Central Oklahoma held on to its No. 1 ranking in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division II poll released Thursday as the Bronchos prepare to head west for back-to-back duals this weekend against a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponents.
UCO earned 90.5 points in the poll that awards points to the top 15 at each weight. Defending national champion and MIAA rival Nebraska-Kearney stayed second with 81.5 points, followed by Gannon (65), Grand Valley State (63) and Pittsburgh-Johnstown (62).
The Bronchos, 10-1 on the season and riding a nine-match winning streak, go to Las Vegas, N.M. Saturday for an 8 p.m. (Oklahoma time) meeting with New Mexico Highlands (6-3) before moving on to Pueblo, Colo. Sunday to take on Colorado State-Pueblo (4-3) at 3 p.m.
UCO is perfect against both teams, holding a 9-0 series lead over the Cowboys and a 23-0 advantage over the Thunderwolves. The Bronchos have won 16 straight true road duals against Division II opponents.
"It's another long road trip for us, which is never easy," said head coach Todd Steidley, who is 124-14 in his 10th year at the helm. "Our guys have done a good job of staying locked in when we travel and we're going to need to do that again this weekend against a couple of solid teams.
"I like the mentality the team has and the way we keep working to get better. There's still a lot of things we need to improve on to get where we want to be by the time the postseason gets here."
UCO will have just four duals left after this weekend. The Bronchos entertain Drury Jan. 30, then go on the road to meet Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State Feb. 6-7 before taking on Central Missouri Feb. 15 on Alumni Day in the home finale.
Central will host the all-important NCAA Division II Super Regional IV Tournament March 1 at Hamilton Field House. The top three placers at each of the 10 weights in that 11-team tournament advance to the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
THE LINEUP: Here's a look at UCO's probable lineup for this weekend:
125 – Guy Clevenger, Jr. (11-5) or Eli Kirk, So (5-1); 133 – Jason Henschel, Sr. (11-0); 141 – Josh Taylor, Jr. (7-2); 149 – Bam West, Jr. (4-3) or Kasen Miller, RS Fr. (20-6); 157 – Gabe Johnson, Sr. (10-0); 165 – Bryce Dauphin, Sr. (8-6); 174 – Hunter Jump, Sr. (12-4); 184 – Branson Britten, Sr. (14-2) or Cameron Johnson, Jr. (17-5); 197 – Garrett Wells, Jr. (14-2); Hvy – Ryan Nichols, So. (4-5) or Paul Sharp, Jr. (12-3).
ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO has won 71 of its last 74 duals, the only losses in that span coming against St. Cloud State in the 2023 and '25 NWCA Division II National Duals finals and Division I Little Rock early this season.
The Bronchos have beaten four of the teams ranked in the top 10 in the latest poll -- No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney (22-12), No. 4 Grand Valley State (30-21), No. 8 McKendree (33-3) and No. 10 Ashland (36-11).
Nine UCO individuals are ranked in the top 15 at their respective weight in the new NWCA poll, with 133 Jason Henschel and 157 Gabe Johnson both maintaining their No. 1 perch.
Other ranked individuals are: 184 Branson Britten (third), 197 Garrett Wells (third), 174 Hunter Jump (fourth), 141 Josh Taylor (eighth), 165 Bryce Dauphin (10th), 149 Cole Mayfield (12th) and 125 Eli Kirk (13th).
Henschel is undefeated at 11-0 with eight bonus-point wins. He's allowed just one point in his last seven outings, having recorded three falls, a technical fall, two major decisions and a 6-0 shutout in that span.
Johnson is also unbeaten at 10-0 with seven bonus wins in stretching his winning streak to 23 in a row. The two-time national champion has won 52 of his last 53 matches and is 101-17 for his career, ranking in a tie for 22nd on UCO's all-time wins list.
Jump has won six straight matches, outscoring those opponents a combined 59-8. He's 12-4 on the season with seven bonus wins and is 79-27 for his career.
Britten and Wells are both 14-2, with Britten having collected five bonus wins and Wells eight. Wells has a 68-19 career record.
