UCO wrestling falls to OCU on tie-breaker

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 25) - Each team won five matches and the final team score originally read 18-18, but a late takedown that resulted in a dual-ending technical fall resulted in a disappointing loss for Central Oklahoma here Wednesday night.

NAIA's fifth-rated Oklahoma City won the final two matches to arrange an 18-18 deadlock with the NCAA Division II No. 6 Bronchos and then earned the win on the first tie-breaking criteria - combined falls and technical falls (one).

The Stars scored the lone technical fall in the last match when Kidd Gomez scored a takedown in the final 10 seconds to finish off an 18-3 win over Ryan Brooks at 125 pounds.

UCO got major decisions from 133 Dustin Reed, 141 Casy Rowell and 184 Tanner Keck to go with victories by 149 Ky Corley and 197 Jarrett Edison, but it wasn't enough. The Bronchos, now 6-5 on the year, return to action next Thursday when they host Central Missouri.

"It's a tough loss," head coach David James said. "We started strong and got a couple of bonus wins early, but we didn't do quite enough at a couple of other weights and the last two matches obviously didn't go the way we needed them to."

UCO led 18-10 after Edison's win at 197, but Michael Brown topped Cody Dauphin 3-1 on a takedown with 12 seconds left in sudden victory in the heavyweight battle to get the Stars within 18-13 and Gomez finished off the comeback.

The dual started at 133 and the Bronchos roared to a quick 11-0 lead behind three dominating victories.

Reed jumped out to an 11-4 first-period lead and racked up six takedowns in a 17-6 major decision in the opening match and Rowell followed with another four-point win, burying Eric Waggoner under a five-takedown attack in a 13-4 rout.

Corley prevailed 9-2 at 149 to up UCO's lead to 11-0, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit to win going away.

The Stars came back to take the next three weights to pull within 11-10 before UCO scored its last two wins.

Keck broke open a tight match with a 12-point barrage in the final two periods to manhandle Andrew Pontikes 14-5 and Edison clinched his 4-1 victory over Mitchell Eichenauer on a takedown with 14 seconds remaining to push the lead to 18-10.

Oklahoma City 19, Central Oklahoma 18 (criteria)
133 - Dustin Reed, UCO, major dec. Alvie Killingsworth, 17-6.
141 - Casy Rowell, UCO, major dec. Eric Waggoner, 13-4.
149 - Ky Corley, UCO, dec. Will Shelton-Delk, 9-2.
157 - Nik Turner, OCU, dec. Kaleb Cradduck, 12-5.
165 - Kevin Hardy, OCU, major dec. Chris Watson, 12-3.
174 - Derek Peperas, OCU, dec. Zach Aylor, 8-3.
184 - Tanner Keck, UCO, major dec. Andrew Pontikes, 14-5.
197 - Jarrett Edison, UCO, dec. Mitchell Eichenauer, 4-1.
Hvy - Michael Brown, OCU, dec. Cody Dauphin, 3-1 (SV).
125 - Kidd Gomez, OCU, tech. fall Ryan Brooks, 18-3.

No. 6 Central Oklahoma knocks off No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney in wrestling

EDMOND (Jan. 12) - Dustin Reed's upset at 133 pounds sparked Central Oklahoma to an early lead and the No. 6-ranked Bronchos pulled out a bevy of close wins to knock off No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney 25-6 Thursday night at Hamilton Field House.

Nine of the 10 matches were decided by two points or less and UCO won seven of those, including Reed's 6-4 win over No. 7-rated Stephen Weimer and overtime victories by 184 Tanner Keck and heavyweight Cody Dauphin.

Casy Rowell had the only bonus-point win of the night with a 12-3 major decision at 141 to cap a dual-opening three-match winning streak that staked the Bronchos to a 10-0 lead and UCO answered back-to-back UNK wins by taking the final five weights to end a three-match losing streak to the Lopers.

"Obviously we're very excited and happy that we won the match," head coach David James said. "I anticipated it to be a tough dual tonight and it was. I liked our effort tonight, our guys were really determined and looked like they had a strong desire to win."

Ryan Brooks gave UCO a lead it would never relinquish with a tough 3-2 win in the opening match at 125 pounds, scoring the deciding takedown with 42 seconds left in the second period.

Reed followed with his upset of Weimer, collecting two first-period takedowns for a 4-2 lead and then riding Weimer the entire second period. He escaped early in the third to make it 5-2 and gave up two late penalty points while adding a riding time point.

Rowell dominated Kazuhiro Fujinawa at 141 to up UCO's lead to 10-0, racking up five takedowns and more than three minutes riding time.

UNK came back to take the next two matches, with second-ranked Raufeon Stots topping Ky Corley 8-6 at 149 and No. 2 T.J. Hepburn edging No. 4 Cory Dauphin 5-3 at 157.

That pulled the Lopers within 10-6, but UCO quelled any thoughts of a UNK comeback by winning the final five bouts.

Chris Watson started the dual-ending streak with a gutsy 6-5 win at 165, overcoming a 5-1 deficit against Islam Abitov in the process. Watson - who was pinned by Abitov in an early-season tournament - pulled within 5-3 on a takedown with 1:34 remaining, tied it on a two-point near-fall at 0:22 and won it with a riding time point.

The Bronchos picked up another 6-5 win at 174 when Kelly Henderson took an early 4-0 lead and then held off Brock Smith down the stretch, with the second-ranked Keck topping No. 8 Ross Brunkhardt 3-1 on a takedown 38 seconds into the one-minute sudden-victory period.

UCO ended the dual with two more close wins, getting a 2-0 triumph from Jarrett Edison at 197 and a 3-2 tiebreaker victory from Cody Dauphin at heavyweight on a takedown at the buzzer in the first tiebreaker period.

