Sixteen-time national champion Central Oklahoma will celebrate Legends Day Sunday afternoon when the top-ranked Bronchos put their unbeaten record on the line against Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association rival and No. 21-rated Central Missouri.
Match-time at Hamilton Field House is 2 p.m., with UCO’s 1983-84 and 1993-94 national championship teams to be recognized during intermission. A reception will be held after the dual for all former wrestlers, coaches, trainers and managers.
The Bronchos are 11-0 on the season and 2-0 in the league, while the Mules from Warrensburg, Mo. come in at 3-3 and 0-1. UCO puts a series of winning streaks on the line, having won 18 in a row overall along with 19 straight both at home and in MIAA action.
“We’re always excited about having a home dual and especially this weekend with a chance to honor all the alumni who have done so much for our program,” said head coach Todd Steidley, who is 97-12 in his eighth year at the helm. “It should be a great event and our guys are looking forward to being in front of our fans.
“Central Missouri has a tough team, so we know it will be a challenge. We just have to stay focused on ourselves and wrestle like we’re capable of.”
The Bronchos close out the home schedule next Sunday, Feb. 11, with a 2 p.m. contest against Drury. UCO ends the dual season the following weekend with back-to-back road matches at No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State.
ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO went to Colorado for two duals last weekend, clipping Adams State 28-12 on Friday before routing Colorado State-Pueblo 40-3 the next day.
Top-ranked Hvy Shawn Streck led the Bronchos with 19-4 and 20-5 technical falls. The defending national champion is 9-0 and averaging a staggering 18.2 points a match with seven technical falls and two major decisions.
Last year’s Division II Wrestler of the Year, Streck already ranks tied for seventh on UCO’s single-season technical falls list and is just four off the record of 11 set by Kyle Evans in 2007-08. He’s 47-2 with 33 bonus wins in his three-year UCO career and is riding a 35-match winning streak.
Fifth-ranked 184 Garrett Wells also had a pair of bonus wins last weekend, scoring a 10-1 major decision and third-period fall. He has a team-high 24 wins (24-6) with 12 bonus victories, including a team-best six falls, and has won seven of his last eight matches.
Fourth-rated 141 Dylan Lucas has 22 wins (22-4) on the season, earning bonus points in 15 of those with six major decisions, five technical falls and four falls. The returning All-American has won six of his last seven matches and is 45-10 for his two-year UCO career.
Top-ranked 197 Dalton Abney scored a 10-1 major decision in his only match last weekend, improving to 8-0 for the season. It was the 80th career win for the four-time All-American and two-time national champion, who is now 80-6 with 42 bonus wins.
Third-ranked 157 Gabe Johnson, ninth-ranked 165 Hunter Jump, 10th-rated 149 Dylan Brown and 133 Peter Rolle also went 2-0 last week. Johnson has won seven of his last eight matches and is now 16-5, while Jump is 15-7 with wins in six of his last seven bouts. Brown is 12-3 and Rolle 11-6.
ABOUT THE MULES: Central Missouri dropped a 28-10 decision to No. 7-ranked Nebraska-Kearney in its MIAA opener last week, falling to 3-3 overall.
The Mules have four ranked wrestlers – 184 Damon Ashworth (sixth), 133 Tommy Frezza (seventh), Hvy Trent Strong (ninth) and 165 John Ridle (12th), though Frezza isn’t scheduled to compete Sunday.
UCO has dominated a series that started in 1973, owning a 45-0 lead. The Bronchos beat UCM 30-6 last year in Warrensburg.
PROBABLE LINEUPS: Here’s a look at the tentative lineups for Sunday’s dual, with UCO wrestler listed first.
125 – Guy Clevenger, RS Fr. (21-8) or Garrett Steidley, So (2-3) vs. Jacob Tangpricha, RS Fr. or Logan Edwards, Fr.; 133 – Peter Rolle, Jr. (11-6) vs. James Wright, Fr.; 141 – Dylan Lucas, Jr. (22-4) vs. Cayden Dotson, So. or Eli Rocha, RS Fr.; 149 – Dylan Brown, Jr. (12-3) vs. Garrett Lyons, Fr. or Derek Torza, So.; 157 – Gabe Johnson, So. (16-4) vs. Anthony Erickson, Jr.; 165 – Hunter Jump, Jr. (15-7) or Jaxon Randall, RS Fr. (16-6) vs. John Ridle, Sr. or Gavin Goddard, So.; 174 – Anthony DesVigne, Sr. (13-4) vs. Nolan Saale, Sr.; 184 – Garrett Wells, RS Fr. (24-6) or Seth Sarasua, Jr. (6-4) vs. Damon Ashworth, So.; 197 – Dalton Abney, Sr. (8-0) vs. Brayden Dillow, Jr.; Hvy – Shawn Streck, Sr. (9-0) vs. Trent Strong, Jr. or Hunter Tennison, So.
UCO Legends Day: #1 Bronchos vs #21 Central Missouri
