Oklahoma Products Spur UCO Success

A 16-year drought ended for Central Oklahoma's storied wrestling program March 10-11 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa when the Bronchos captured their 16th national championship, but the path to that success continued a trend which has existed throughout the program's 70-year history.

Homegrown talent is the key.

UCO has always cultivated and relied on wrestlers that came through Oklahoma high schools, which annually produce some of the best the country has to offer. That was evident once again this season, when eight of the Bronchos' nine All-Americans were in-state products.

"Oklahoma kids are the lifeblood of our program, no doubt about it," head coach Todd Steidley said. "We're a small state, but there a lot of quality high school kids here because we have so many quality coaches. And a ton of those coaches wrestled here.

"Our Oklahoma kids do a great job for us, not only as wrestlers but as part of our wrestling community. Most of these kids grew up wrestling together or against each other and once they come here they already know each other, so that familiarity is great. We're very fortunate in that regard."

Heavyweight national champion Shawn Streck (Indiana) was the lone non-Oklahoman to earn All-America honors for the Bronchos. Dylan and Ty Lucas (Plainview HS in Ardmore), Nate Keim (Collinsville), Brik Filippo (Tuttle), Gabe Johnson (Choctaw), Anthony DesVigne (North HS in Edmond), Alex Kauffman (Vinita) and Dalton Abney (Cascia Hall HS in Tulsa) joined a long list of former Oklahoma high school stars to step on the podium for UCO.

Of the 146 individuals who have earned All-America honors at Central since the first one in 1930, an incredible 124 hailed from an Oklahoma city or town. Just 22 All-Americans have come from nine other states, with Kansas accounting for 10 of those.

Those in-state All-Americans come from all over Oklahoma, with 47 different towns represented. Tulsa and Del City have both produced nine All-Americans, while Edmond and Midwest City have each had eight.

And Steidley – a state champion at Union HS in Tulsa before winning a national title for UCO -- has a good theory on why Oklahoma kids have turned out so well for the Bronchos.

"If your family is sitting up in the stands, you're gonna wrestle better and harder," said the seventh-year skipper. "Then you get to visit with them after and maybe go to dinner. That stuff's important."

UCO's in-state success is also reflected in its parade of national champions. Forty-eight individuals have collected at least one national title for the Bronchos, with 41 of those coming from within the state borders representing 25 different towns.

Tulsa and Del City lead that list with four different champs apiece, while Midwest City and Ponca City have provided three each.

And of those 41 in-state national champs an astounding 16 didn't win a state title. That includes a four-time national champion (Johnny Nimmo), a three-timer (Ronnie James) and a pair of two-timers (Keith Cunningham and David James, who would go on to guide UCO to 12 national titles during a 34-year tenure as head coach).

So how do the Bronchos continue to attract some of the best high school talent the state has to offer?

"Our history helps," said Steidley, who coached Bristow and Ponca City high schools to a combined seven state titles during a 15-year career in the prep ranks. "The success we've had over the years goes back to what the coaches before me did and people want to be a part of that.

"Jimmy (Rogers, 1972-78) got it going, then Eddie (Griffin, 1978-82) did some great things and D.J. (1982-16) was just phenomenal. We're just trying to build on their legacy."

And it's legacy of national championship success – thanks to Oklahoma high schools.

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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

Shawn Streck: 6' 1"; Junior; 285

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

Shawn Streck
: 6' 1"; Junior; 285