Central Oklahoma 25, Nebraska-Kearney 6
125 - Ryan Brooks, UCO, dec. Jordan White, 3-2.
133 - Dustin Reed, UCO, dec. Stephen Weimer, 6-4.
141 - Casy Rowell, UCO, major dec. Kazuhiro Fujinawa, 12-3.
149 - Raufeon Stots, UNK, dec. Ky Corley, 8-6.
157 - T.J. Hepburn, UNK, dec. Cory Dauphin, 5-3.
165 - Chris Watson, UCO, dec. Islam Abitov, 6-5.
174 - Kelly Henderson, UCO, dec. Brock Smith, 6-5.
184 - Tanner Keck, UCO, dec. Ross Brunkhardt, 3-1 (SV).
197 - Jarrett Edison, UCO, dec. Nick Bauman, 2-0.
Heavyweight - Cody Dauphin, UCO, dec. Nick Bauman, 3-2 (TB).

Central Oklahoma Division II wrestling rankings

EDMOND, Okla. -- Newberry (S.C.) took over the No. 1 spot in the first regular-season NCAA Division II wrestling poll that was released Wednesday by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association.

The Wolves, who have won four straight Super Region I titles and were sixth nationally last season, received three of the eight-first place votes cast in balloting of coaches from around the country and finished with 152 points in moving up to No. 1 after being second in the pre-season rankings.

Upper Iowa collected two first-place votes and was second with 148 points, one point ahead of pre-season No. 1 St. Cloud State (Minn.). The Huskies had the remaining three first-place votes as only five points separated the top three teams.

Rounding out the top 10 is Nebraska-Kearney, Grand Canyon (Ariz.), Augustana (S.D.), Central Oklahoma, Mercyhurst (Pa.), Adams State (Colo.) and Ashland (Ohio).

King (Tenn.) made its first-ever appearance in the Division II rankings at No. 15.

Upper Iowa is the only school with more than one No. 1 individual and the Peacocks have three in Trevor Franklin (133), Mitch Schultz (184) and Carl Broghammer (197).

The top 20 poll, with points and each team's ranking in the pre-season poll following by the individual rankings at each weight:

Rank School (State) Points Last Ranking

1. Newberry (S.C.) 152 2nd
2. Upper Iowa 148 3rd
3. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 147 1st
4. Nebraska-Kearney 141 4th
5. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 127 5th
6. Augustana (S.D.) 114 6th
7. Central Oklahoma 102 7th
8. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 99 11th
9. Adams State (Colo.) 87 13th
10. Ashland (Ohio) 84 10th
11. Wisconsin-Parkside 79 9th
12. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 77 16th
13. West Liberty (W.Va.) 72 NR
14. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 69 8th
15. King (Tenn.) 43 NR
16. Maryville (Mo.) 38 15th
17. Findlay (Ohio) 33 14th
18. Colorado-Mesa 20 NR
19. Minnesota State 19 12th
20. Shippensburg (Pa.) 8 20th

Others receiving votes: Kutztown (Pa.), Limestone (S.C.), Mary (N.D.), Minnesota State-Moorhead, San Francisco State (Calif.), Seton Hill (Pa.).

NCAA Division II

Individual Rankings

125 Pounds
1. Connor McDonald, Newberry (S.C.)
2. Kyle Pedretti, Upper Iowa
3. Corey Ulmer, Minnesota State-Moorhead
4. Terrell McKinney, Maryville (Mo.)
5. Brandon Davis, Ashland (Ohio)
6. Kenny Trumbetta, Seton Hill (Pa.)
7. Kyle McCrite, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
8. Ben Sergent, Findlay (Ohio)

133 Pounds
1. Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa
2. Jason Jeremiason, Augustana (S.D.)
3. Ryan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Jesse Hillhouse, Colorado State-Pueblo
5. Trison Graham, Central Oklahoma
6. Matt Oliver, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Dan Mandara, Ashland (Ohio)
8. Matt Greene, Western State (Colo.)

141 Pounds
1. Dalton Jensen, Nebraska-Kearney
2. B.J. Young, Newberry (S.C.)
3. Jack Bachman, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
4. Adam Hluschak, East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
5. Nick Wykoff, West Liberty (W. Va.)
6. Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma
7. Dan Genetin, Ashland (Ohio)
8. Trevor Johnson, Mary (N.D.)

149 Pounds
1. Nate Herda, Augustana (S.D.)
2. Mitchell Means, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
3. Josh Hensley, Adams State (Colo.)
4. Ethan Swope, Gannon (Pa.)
5. Deral Brown, Newberry (S.C.)
6. Nathan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.)
7. Ryan Maus, Truman State (Mo.)
8. Jacob Horn, St. Cloud State.

157 Pounds
1. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin-Parkside
2. T.J. Hepburn, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Jordan Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
4. Teddy Bristol, Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
5. Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma
6. Marcus Edgington, Augustana (S.D.)
7. Winston Robbins, Upper Iowa
8. Sam Brehn, Gannon (Pa.)

165 Pounds
1. Tad Merritt, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
2. Joey Wilson, Nebraska-Kearney
3. Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke
4. Dylan Granard, Colorado Mesa
5. Sean Brynes, Newberry (S.C.)
6. Isaiah Jimenez, San Francisco State (Colo.)
7. Jordan Larsen, Colorado School of Mines
8. Ronald Tetreault, American International (Mass.)

174 Pounds
1. Michael Lybarger, Findlay (Ohio)
2. Luke Rynish, Wisconsin-Parkside
3. Shamus O'Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4. Mark Fiala, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Kelly Henderson, Central Oklahoma
6. Travis Sheehy, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Bryce Sopko, Limestone (S.C.)
8. Carl Serck, Augustana (S.D.)

