Five UCO Wrestlers Named Scholar All-American

MANEIM, Pa. – National champion Gabe Johnson led a group of five Central Oklahoma All-Americans who were named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division II Scholar All-America Team.

Joining Johnson on the elite academic squad were Dalton Abney, Dylan Brown, Anthony DesVigne and Garrett Wells. That group all placed in the top six at their respective weight in leading the Bronchos to their second straight Division II national title March 15-16 in Wichita, Kan.

"It's a great honor for these young men to be recognized for their academic work and we're very proud of them," head coach Todd Steidley said. "We want to compete for national championships, but our main goal is to help our guys graduate and become productive citizens.

"Wresting is a tough sport that takes a lot of hard work and dedication. We try to make sure that carries over to what it takes to succeed in the classroom and life in general and these guys are a great example of that."

Johnson put together a sensational sophomore season at 157 pounds. A marketing major from Choctaw, he went 26-4 with 16 bonus-point wins and ended with a 15-match winning streak.

Johnson rolled to the Regional IV title before winning the national championship with a 4-0 performance in Wichita, capped by a 10-7 finals win over defending champion and previously unbeaten Nick Novak of St. Cloud State.

Abney finished one of the greatest careers in school history with a national runner-up finish at 197 pounds, ending the season 17-1. He became UCO's first-ever five-time All-American, making the national finals four times while winning two titles, and ended with a spectacular 89-7 career record.

A senior from Tulsa with one degree already to his credit, Abney also finished as a four-time Division II Scholar All-American.

Brown came to UCO this season after a stellar two-year career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and promptly took over as the starter at 149 pounds. He went on to finish 22-5 with 11 bonus wins.

A junior nutrition dietetics major from Cleveland, Brown captured the regional title before earning All-America honors with a fourth-place finish at the national tournament.

DesVigne became a two-time All-American with a national runner-up finish at 174 pounds after winning a second straight regional championship. He went 23-5 on the season with 14 bonus wins.

The Edmond native graduated last year with a degree in crime and intelligence analysis and is working on a master's degree. He ended with 83 career wins.

Wells made a big impact as a redshirt freshman at 184 pounds this season, winning a team-high 32 matches in going 32-10 with 16 bonus wins.

A mechanical engineering major from Glenpool, he won the prestigious Midwest Classic title during the regular season and was a regional champion before placing sixth at nationals in claiming All-America honors.

Division II Scholar All-Americans must have at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average, with that benchmark at 3.25 for 2024 national tournament qualifiers and 3.0 for All-Americans.

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Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney: 6' 1"; Senior

Anthony DesVigne: 5' 11"; Senior

Gabe Johnson: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Garrett Wells: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

Dylan Brown: 5' 6"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Dalton Abney
: 6' 1"; Senior

Anthony DesVigne
: 5' 11"; Senior

Gabe Johnson
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Garrett Wells
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

Dylan Brown
: 5' 6"; Junior