Chance At History Doesn't Drive Dalton Abney

Four-time All-American. Three-time national finalist. Two-time national champion. That's what Dalton Abney accomplished during a phenomenal Central Oklahoma career that appeared over at the end of the 2022-23 season.

And yet…

The NCAA didn't count the 2020-21 season due to the COVID pandemic, so Abney was eligible to return in 2023-24. A chance to become UCO's first – and probably only – five-time All-American. An opportunity for a third national title, joining a short list of four others in the school's illustrious history who have won at least three. A shot at helping lead the Bronchos to a second consecutive team title.

And yet…

It wasn't as easy a decision as some might think.

"This time last year I was done, my mind was made up," Abney said. "When school was out and summer started I still didn't think I was coming back. I was working and wasn't really doing anything, but then I started missing wrestling.

"What actually got me to really miss it was when I went to train at a jiu-jitsu gym just to roll around. It gave me an itch and I was like, 'this is still pretty fun.'

So Abney opted to come back to the Bronchos and hasn't regretted it a bit. He's seen limited action in an attempt to keep his oft-injured body fresh and enters this weekend's NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships as the No. 1 seed at 197 pounds with a spotless 14-0 record.

"The back half of my career I've been banged up," said Dalton, who is a sensational 86-6 with 44 bonus-point wins at UCO. "I was dealing with three, four, sometimes five different things at once, especially last year. That was one of the things about me coming back. Coach (Todd Steidley) told me I didn't have to wrestle much, if any, in the first semester.

"That made it easier for me with my weight, not having to keep it down, and I could come to practice fat and happy and really grind."

Abney wrestled in just one one-semester dual, scoring a 19-4 technical fall in the first period. He competed in 10 of UCO's 13 second-semester duals and then won three matches in capturing his third straight Regional IV championship.

And now comes the chance at making history in becoming a five-time All-American.

"It's something that hasn't been done here, but honestly I can say I don't really care about that," Abney said. "I know all my family does and not to say it's not important because it is a big achievement, but I still don't even really care about it.

"I guess it will be in the history books forever, but there's a lot of other people at UCO that would have done it if they had the opportunity. I was just in the right time to do it. I just want to go out there and perform to the best of my abilities and if that's the outcome, that's the outcome."

Abney came to Edmond lightly recruited despite enjoying a stellar career at Cascia Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa, where he went 105-5 as a three-time state finalist.

"I broke my ankle in the first football game of my senior year on the second-to-last play of the game," Abney said. "I was always football all through high school and didn't really focus on wrestling until after I broke my ankle.

"That kind of shot my opportunities in football and I wanted to play college sports, so I just decided to take wrestling super seriously. Luckily UCO saw me wrestle. I came up for a visit and committed the next day."

Abney competed in three open tournaments while redshirting in 2018-19 before having minor knee surgery, then tore his ACL in the same knee early that summer. Abney missed the first semester the following season and took over the 197-pound starting spot in January.

Dalton was 13-2 the rest of the season and finished runner-up in the regional. He was ranked fifth entering the national tournament and was named an All-American after COVID forced a last-minute cancellation of that event.

Abney had a 10-2 record during the shortened 2020-21 season, again finishing as regional runner-up. He won a trio of tight matches to make the national finals before dropping a 1-0 decision to McKendree's Ryan Vasbinder.

A tough, physical grappler who punishes opponents when in control on the mat, Abney put together a sensational 2021-22 campaign. He finished a perfect 26-0 with 14 bonus wins and allowed only 13 points all season, including just one in a 4-0 run to the national championship.

"That was big," Abney said of winning the national title. "I still had another year, maybe two, but there was a little bit of relief, a lot of joy, when I won. I worked really hard. I wanted it the year before, but It wasn't meant to be and that broke me. I was happy I was able to accomplish my goal."

Abney repeated as regional and national champion last year, going 23-2 with 11 bonus wins. It was anything but easy, though, as Dalton had to overcome a mid-season ankle injury that forced him to miss nearly two months of action.

"Honestly last year might have meant more to me just because of how much more difficult it was," Abney said. "I missed seven weeks and then came back hardly in shape and I couldn't move the way I like to wrestle.

"I'm a lateral wrestler, at least I like to be, and I couldn't side-step to save my life because my ankle was busted. I had to dig deep for that one, so it was a lot more rewarding in that sense because of how much harder it was than the year before."

And topping off winning a second straight individual title was helping UCO capture its 16th team championship.

"That's the first time I've been on a championship team and that was awesome," Abney said. "That will be something I'll remember forever."

Now it's time to focus on one last tournament. There will be no extra year after this one.

"I'm not going to approach it any different," Abney said. "It's just staying open minded, having a free mind about it, not making it bigger than it is. Win or lose, my friends are going to be my friends, my family is going to be my family.

"Thinking about it like that lets you be a little bit more free. Just go out there and have fun and go wrestle. I'm excited for it."

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Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney: 6' 1"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney
: 6' 1"; Senior