184 Pounds
1. Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa
2. Derek Skala, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
3. Walker Clarke, Fort Hays State (Kan.)
4. Ross Brunkhardt, Nebraska-Kearney
5. Tanner Keck, Central Oklahoma
6. Mitch Brown, Newberry (S.C.)
7. Brady Anderson, Mary (N.D.)
8. Matt Gille, Wisconsin-Parkside

197 Pounds
1. Carl Broghammer, Upper Iowa
2. Dan Scanlan, Limestone (S.C.
3. Luke McPeek, Adams State (Colo.)
4. Matt Baker, Maryville (Mo.)
5. Pat Mahan, Minnesota State
6. Frank Morgan, King (Tenn.)
7. Eddie Ebewo, East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
8. Shane Nolan, North Carolina-Pembroke

285 Pounds
1. Jacob Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.)
2. Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.)
3. Jacob Southwick, Ashland (Ohio)
4. Jake Elkins, Newberry (S.C.)
5. Zach Rosol, Upper Iowa
6. J.D. Ramsey, West Liberty (W. Va.)
7. Fred Hale, Mercyhurst (Pa.)
8. Cody Beck, Central Missouri

UCO wrestling to host regional in 2011-12

EDMOND (Aug. 2) - Hosting the biggest tournament of the season highlights what is otherwise a light home slate for Central Oklahoma wrestling in 2011-12, according to the schedule released Tuesday.

The Bronchos have just four home duals during the regular season, but UCO will be the host school for the all-important NCAA Division II Super Regional II Tournament Feb. 25-26 at Hamilton Field House.

Twelve teams will compete in that two-day event, with the top-four placers from each of the 10 individual weights qualifying for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships on March 11-12 in Pueblo, Colo.

"Hosting the most important tournament of the year is a big deal for us and we're looking forward to it," said long-time head coach David James, who has a 341-120-5 dual record and 12 national championships in 29 years at the UCO helm. "You can't do anything at the national tournament without getting through the regional and we're excited about having that event at home.

"We have a good, tough schedule with several duals and events we'll point to throughout the season and I think we can accomplish some big things this year."

The Bronchos, who return all 10 starters from last year's 15-4 dual team that finished 13th in the national tournament, will preview the 2011-12 squad with the annual Bronze-Blue intrasquad dual on Nov. 2 before opening the season at the Oklahoma City Open on Nov. 6.

UCO will make its home debut on Dec. 9 against Wayland Baptist, with the other home duals coming Jan. 12 (Nebraska-Kearney), Feb. 2 (Central Missouri) and Feb. 11 (Ouachita Baptist).

The Bronchos have 10 duals scheduled in addition to the NWCA Division II National Duals on Jan. 7-8 in Chicago. UCO will also compete in five tournaments, including four open events.

UCO wrestling adds five

EDMOND (July 28) - Perennial national wrestling powerhouse Central Oklahoma has added four state high school standouts and an All-American junior college transfer to the fold for 2011-12, veteran head coach David James announced Thursday.

Set to join the Bronchos for the upcoming season Marlow's Ryan Brooks, Del City's Tray Dorrell, Yukon's Cooper Finch, Claremore's Michael Williams and Chad Wright of Labette Community College.

"These five young men will certainly help us at some weights where we needed depth and a couple of them will have the opportunity to step in immediately," said James, who has led UCO to 12 national championships in 29 years at the helm. "We're excited to have them join our UCO wrestling family and look forward to seeing them on the mat."

Brooks was a four-time Class 3A state finalist for the Outlaws, winning three titles. A projected 125-pounder for the Bronchos, he was a perfect 25-0 as a senior in earning All-State honors and ended his career with a stellar 112-12 record.

Dorrell, also expected to wrestle at 125 this year, was a three-time Class 6A state placer at Del City. He was a two-time state runner-up and finished third as a senior in picking up All-State recognition and finished with a 73-7 career record.

Finch placed twice in the Class 6A state meet for the Millers, taking third as a junior before finishing runner-up in 2011. An All-Stater who will also compete at 125, he had a 59-11 career record.

Williams compiled a 114-14 career mark at Claremore and was a four-time Class 6A state placer. A projected 133-pounder, he finished third as a freshman and second as a sophomore before capturing back-to-back titles and earning All-State honors.

Wright was a two-time Class 6A state placer before going to Labette, where he was the national runner-up at 174 pounds as a freshman. He missed the majority of last season to a knee injury and is expected to compete at 184 for the Bronchos.

UCO returns all 10 starters from last year's team that went 15-4 in duals and finished 13th in the national tournament.

Central Oklahoma Ends Wrestling Regular Season with Two Easy Wins

EDMOND (Feb. 12) - Michael Walkup scored a pair of bonus-point wins to highlight a dominating day Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House as Central Oklahoma ended the regular season with two runaway routs.

The No. 5-ranked Bronchos started the day with a 36-4 battering of Ouachita Baptist and ended it with a 42-3 drubbing of Newman, dropping just two of 20 matches while recording nine bonus-point victories.

UCO wrapped up a 15-4 dual campaign with the twin wins and now has two weeks to prepare for the NCAA Division II Super Regional Two Tournament in Findlay, Ohio.

"It was a pretty good day for us and I was really pleased with a few individuals who I thought really got after it in both matches," UCO coach David James said. "We still have some guys doing just enough to get by and now isn't the time to be doing that.

"But it was a good way to end and gives us a little momentum for next week when we start training for the regional. That's the biggest tournament of the year for us and we've got a lot of work to do to get ready for it."

Walkup filled in at 149 pounds for sidelined starter Austin Standage and the senior ended his career in impressive fashion with a 14-5 major decision and second-period fall, racking up 12 takedowns in the two matches.

Trison Graham had a big day as the fifth-ranked 133-pounder stretched his winning streak to 15 in a row with a third-period fall and 11-6 decision despite moving up to 141 to fill a hole in the lineup.

The Bronchos also got two-win days from 157 Cory Dauphin, 165 Derrick Adkins, 197 Jarrett Edison and heavyweight Cody Dauphin.

UCO picked up a forfeit, a fall, a technical fall and a major decision in the OBU rout, finishing that dual with a 36-3 advantage in takedowns.

