Bronchos Host MIAA Rival Newman Wednesday

UCO is Riding 27-match Home and MIAA Winning Streak

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma returns to the mat after a 12-day break Wednesday when the Bronchos welcome Newman to Hamilton Field House for a 7 p.m. MIAA dual.

UCO – ranked seventh by the NWCA and No. 1 by The Open Mat – is 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in the league. The Jets from Wichita, Kansas are 0-1 and making their conference debut.

The Bronchos are riding a school-record 27-match home winning streak and have also won 27 consecutive MIAA matches. Both streaks date back to a 19-15 loss to Nebraska-Kearney on Feb. 3, 2019.

"We had a good break after our last dual and were able to give our guys a couple of days off," said head coach Todd Steidley, whose team routed McKendree 33-3 in their last outing on Nov. 22. "We've been working hard since we came back and are looking forward to being in front of our fans again.

"We've made a lot of progress, but there's still a long way to go," Steidley continued. "We have to keep improving to get where we need to be by the end of the season."

UCO doesn't return to action after Wednesday's dual until going to Indianapolis, Indiana Dec. 13-14 for the prestigious Midwest Classic. The Bronchos host Maryville Dec. 19 to finish the first-semester schedule.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO had eight individuals listed in the latest Open Mat rankings, while seven were included in the NWCA rankings.

Senior star Gabe Johnson is No. 1 at 157 pounds in both rankings, with 133 Jason Henschel first by The Open Mat and fourth by the NWCA. Two-time All-American Garrett Wells is ranked third by The Open Mat and sixth by the NWCA.

Other Bronchos in the rankings, with The Open Mat listed first, are: 125 Guy Clevenger (sixth/NR), 141 Josh Taylor (eighth/NR), 174 Hunter Jump (14th/14th), 184 Branson Britten (fifth/14th) and Hvy Judson Rowland (16th/14th). Dylan Lucas is ranked ninth at 141 by the NWCA but has yet to compete this season.

Johnson, Henschel and Wells are all 4-0 to lead the Bronchos.

Johnson has scored a pair of first-period falls to start the season and has won 45 of his last 46 matches, including 17 straight. He's 95-16 in his career with 49 bonus-point wins.

Henschel has earned two bonus-point wins in his 4-0 start to go along with wins over two ranked opponents in Ouachita Baptist's Jimmy Anderson and McKendree's Thaddeus Long.

Wells has yet to give up an offensive point, having outscored his first four opponents a combined 44-4 with a technical fall and major decision. The junior is now 58-17 for this career with 31 bonus wins.

Taylor and Rowland are both 2-0 after missing the first two matches of the season, while Clevenger and Britten are 3-1 with their only setbacks coming in UCO's dual loss to Division I Little Rock.

Probable UCO Lineup
Wt. – Name, Class (Record)
125 – Clevenger, Jr. (3-1)
133 – Henschel, Sr. (4-0)
141 – Taylor, Jr. (2-0)
149 – Jaxon Koeltzow, So. (2-2)
157 – Johnson, Sr. (4-0)
165 – Bryce Dauphin, Sr. (1-3)
174 – Jump, Sr. (2-2)
184 – Britten, Sr. (3-1)
197 – Wells, Jr. (4-0)
Hvy – Rowland, Jr. (2-0) or Ryan Nichols, So. (2-1)

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Players Mentioned

Guy Clevenger: 5' 4"; Junior

Bryce Dauphin: 5' 9"; Senior

Jason Henschel: 5' 10"; Senior

Gabe Johnson: 5' 8"; Senior

Hunter Jump: 6' 2"; Senior

Jaxon Koeltzow: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Dylan Lucas: 5' 6"; Senior

Judson Rowland: 6' 2"; Junior

Josh Taylor: 5' 7"; Junior

Garrett Wells: 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Guy Clevenger
: 5' 4"; Junior

Bryce Dauphin
: 5' 9"; Senior

Jason Henschel
: 5' 10"; Senior

Gabe Johnson
: 5' 8"; Senior

Hunter Jump
: 6' 2"; Senior

Jaxon Koeltzow
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Dylan Lucas
: 5' 6"; Senior

Judson Rowland
: 6' 2"; Junior

Josh Taylor
: 5' 7"; Junior

Garrett Wells
: 5' 11"; Junior