The most important day of a long wrestling season arrives Saturday when No. 4-ranked Central Oklahoma travels to Warrensburg, Mo for the NCAA Division II Super Regional IV Tournament.
First-round action begins at 10 a.m. at the Jerry Hughes Athletics Center on the Central Missouri campus and the 10-team tournament will run straight through, culminating in the placement matches at approximately 5 p.m.
The top-three finishers at each of the 10 weights qualify for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, which are set for March 14-15 in Indianapolis, Ind. Five other regional tournaments will also be held Saturday, with 30 qualifiers advancing from each of those to create the 180-wrestler national tournament field..
“This is the biggest day of the year,” ninth-year head Todd Steidley said. “You can’t do anything at the national tournament if you aren’t there, so the only goal for each of our guys this weekend is to qualify. It all comes down to how we perform on this one day and our main objective is moving everybody on to the national tournament.
“It’s been a long season and we’ve had to battle some injuries, but our guys have worked hard and they’re ready. I just want them to wrestle hard for seven minutes every time they step on the mat. We can’t be looking ahead and have to focus on one match at a time.”
The Bronchos are looking for their fifth straight regional title and the 24th since joining Division II in 1990. UCO crowned seven champions for the second straight year and qualified eight individuals last season in finishing with 160 points, just nine ahead of McKendree.
ABOUT THE REGIONAL: Five of the 10 teams are ranked in the top 25 – No. 4 UCO, No. 7 McKendree, No. 20 Maryville, No. 22 Central Missouri and No. 24 Indianapolis. Drury, Kentucky Wesleyan, Newman, Ouachita Baptist and Quincy round out the field.
“We’re in one of the toughest regionals,” Steidley said. “There are a lot of good individuals at each weight and we know it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
There are 28 ranked individuals in the tournament and five returning champions — UCO’s 149 Dylan Brown, 157 Gabe Johnson, 165 Hunter Jump and 184 Garrett Wells along with Maryville Hvy Ryan Herman.
Ranked individuals at each weight: 125 – Studd Morris, UCO (1) and Jakason Burks, Central Missouri (4); 133 – Peter Rolle, UCO (4) and James Anderson, Ouachita Baptist (5); 141 – Ronan Schuelke, McKendree (5), Brayden Lowery, Indianapolis (11) and Josh Taylor, UCO (13); 149 – Joey Semerad, McKendree (8) and Dylan Brown, UCO (12); 157 – Gabe Johnson, UCO (2); John Ridle, Central Missouri (10); Jaylon Otero, Ouachita Baptist (11) and Cale Hoskinson, McKendree (12); 165 – Cory Peterson, McKendree (6); Hunter Jump, UCO (8); Jace Fisher, Newman (13) and Will Kuster, Drury (14); 174 – Matt Ortiz, McKendree (7) and Cole Ritter, Maryville (10); 184 – Garrett Wells, UCO (7); Zeke Waltz, McKendree (10); Damon Ashworth, Central Missouri (13) and Dalton Litzsinger, Maryville (15); 197 – Logan Kvien, McKendree (2); Derek Blubaugh, Indianapolis (3) and Emmanuel Skillings, UCO (12); Hvy – Ryan Herman, Maryville (2) and Tyler Haynes, McKendree (15).
ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO ended the dual season 13-1, with the lone loss a 21-16 setback to top-ranked St. Cloud State in the finals of the NWCA Division II Duals.
The Bronchos beat six top-25 teams during the season – No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney (22-14 and 19-12), No. 3 Wisconsin-Parkside (20-15), No. 7 McKendree (19-18), No. 11 Mary (26-15), No. 20 Maryville (42-4) and No. 22 Central Missouri (33-4).
UCO was runner-up to Wisconsin-Parkside at the prestigious Midwest Classic in December and went 5-0 to claim its fifth consecutive Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association dual crown.
Steidley was named MIAA Coach of the Year for the fifth time, while 125 Studd Morris was selected Co-Wrestler of the Year. He was joined on the first-team squad by 149 Dylan Brown, 157 Gabe Johnson, 165 Hunter Jump and 184 Garrett Wells, while 141 Josh Taylor and 197 Emmanuel Skillings were second-team picks.
The Bronchos have won 60 of their last 62 duals, with both losses in that span coming to SCSU in the NWCA Division II National Duals finals (2023 and ’25).
UCO’s 10 regional starters finished the regular season with a combined 156-37 record, including 92 bonus-point wins.
Here’s a look at each of Central’s 10 regional participants.