Graham had six takedowns in piling up a 15-4 lead before getting his fourth fall of the season midway though the final period and Walkup also had six in his 14-5 romp. Tanner Keck equaled those two on his feet in a dazzling display at 184, amassing an amazing 12 takedowns - including eight in the first period alone - en route to a 27-12 technical fall.

The only close win for the Bronchos in the opening dual came at 157 where sixth-ranked Cory Dauphin needed a takedown with 36 seconds remaining to break a 1-1 tie and earn a 3-2 victory over Bobby Williams.

UCO broke on top 33-0 against Newman, earning two forfeits and three falls in the first six matches.

Zach Housley started the pin parade at 125, overcoming a late 4-3 deficit when he took Jarod Stephenson down to his back and picked up his first fall of the season with just nine seconds remaining in the match.

Graham had four takedowns in an 11-6 win, Walkup collected six more in opening up a 12-4 lead before getting his fall at the 4:40 mark and Cory Dauphin had four in racing to a lightening-quick 14-3 lead before getting a pin just 1:58 into his match.

Senior Conner Robinson filled in for Keck at 184 and ended his career with a 10-9 victory and Cody Dauphin wrapped up the day with a 3-1 overtime triumph, getting the winning takedown midway through the one-minute sudden-victory period.

UCO 36, Ouachita Baptist 4
125 - Andrew Schmauch, UCO, won by forfeit.
133 - Brantley Pyle, OBU, major dec. Zach Housley, 11-3.
141 - Trison Graham, UCO, pinned Ben Cline, 6:07.
149 - Michael Walkup, UCO major dec. Dallas Gracey, 14-5.
157 - Cory Dauphin, UCO, dec. Bobby Williams, 3-2.
165 - Derrick Adkins, UCO, dec. Jake Simpson, 5-3.
174 - Kelly Henderson, UCO, dec. Aaron Butler, 10-3.
184 - Tanner Keck, UCO, tech. fall C.J. Hays, 27-12 (5:40).
197 - Jarrett Edison, UCO, dec. Gabe Musser, 8-2.
Hvy - Cody Dauphin UCO, dec. Taylor Poe, 6-0.

How They Scored
Takedowns: UCO 36, OBU 3.
Near-falls: UCO 2, OBU 2.
Escapes: OBU 33, UCO 9.

UCO 42, Newman 3
125 - Zach Housley, UCO, pinned Jarod Stephenson, 6:51.
133 - Andrew Schmauch, UCO, won by forfeit.
141 - Trison Graham, UCO, dec. Greg Delk, 11-6.
149 - Michael Walkup, UCO, pinned Dakota Hayes, 4:40.
157 - Cory Dauphin, UCO, pinned Alex Prine, 1:58.
165 - Derrick Adkins, UCO, won by forfeit.
174 - Chandler Hart, NU, dec. Patrick Finn, 4-2 (SV).
184 - Conner Robinson, UCO, dec. Tyler Hasenbank, 10-9.
197 - Jarrett Edison, UCO, dec. Jacob Cole, 4-2.
Hvy - Cody Dauphin, UCO, dec. Lorenzo Serna, 3-1 (SV).

How They Scored
Takedowns: UCO 19, NU 7.
Near-falls: UCO 3, NU 0.
Reverses: UCO 2, NU 2.
Escapes: NU 14, UCO 9.
Central Oklahoma Rolls Over Adams State

EDMOND (Jan. 22) - The Dauphin Brothers took center stage Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House to spark No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma to a 31-10 drubbing of No. 18 Adams State.

The two freshmen - Cory at 149 pounds and Cody at heavyweight - both scored falls as the Bronchos rolled to their 10th straight win and improved to 12-2 on the year. Cory, the younger brother by 15 months, needed just 48 seconds to end his match and Cody capped the dual with a second-period pin.

UCO also got a major decision from 184 Tanner Keck, while 133 Trison Graham, 165 Derrick Adkins and 174 Kelly Henderson all had regular decisions and 149 Austin Standage a forfeit.

"It's always good to beat Adams because we've had a good rivalry with them over the years," UCO coach David James said. "We won seven matches and you've got to be happy with that, but I thought we did the bare minimum at a few weights. Our mat management was terrible and we gave away a lot of points at the edge of the mat.

"We're progressing and I'm encouraged by that, but we just need to tighten some things up and keep get better."

The Grizzlies won two of the first three matches to take an early 7-3 lead, with the seventh-ranked Graham earning a methodical 6-2 victory at 133 for the Bronchos. Standage then picked up the forfeit at 149 to put UCO in front to stay and kick off a five-match winning streak.

Seventh-ranked Cory Dauphin stretched his winning streak to 12 in a row and improved to 16-2 with his sixth fall of the year as the cat-quick rookie had a pair of early takedowns before ending his match with Justin Samora at the 48-second mark.

The eighth-ranked Adkins had four takedowns in an easy 10-4 win at 165 and Henderson used a pair of first-period takedowns for a 5-3 triumph at 174 before Keck cruised to a 17-6 major decision. The seventh-rated sophomore piled up four takedowns and four near-falls in winning for the 16th time in his last 18 matches.

ASC ended the Bronchos' onslaught with a thrilling 10-8 overtime win in the feature bout at 197 that pitted the Grizzlies' fourth-ranked Luke McPeek against UCO's No. 5 Jarrett Edison.

Edison had a pair of first-period takedowns in taking a 4-2 lead after the opening three minutes and he was up 5-4 heading into the final stanza. Edison got a penalty point and takedown to move in front 8-5 with a minute remaining only to see McPeek get loose and then tie the match on a takedown with 22 seconds left.

That forced overtime and McPeek's takedown with just four seconds left in the one-minute sudden-victory period gave him the win.

Cody Dauphin ended the dual on a high note for the Bronchos, getting an escape and takedown early in the second period to break open a close match and then turning Taylor Stam over to score his team-high seventh fall of the season at the 3:34 mark.

