Central Oklahoma’s numbers may be down, but don’t count out the No. 3-ranked Bronchos at the 2025 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships this weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.
UCO is searching for its third straight national title – and 18th overall – behind six qualifiers. Five of those individuals are seeded in the top six at their weight in 133 Peter Rolle (first), 125 Studd Morris (second), 157 Gabe Johnson (second), 165 Hunter Jump (fifth) and 184 Garrett Wells (sixth), while 149 Dylan Brown is unseeded.
“Several teams have more qualifiers than we do, but I know what the guys we’re taking are capable of and I think we’re going to be in the thick of it come Saturday night,” ninth-year head coach Todd Steidley said. “It’s going to be a big challenge and I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Preliminary- and first-round action begins at 11 a.m. (Oklahoma time) at Corteva Coliseum, with the quarterfinals and two rounds of consolations at 6 p.m. The tournament resumes Saturday at 11 a.m. with the semifinals and conclusion of all consolation matches, then wraps up with the championship finals at 8 p.m.
“Our guys are ready,” Steidley said. “We’ve been training for this since September. Now’s the time to cut loose and go have some fun.”
“It’s about staying in the moment and taking each match as it comes. The only thing we can control is our effort, so we’re focused on going hard for seven minutes every time we step on the mat and dealing with the outcome.”
ABOUT THE DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIPS: Seven teams have more qualifiers than the Bronchos, with No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney the solid pre-tournament favorite after advancing its entire 10-man squad.
No. 13 Gannon has nine qualifiers, while No. 2 St. Cloud State, No. 8 Lander and No. 20 Ashland each have eight. No. 7 Glenville State and No. 5 McKendree advanced seven and UCO and No. 12 Indianapolis qualified six.
There are 18 individuals at each of the 10 weights for a total of 180 qualifiers.
UCO IN THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT: The Bronchos have long had one of the most successful programs in the nation, having claimed 17 national championships – eight in NAIA (1979, ’81, ’82, ’84, ’85, ’86, ’87 and ’89) and a record nine in NCAA Division II (1992, ’93, ’94, ’95, ’02, ’03, ’07, ’23 and ‘24).
UCO has also had nine national runner-up finishes in four different divisions – AAU (1935), NCAA Division I (1936), NAIA (1974 and ’88) and NCAA Division II (1990, ’91, ’96, ’00 and ’22).
The Bronchos have had 40 top-four national tournament finishes in its 72-year history, including a string of 21 straight from 1984-2004..
UCO crowned two champions and had five other All-Americans last year in outpointing Lander 110-86.5 to claim their second straight title.
ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO finished 13-1 in duals this season in winning a fifth straight Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association crown. The lone loss came to St. Cloud State in the finals of the NWCA Division II National Duals (21-16).
The Bronchos claimed their fifth consecutive Super Regional IV championship March 1 in Warrensburg, Missouri, edging McKendree 147.5-136.
UCO had four individual regional champions along with two runners-up, two fourth-place finishers and one sixth. The top-three placers at each weight advanced to the national tournament.
Central has four All-Americans returning from last year – Johnson (champion), Jump (third), Brown (fourth) and Wells (sixth). Morris was a national qualifier in 2023, while Rolle is making his national tournament debut.
The six qualifiers enter the final weekend with a combined 115-20 record, including 74 bonus wins.
Here’s a look at each of UCO’s six individuals:
125 Studd Morris, Sr. – Seeded second with 25-2 record that includes 14 bonus-point wins (seven falls, five major decisions, two technical falls) … Runner-up in Super Regional IV Tournament with 5-3 finals loss to Central Missouri’s Jakason Burks that ended a 16-match winning streak … Went 8-2 against eight national tournament qualifiers, splitting with the top-seeded Burks and Tiffin’s fourth-seeded Anthony Aniciete … Opens national tournament against Ashland’s Luke Acuna … Drury Open champion and finished third at the Midwest Classic, losing to Aniciete in the quarterfinals before coming back to beat him in the consolation finals … Making his second national tournament appearance, going 2-2 and failing to place in 2023 … Has 96-23 career record with 49 bonus wins (26 major decisions, 16 falls, seven technical falls).