125 Studd Morris, Sr. – Ranked first nationally with a 23-1 record and 13 bonus-point wins (six falls, five major decisions, two technical falls) … Should be seeded first this weekend … Lone loss this season was to Tiffin’s fifth-ranked Anthony Aniciete in Midwest Classic quarterfinals … Avenged that defeat in the consolation finals of that event to finish third … Drury Open champion … Enters regional with 14-match winning streak … Named MIAA Co-Wrestler of the Year … Went 4-0 in winning regional title in 2023, then went 2-2 at the national tournament … Missed last season to injury … Has 94-22 career record with 48 bonus wins.
133 Peter Rolle, Sr. – Ranked fourth nationally with 15-3 record and 10 bonus-point wins (seven falls, two technical falls, one major decision) … Should be seeded first this weekend and enters regional with five-match winning streak … Captured Drury Open title and placed seventh at the Midwest Classic … Went 2-2 and finished fourth in the regional last year to just miss out on national tournament berth … Has 45-21 career record with 27 bonus wins, including 20 falls.
141 Josh Taylor, So. – Ranked 12th nationally with 19-2 record that includes 10 bonus-point wins (five technical falls, three major decisions, two falls) … Should be seeded third this weekend … Both losses this season have been to 12th-ranked Joseph Airola of Nebraska-Kearney (7-3, 4-1), but owns 10-7 win over No. 1 Cayden Henschel of Wisconsin-Parkside … Won titles at the Falcon and Drury opens … Competing in his first regional tournament … Has 35-7 career record with 18 bonus wins.
149 Dylan Brown, Sr. – Ranked 12th nationally with 13-4 record and seven bonus-point wins (five falls, one technical fall, one major decision) … Enters regional riding an eight-match winning streak and should be seeded first or second … Placed fifth at the Midwest Classic … Defending regional champion, going 3-0 last year … Went on to earn All-America honors with fourth-place national tournament finish … Was two-time junior college All-American at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M … Has 35-9 career record with the Bronchos, including 18 bonus wins.
Gabe Johnson, Jr. – Ranked second nationally with 19-1 record and 14 bonus-point wins (eight major decisions, five technical falls, one fall) … Two-time defending regional champion and should be seeded first … Has won 34 of his last 35 matches, including six straight … Lone loss was to No. 1 Joel Jesuroga of St. Cloud State … Went 6-0 with four bonus wins to claim Midwest Classic title … Competing in his fourth regional tournament and has 8-1 record in this event … Runner-up in 2022, then cruised to three easy wins in both 2023 and 2024 in winning back-to-back titles … Two-time All-American, finishing seventh in 2023 before winning the national championship last year … Has 84-16 career record with 43 bonus wins.
Hunter Jump, Sr. – Ranked eighth nationally and has 14-5 record with nine bonus-point wins (four falls, four major decisions, one technical fall) … Should be seeded first and enters regional with six-match winning streak, earning bonus points in five of those … Finished sixth in the Midwest Regional after medical forfeiting his final match there … Is 6-2 in two previous regional tournament appearances … Went 3-2
and finished fourth in 2022, dropping 4-2 consolation finals decision to just miss out on national tournament berth … Went 3-0 last year to capture regional title and went on to claim All-America honors with third-place national tournament finish … Has 64-21 career record with 31 bonus wins.
Zane Coleman, Sr. – Senior veteran who enters regional with 16-6 record and 11 bonus-point wins (team-high eight falls, two major decisions, one technical fall) … Making first regional tournament appearance and should be seeded third or fourth this weekend … Has wrestled just once since Jan. 11 because of injury, scoring a 36-second fall in that bout … Six of eight falls this season have came in the first period … Spent four years at Arizona State before coming to UCO last season … Has 22-8 career record and 15 bonus wins (12 falls) with the Bronchos.
Garrett Wells, So. – Ranked seventh nationally with 15-4 record and nine bonus-point wins (four falls, four technical falls, one major decision) … Defending regional champion and should be seeded first this weekend … Enters regional with a four-match winning streak … Placed third at the Midwest Classic, the lone loss in that tournament coming to No. 2 Matt Weinberg of Kutztown … Went 3-0 in winning regional title last year and went on to finish sixth at national tournament in earning All-America honors … Has 47-14 career record with 25 bonus wins.
Emmanuel Skillings, Jr. – Ranked 12th nationally with 14-6 record and six bonus-point wins (three falls, two major decisions, one technical fall) … Captured Drury Open title … Should be seeded third this weekend … Backed up five-time All-American Dalton Abney the last two seasons before taking over top spot this year and has 41-15 career record with 17 bonus wins.
Judson Rowland, Soph. – Sophomore big man who returned to the program at the semester break after a two-year hiatus … Has 9-5 record with three bonus-point wins (two technical falls, one fall) … Is 9-2 since starting the season 0-3 … Should be seeded fifth or sixth this weekend.