UCO goes on the road for two big matches next week, traveling to No. 11 Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday and to top-ranked Nebraska-Omaha on Friday.

Central Oklahoma 31, Adams State 10
125 -- Jerry Huff, ASC, dec. Zach Housley, 3-0.
133 -- Trison Graham, UCO, dec. Corey Johnson, 6-2.
141 - Kenny Jordan, ASC, major dec. Ky Corley, 10-1.
149 - Austin Standage, UCO, won by forfeit.
157 - Cory Dauphin, UCO, pinned Justin Samora, 0:48.
165 - Derrick Adkins, UCO, dec. Darian Roberts, 10-4.
174 - Kelly Henderson, UCO, dec. Mark Mabry, 5-3.
184 - Tanner Keck, UCO, major dec. Dominic DeMarco, 17-6.
197 - Luke McPeek, ASC, dec. Jarrett Edison, 10-8 (SV).
Hvy - Cody Dauphin, UCO, pinned Taylor Stam, 3:34.
Central Oklahoma Goes 4-0 at Lone Star Duals, Beats Arizona State in Finale

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (Jan.15) -- No. 9-ranked Central Oklahoma built up a big lead and then hold on to knock off Arizona State 23-22 Saturday night to complete a perfect day at the Lone Star Duals.

The Bronchos racked up 22 bonus-point wins in rolling to a trio of lopsided routs earlier in the day before taking a 17-5 lead over the Sun Devils and hanging on down the strech as ASU won the final three matches to get close.

The Sun Devils needed a technical fall to tie and a fall to win in the final match at heavyweight, with UCO's Cody Dauphin getting an escape and takedown in the final minute to limit Levi Cooper to a 19-7 major decision that allowed the Bronchos to hold on.

UCO opened the day with a 39-6 romp over Wayland Baptist, collected five falls, four forfeits and a technical fall in a 59-0 whitewashing of Central Baptist and had two falls, three defaults/forfeits, a technical fall and a major decision in a 42-6 drubbing of Newman before finishing against ASU.

UCO stretched its winning streak to nine straight in improving to 11-2 on the year.

"It was a pretty good weekend for us," head coach David James said. "I was proud of the way we competed today. We got a lot of bonus wins and wrestled well for the most part. We just need to keep developing and keep getting better."

The Bronchos benefitted from two forfeits in the Arizona State upset, but also got three big wins in a row from 133 Trison Graham, 141 Ky Corley and 149 Austin Standage.

Graham cruised to a 10-3 win in capping a perfect 4-0 day, Corley followed with a 20-4 technical fall thrashing and Standage piled up more than four minutes riding time in a 4-0 shutout, with at forfeit at 157 pushing UCO's lead to 17-5.

The Bronchos got falls from Graham, 157 Michael Walkup and heavyweight Dylan Aguilar in the morning win over Wayland Baptist, while 174 Patrick Finn had a 17-0 technical fall, 165 Derrick Adkins an 11-1 major decision and 197 Conner Robinson a forfeit.

Pins by Adkins, Robinson, Standage, Cody Dauphin and 141 Kaleb Cradduck highlighted the Central Baptist shutout, with Graham breezing to a 17-2 techincal fall. The Bronchos picked up forfeits at 125, 157, 174 and 184 in recording the most lopsided win in school history.

UCO made it three in a row against Newman, getting first-period falls from Henderson and Cory Dauphin, a 17-1 technical fall from 197 Jarrett Edison, an 11-2 major decision from Corley and defaults/forfeits at 133, 149 and 165.

UCO 39, Wayland Baptist 6
125 -- Richard Leal, WBU, dec.Austin Quinton, 7-0.
133 -- Trison Graham, UCO, pinned Shane Wilkinson, 4:49.
141 -- Kaleb Cradduck, UCO, dec. Paz Acosta, 10-3.
149 -- Micheael Gerber, WBU, dec. Ryan Rosales, 7-2.
157 -- Michael Walkup, UCO, pinned Aaron Rios, 2:10.
165 -- Derrick Adkins, UCO, major dec. Marc Backus, 11-1.
174 -- Patrick Finn, UCO, tech. fall William Sheppard, 17-0.
184 -- Tanner Keck, UCO, dec. Manuel Rocha, 9-5.
197 -- Conner Robinson, UCO, won by forfeit.
Hvy -- Dylan Aguilar, UCO, pinned Andrew Harmon, 1:50.

UCO 59, Central Baptist 0
125 -- Andrew Schmauch, UCO, won by forfeit.
133 -- Trison Graham, UCO, tech. fall Nate Waldrip, 17-2.
141 -- Kaleb Cradduck, UCO, pinned Donata Gradenhire, 3:11.
149 -- Austin Standage, UCO, pinned Christian Binganisi, 1:12.
157 -- Michael Walkup, UCO, won by forfeit.
165 -- Derrick Adkins, UCO, pinned Brad Burnside, 0:24.
174 -- Kelly Henderson, UCO, won by forfeit.
184 -- Patrick Finn, UCO, won by forfeit.
197 -- Conner Robinson, UCO, pinned Alex Brooks, 2:09.
Hvy -- Cody Dauphin, UCO, pinned John Lopez, 3:20.

UCO 42, Newman 6
125 -- Jarod Stephenson, NU, dec. Andrew Schmauch, 4-3.
133 -- Trison Graham, UCO, won by forfeit.
141 -- Ky Corley, UCO, major dec. Greg Delk, 11-2.
149 -- Austin Standage, UCO, won by forfeit.
157 -- Cory Dauphin, UCO, pinned Dakota Hayes, 1:48.
165 -- Derrick Adkins, UCO, won by injury default over Ryan Spencer.
174 -- Kelly Henderson, UCO, pinned Chandler Hart, 0:29.
184 -- Tyler Hasenbank, NU, dec. Patrick Finn, 13-6.
197 -- Jarrett Edison, UCO, tech. fall over Jacob Cole, 17-1.
Hvy -- Cody Dauphin, UCO, dec. Lorenzo Serna, 5-3.

