EDMOND – No. 1-ranked Central Oklahoma puts a school-record 30-match home winning streak on the line Friday when the Bronchos host Drury for a 7 p.m. dual at Hamilton Field House.
UCO is 12-1 on the season and has won 11 in a row. The Panthers from Springfield, Missouri are 2-9.
"We're always excited about being at home in front of our own fans," said head coach Todd Steidley, who is now 126-14 in his 10th year at the helm. "It's another opportunity for us to compete and get better.
"We saw some things we needed to work on last weekend and those are the areas we're looking to improve moving forward."
It's the second-to-last home dual for the Bronchos, who go on the road for two matches next week before closing the dual slate against No. 14 Central Missouri on Feb. 15 on Senior and Alumni Day. UCO's 1985-86 NAIA national championship team will be recognized during that dual.
The Bronchos will also host the NCAA Division II Super Regional IV Tournament on March 1. Eleven teams will compete in that all-day tournament, with the top three finishers at each of the 10 weights qualifying for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO went 27-3 with eight bonus-point wins in outscoring New Mexico Highlands (38-3) and Colorado State (36-6) a combined 74-9 in back-to-back road duals last weekend. The Bronchos have scored 30-plus points in nine of their 12 wins this season.
Two-time defending national champion Gabe Johnson led the way with 17-2 and 17-1 technical falls, giving him a school career record 26. That eclipsed the previous mark of 25 set by four-time All-American and two-time national champion Kyle Evans (2005-08).
The top-ranked Johnson is now 12-0 with nine bonus wins and has won 25 straight matches. He's 103-16 for his career, having moved into a tie for 20th on the school's all-time wins list.
Four others went 2-0 on the weekend – 174 Hunter Jump, 184 Branson Britten, 197 Garrett Wells and Hvy Ryan Nichols. The fourth-ranked Jump is now 14-4 with an eight-match winning streak, while Britten and Wells – both ranked third nationally – are each 16-2.
Top-ranked 133 Jason Henschel suffered his first loss of the season against CSU-Pueblo, falling 7-4 in overtime. He's now 12-1 with nine bonus wins.
PROBABLE LINEUP: Here's a look at UCO's expected starters for Friday's dual against Drury:
125 – Guy Clevenger, Jr. (12-5) or Eli Kirk, So. (6-1)
133 – Henschel, Sr. (12-1)
141 – Josh Taylor, Jr. (8-3)
149 – Bam West, Jr. (5-3) or Kasen Miller, RS Fr. (21-6)
157 – Johnson, Sr. (12-0)
165 – Bryce Dauphin, Sr. (9-8)
174 – Jump, Sr. (14-4)
184 – Britten, Sr. (16-2)
197 – Wells, Jr. (16-2) or Emmanuel Skillings, Sr. (8-2)
Hvy – Nichols, So. (6-5)
