; Sophomore