UCO 23, Arizona State 22
125 -- Anthony Robles, ASU, tech. fall over Zach Housley, 15-0.
133 -- Trison Graham, UCO, dec. David Prado, 10-3.
141 -- Ky Corley, UCO, tech. fall over Kalin Goodsite, 20-4.
149 -- Austin Standage, UCO, dec. Taihei Fukumoto, 4-0.
157 -- Cory Dauphin, UCO, won by forfeit.
165 -- Tee Edwards, ASU, major dec. Derrick Adkins, 16-4.
174 -- Patrick Finn, UCO, won by forfeit.
184 -- Jake Meredith, ASU, pinned Kelly Henderson, 1:03.
197 -- Luke Macchiaroli, ASU, dec. Jarrett Edison, 2-0.
Hvy -- Levi Cooper, ASU, major dec. Cody Dauphin, 19-7.
Central Oklahoma Edges Fort Hays State in Wrestling

EDMOND (Jan. 13) - Back-to-back upsets by Trison Graham and Ky Corley sparked No. 9-ranked Central Oklahoma to a hard-earned 20-15 victory over No. 15 Fort Hays State Thursday night at Hamilton Field House.

The eighth-ranked Graham rallied from a 7-2 second-period deficit for a thrilling 11-9 overtime triumph over previously unbeaten and No. 4-rated Alton Isenberg at 133 pounds, while the unranked Corley knocked off No. 3 Andre Harrison at 141 as the Bronchos earned their fifth straight dual win in improving to 7-2.

Those two early wins helped offset an FHSU fall at 149 and a Tiger upset at 165, with UCO getting consecutive major decisions from 174 Kelly Henderson and 184 Tanner Keck and a shutout from 197 Jarrett Edison in clinching the win before the final bout.

"Trison had a tough, gutsy win and showed a lot of heart in coming back like he did," UCO coach David James said. "That was obviously a big win for us and Ky came through with another one. He did a great job controlling that match, especially in the first two periods.

"There were a lot of good things, but I also thought we did just enough to get by in some matches and we can't keep doing that."

FHSU won the first match at 125 to take a 3-0 lead and Isenberg threw Graham to his back for a four-point move in the opening minute in their showdown before adding another near-fall early in the second period to grab a 7-2 lead.

Graham got back in the match with an escape and takedown in the final minute of that period to make it 7-5 and he added two more takedowns in the final stanza - the final one with 13 seconds remaining - to force overtime. The sophomore lightweight completed the comeback with another single-leg takedown 18 seconds into the one-minute sudden-victory period.

Corley was not to be outdone, getting the go-ahead takedown 54 seconds into his match with Harrison and then adding another early in the second period to take a 4-0 lead. Harrison escaped to make it 4-1, but neither wrestler scored in the final period and Corley added a riding time point to cap the upset and give the Bronchos a 6-3 lead.

The Tigers came back with a first-period fall at 149 to go ahead 9-6 and then UCO's Cory Dauphin tied it with an easy 9-2 decision at 157 as the seventh-ranked freshman had three takedowns and a reverse.

FHSU went in front 12-9 when Travis Budke knocked off No. 4 Derrick Adkins 4-1 at 165, but the Bronchos won the next three weights to put the dual away.

Henderson put UCO in front to stay with an 8-0 major decision at 174, scoring a takedown and two near-falls in opening up a 7-0 first-period lead en route to that rout, and Keck had three takedowns and a reverse in an 11-3 major decision at 184.

Edison sealed the win with a 4-0 shutout at 197, getting a takedown at the second period buzzer to take a 3-0 lead before controlling Steven Kyler in the third period to add a riding time point.

FHSU ended the dual with a win when Justin Glenn nipped Cody Dauphin 3-2 in the second tiebreaker. Dauphin rode Glenn in the first 30-second tiebreaker, but Glenn earned a two-point near-fall with 10 seconds left in the second tiebreaker to snap the 1-1 deadlock before giving up a late escape.

The Bronchos return to action Saturday, going to Grand Prairie, Texas for four matches at the Lone Star Duals.

UCO 20, Fort Hays State 15
125 - Rory Wilkerson, FHSU, dec. Zach Housley, 7-3.
133 - No. 8 Trison Graham, UCO, dec. No. 4 Aldon Isenberg, 11-9 (SV).
141 - Ky Corley, UCO, dec. No. 3 Andre Harrison, 5-1.
149 - No. 7 Mitchell Means, FHSU, pinned Michael Walkup, 1:45.
157 - No. 7 Cory Dauphin, UCO, dec. Derek Koehn, 9-2.
165 - Travis Budke, FHSU, dec. No. 4 Derrick Adkins, 4-1.
174 - Kelly Henderson, UCO, major dec. Aaron Berscheidt, 8-0.
184 - Tanner Keck, UCO, major dec. Chris Luna, 11-3.
197 - Jarrett Edison, UCO, dec. Steven Kyler, 4-0.
285 - Justin Glenn, FHSU, dec. Cody Dauphin 3-2 (TB2).
Central Oklahoma Signs Seven Wrestling Standouts

EDMOND (April 22) - Perennial powerhouse Central Oklahoma has stocked up on some of the finest wrestling talent in the state, with the 15-time national champion Bronchos having recently signed seven high school stars to national letters of intent.

UCO's seven signees combined for a staggering 267-14 record as seniors in 2009-10 while winning six state championships. All seven earned All-State honors as well.

Set to join UCO in 2010-11 are twin brothers Cody and Cory Dauphin of El Reno, Zach Housley of Grove, Kaleb Cradduck of Noble, Colton Gallo of Perry, Michael Anderson of Northwest Classen and Terry Williamson of Broken Arrow.