133 Peter Rolle, Sr. – Seeded first with 18-3 record and 12 bonus-point wins (eight falls, two technical falls, two major decisions) … Went 3-0 in winning Super Regional IV title with a first-period fall, 10-0 major decision and 4-1 finals victory over James Anderson of Ouachita Baptist, who is seeded fifth this weekend … Enters first national tournament with an eight-match winning streak and will meet Belmont Abbey’s Elijah Boyd in the first round … Went 8-1 against eight national qualifiers, the lone loss coming to Landers’s second-seeded Christian Davis in the Midwest Classic … Drury Open champion and took seventh at the Midwest … Has 48-21 career record with 29 bonus wins (21 falls, four technical falls, four major decisions).
149 Dylan Brown, Sr. – Unseeded with 15-5 record that includes eight bonus-point victories (six falls, one technical fall, one major decision) … Runner-up in Super Regional IV Tournament, falling to Indianapolis’ Jackson Hoover in the finals to snap a 10-match winning streak, with Hoover seeded seventh this weekend … Went 3-1 against four national qualifiers during the season and opens against Kutztown’s James Ryan in UCO’s lone preliminary match … Finished fifth in the Midwest Classic … Returning All-American, going 3-2 and placing fourth in last year’s national tournament … Has 37-10 career record with 19 bonus wins (10 falls, five technical falls, four major decisions) at UCO … Two-time junior college All-American at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
157 Gabe Johnson, Jr. – Seeded second with 22-1 record and 16 bonus-point wins (eight major decisions, six technical falls, two falls) … Captured third straight Super Regional IV title with a technical fall, first-period pin and 4-1 finals win over John Ridle of Central Missouri, who is seeded eighth this weekend … Has won nine straight matches and 37 of his last 38 … Is 7-1 against six national tournament qualifiers, the lone loss a 4-1 sudden-victory defeat to top-seeded Joel Jesuroga of St. Cloud State … Meets Gannon’s Ethan Richner in the first round … Midwest Classic champion … Has 7-4 record in three previous national tournament appearances … Went 0-2 as true freshman in 2021, was seventh-place All-American with 3-2 record in 2023 and cruised to four wins in capturing national title last season … Has 87-17 career record with 45 bonus wins (22 technical falls, 17 major decisions, six falls).
165 Hunter Jump, Sr. – Seeded fifth with 17-5 record that includes 11 bonus-point wins (five falls, five major decisions, one technical fall) … Captured second straight Super Regional IV championship with first-period fall, 4-3 semifinal win and 8-0 major decision over Cory Peterson of McKendree … Enters national tournament with a nine-match winning streak and will take on Kutztown’s Bailey Gimbor in the first round … Is 6-5 against nine national tournament qualifiers, beating seventh-seeded Trenton Munoz of Nebraska-Kearney twice and splitting with the eighth-seeded Peterson … Placed sixth at the Midwest Classic after medical forfeiting his last two matches … Making second national tournament appearance, earning All-America honors last year after finishing third with 4-1 record … Has 67-21 career record with 34 bonus wins (15 falls, 15 major decisions four technical falls).
184 Garrett Wells, So. – Seeded sixth with 18-4 record and 11 bonus-point wins (five falls, five technical falls, one major decision) … Won second consecutive Super Regional IV crown with 19-3 technical fall, second-period fall and 6-3 finals win … Has won seven straight matches … Is 7-4 against 10 national tournament qualifiers, splitting with Nebraska-Kearney’s Jacari Deal … Finished third in the Midwest Classic, the lone loss a 7-2 semifinal setback to Matt Weinberg of Kutztown, who is seeded second this weekend … Opens national tournament against Fairmont State’s Austin Gibson … Went 3-3 in earning sixth-place All-America honors last year in first national tournament appearance … Has 50-14 career record with 27 bonus wins (14 falls, 10 technical falls, three major decisions).
