Mike Kirk
A long season comes to its conclusion this weekend at the 2023 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Central Oklahoma will be one of the leading contenders for the team title.
The top-ranked Bronchos will be searching for the program’s 16th national championship – and the first since 2007 – behind 10 individual qualifiers, nine of whom are seeded in the top eight at their weight.
“We accomplished our main goal at the regional in qualifying all 10 of our guys, but that doesn’t mean anything once the tournament starts,” head coach Todd Steidley said. “There’s a lot of parity in Division II with a of bunch of great teams and every weight is loaded.”
Preliminary- and first-round action begins at 10 a.m. at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse, with the quarterfinals and two rounds of consolations at 5 p.m. The tournament resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. with the semifinals and conclusion of all consolation matches, then concludes with the championship finals at 7 p.m.
“We just need to worry about ourselves and be ready to wrestle every time we step on the mat,” Steidley said. “Take each match as it comes, not look ahead and be ready to respond if something doesn’t go our way…