"I think it's certainly an impressive group of young men and they bring some fantastic credentials to our program," said David James, who has coached 45 national champions and 166 All-Americans in 28 years at the UCO helm. "They're all excited to be at UCO and we're certainly excited to have them.

"A few of these kids have got a chance to come in and help us immediately next year and I think they know that. We went into this recruiting season needing to find some quality kids and quite a few of them and we've done that, though we're not done yet."

Cody and Cory Dauphin combined for eight regional titles, seven state championships and 312 career wins at Class 5A power El Reno.

Cody went 41-0 as a senior to cap a 158-9 career and won three state titles at heavyweight while finishing runner-up as a junior. Cory was a four-time state champion with a 154-8 career record, going 43-1 his final season at 160 pounds. He's projected to be a 157- or 165-pounder for the Bronchos.

Both earned All-America honors by placing in the National High School Coaches Association National Tournament, with Cody taking third and Cory fourth.

Housley was a three-time Class 5A state finalist at Grove, finishing runner-up as both a sophomore and junior before winning the 125-pound title this season. He ended a 153-16 career with a 45-1 senior campaign and will wrestle at 125 for UCO.

Cradduck was a four-time state placer at Noble, finishing as the Class 5A runner-up the last two years. He went 115-27 during his career and was 27-3 as a senior at 135 pounds, with a projected college weight of 141.

Gallo helped lead Perry to its national-record 37th state championship in 2009-10, capturing the 152-pound Class 3A title to end a 45-2 senior season. A projected 149- or 157-pounder for the Bronchos, Gallo went 85-8 for his career and was state champion as a sophomore before finishing runner-up as a junior.

Anderson became the first state champion at Northwest Classen in more than 40 years when he took the 215-pound title this season. Expected to wrestle at 184 or 197 pounds at UCO, Anderson had two third-place state finishes prior to claiming the Class 5A crown to cap a 33-3 season.

Williamson, who will also play football for the Bronchos, went 33-4 in repeating as the Class 6A heavyweight champion this year. He was state runner-up as a sophomore before winning his first state title the following season.
Three Central Oklahoma Wrestlers Elected to D2 Wrestling Hall of Fame

Former Central Oklahoma wrestling greats Jerry Best, Mark Cunningham and Brian Melchiori have been selected for induction into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame. Attached is a story on their selection along with b/w mug shots from when they wrestled at UCO.

PARKSIDE, Wis. (Feb. 22) -- Three former Central Oklahoma wrestling greats who combined to capture six national championships and win 260 career matches have been selected for induction into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame, it was announced Monday.

Elected for the elite honor were Jerry Best, who won three straight national titles for the Bronchos in the mid-1990s; Mark Cunningham, a four-time All-American who claimed one national crown from 1993-97; and Brian Melchiori, who won back-to-back national titles in his two years at UCO in 1994 and '95.

Those three and five other individuals who make up the 14th class of inductees will be honored at the Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame Ceremony on Thursday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at Anthony's Steakhouse in Omaha, Neb. on the eve of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships that will be hosted by Nebraska-Omaha. Tickets for the banquet are $30 and can be reserved by contacting Geri Backora (402-554-2506 or gbakora@unomaha.edu).

Best, Cunningham and Melchiori will bring to 10 the number of UCO athletes and coaches in the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame. Earlier inductees are current head coach David James along with former standouts Keith Cunningham (Mark's brother), Todd Drake, Mike Keim, Howard Moore, Wes White and Randy Zellner.

Best, who went a perfect 127-0 and won four state titles at Chandler High School, started his college career at Oklahoma State before transferring to UCO at the semester break of his sophomore season. He went on to enjoy a sensational career with the Bronchos at 142 pounds, finishing with a 77-13 record that included 34 bonus-point wins.

Jerry went 18-4 during the second semester of the 1993-94 season, falling in the finals of the Midwest Regional to Minnesota-Duluth's Ron McClure in what would be his only loss to an NCAA Division II opponent before rolling to the national championship two weeks later to help UCO claim its third straight team title.

Best came back as a junior in 1994-95 to repeat as national champion, overcoming a mid-season injury that knocked him out of action for more than a month to post a 24-5 record. He easily captured the Midwest Regional crown and then had a pair of technical falls en route to capturing his second title as UCO ran away with the team championship.

Jerry capped his career with a sensational senior season in 1995-96, going 35-4 with 21 bonus-point wins. He was named Midwest Regional Wrestler of the Year after taking that title in dominating fashion and cruised to his third straight national championship despite battling a painful shoulder injury.

Best finished with more than 300 takedowns for his three-year UCO career and ended up with a 40-1 record against Division II opponents.

A 1996 graduate of UCO, Best spend one season as a graduate assistant coach for the Bronchos before entering the high school ranks. He is currently the head wrestling coach at Allen High School in Allen, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Kerry.

A product of Tulsa Union High School, Cunningham placed in the NCAA Division II national tournament at three different weight classes during his career and is one of 10 four-time All-Americans at UCO.

Mark redshirted his first year at UCO and then started at 150 pounds during the 1993-94 season. He finished 26-18 with 11 bonus-point wins and won the Midwest Regional championship before earning All-America honors with a sixth-place national finish after entering the tournament unseeded to help the Bronchos take the team title.

Cunningham moved up to 158 pounds the next season and went 31-11 with 15 bonus-point wins, winning two regular-season tournaments and then taking the Midwest Regional crown to earn the No. 2 seed for the national tournament. He advanced to the finals before dropping a 4-3 decision to No. 1 Gene Hanemann of St. Cloud State in helping UCO win its fourth straight team title.

Mark stayed at 158 pounds in 1995-96 and put together a 29-9 campaign with 15 bonus-point wins, capping the season with a national championship. Seeded sixth in the national tournament after a runner-up finish in the Midwest Regional, Cunningham won four straight matches and claimed the title with an 8-6 finals upset of top-seeded Danny Giammo of Carson-Newman as UCO finished a close second in the team race.

