in ,

Four UCO wrestlers named Scholar All-American

MANHEIM, Pa. (April 15) – All-Americans Dalton Abney and Paxton Rosen led a quartet of Central Oklahoma wrestlers who were named Division II Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, it was announced Friday.

Von Gray and Barrett Haemker also made the elite squad for the Bronchos. Student-athletes must have at least a 3.5 grade point average to be eligible for the team.

“I’m extremely proud of these four young men for the work they do in the classroom and on the mat,” head coach Todd Steidley said. “They epitomize the type of student-athletes we want in our program and it’s rewarding to see them recognized for their accomplishments.”

It’s the latest in a long line of awards for Abney, a biology major who went a perfect 26-0 at 197 pounds this season with 10 falls and four major decisions.

The Tulsa sophomore lifted UCO to the team title at the Midwest Classic in December with his finals victory, breezed to the Super Regional IV crown in late February and waltzed to the Division II national championship with three shutouts and a fall.

Rosen also enjoyed a spectacular season, finishing 29-6 with 14 bonus-point wins at 125 pounds. The Edmond senior and mechanical engineering major captured his second straight Super Regional IV title and finished fourth in the national tournament to earn All-America honors for the second straight year.

Gray saw extensive action in a back-up role at 141, finishing 9-10 with five bonus wins. The Pryor senior is a forensic sciences major.

Haemker, a second-year freshman kinesiology major from Albuquerque, N.M., went 13-9 with six bonus wins in a reserve role at 184.

UCO enjoyed its best season in more than a decade in 2021-22. The Bronchos finished a perfect 13-0 in duals and won the Midwest Classic, the NWCA Division II National Duals, the MIAA and the Super Regional IV titles before coming in runner-up at the Division II National Championships.

What do you think?

64 points
Upvote Downvote

Leave a Reply