Cunningham went up to 167 pounds for his senior season in 1996-97 and earned All-America honors for the fourth straight time despite battling an assortment of injuries most of the year. Mark went 27-11 with 16 bonus-point wins, taking second in the Midwest Regional before finishing seventh in the national tournament.

Mark finished his career with a 113-49 record that included 57 bonus-point wins and he ranks 13th on UCO's all-time win list.

A high school coach for several years after graduating UCO, Mark is now a successful insurance agent in Tulsa. He and his wife, Shelly, have two daughters -- Taylor and Reece.

Melchiori enjoyed a tremendous two-year career at UCO in winning back-to-back national championships and helping lead the Bronchos to consecutive team titles.

A four-time state placer at Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville, Kan., Brian was a two-year starter at Labette (Kan.) Community College before transferring to UCO and seeing his career take off.

Melchiori put together a 29-11 record with 13 falls at 126 pounds in 1993-94, qualifying for the national tournament with a runner-up finish in the Midwest Regional before rolling to the national title. Brian had two falls and a 12-4 major decision in making the finals before capturing the championship with a first-period pin of top-ranked and unbeaten Chris Nelson of Northern Colorado to earn the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award as UCO ran away with its third straight team title.

Melchiori put together a dominating senior campaign at 126 pounds in 1994-95, going 41-5 -- the fifth-most single-season wins in school history -- with 18 bonus-point victories, including 12 falls. He won the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational and three other regular season tournament titles before claiming the Midwest Regional crown and repeating as national champion with another finals fall to again lead UCO to the team title.

Brian went 8-0 with five falls and two major decisions in two national tournament appearances, scoring 46 team points for the Bronchos. He finished 70-16 in his two-year UCO career with 35 bonus-point wins, including 25 falls.

Melchiori earned his degree from UCO and served as a graduate assistant coach for the Bronchos for one season before entering the high school coaching ranks. He is currently the head wrestling coach at Independence High School in Independence, Kan. Brian and his wife, Emily, have four children -- Baylor, Camdyn, Brennan and Lynnli.
Central Oklahoma Wrestling Routs Newman

EDMOND (Feb. 12) - Cody Rowell and Ed Jackson racked up easy bonus-point wins and No. 13-ranked Central Oklahoma received four forfeits in overpowering Newman 42-3 Friday night at Hamilton Field House.

The Bronchos won nine of the 10 matches - and five of the six actually contested - in their final dual of the season to finish 8-5. UCO now prepares for the NCAA Division II Super Regional Two Tournament, set for Feb. 28 in Warrensburg, Mo.

Cody Rowell had a 17-2 technical fall at 174 pounds and Jackson a 15-5 major decision at 157 to pace the Bronchos, who also got narrow wins from 141 Michael Walkup, 165 Derrick Adkins and 184 Tanner Keck. Picking up forfeits were 125 Casy Rowell, 133 Scott Berens, 197 Jarrett Edison and heavyweight Dustin Finn.

"Once again we did some good things, but we were still too sloppy," UCO coach David James said. "We've just got a lot of work to do to get ready for the regional."

Forfeits in the first two weights gave UCO a quick 12-0 lead and Walkup won the first match on the mat at 141 when he pulled out a 2-1 tiebreaker decision over Brent Fisher, scoring the winning escape with 26 seconds left.

Newman picked up its lone win at 149 as Mitch Arnold upset No. 7-ranked Colby Robinson, but it was all Bronchos after that.

Jackson posted seven takedowns in his rout and then Adkins edged Austin Workman 3-2 on a takedown with 27 seconds remaining in the 165-pound bout. Cody Rowell had four near-falls and three takedowns in recording his second-period technical fall before Keck pulled out a wild 12-10 win at 184 on a reverse with 24 seconds left.

The Bronchos then ended the romp with back-to-back forfeits and Kenny Meredith finished the night with a 21-6 technical fall in an exhibition match at 184.

UCO 42, Newman 3
125 - Casy Rowell, UCO, won by forfeit.
133 - Scott Berens, UCO, won by forfeit.
141 - Michael Walkup, UCO, dec. Brent Fisher, 2-1 (TB).
149 - Mitch Arnold, NU, dec. Colby Robinson, 6-5.
157 - Ed Jackson, UCO, major dec. Ryan Spencer, 15-5.
165 - Derrick Adkins, UCO, dec. Austin Workman, 3-2.
174 - Cody Rowell, UCO, tech. fall Blake Fullbright, 17-2 (4:16).
184 - Tanner Keck, UCO, dec. Tyler Hasenbank, 12-10.
197 - Jarrett Edison, UCO, won by forfeit.
Hvy - Dustin Finn, UCO, won by forfeit.

Exhibition
184 - Kenny Meredith, UCO, tech. fall Jacob Weaver, 21-6 (6:45).
Central Oklahoma Tops Central Missouri on the Mat

EDMOND (Feb. 4) - Falls by Austin Standage and Tanner Keck powered No. 13-ranked Central Oklahoma to a 28-19 triumph over Central Missouri Thursday night at Hamilton Field House.

Keck's pin at 184 pounds pushed a slim 18-13 lead to a 24-13 bulge and Jarrett Edison followed with a major decision at 197 to wrap up the win before the Mules scored a fall in the final match.

The Bronchos improved to 7-5 on the year and stayed perfect against UCM, upping their series advantage to 32-0.

"Austin and Tanner had two big falls for us," UCO coach David James said. "We looked sluggish at a lot of weights and didn't wrestle very smart in some situations, but we're making progress and just need to keep moving forward."

The Bronchos took six of the 10 weights, with 133 Trison Graham and 165 Derrick Adkins pulling out narrow decisions in addition to the bonus-point wins by Standage, Keck and Edison and a forfeit victory by 125 Casy Rowell.

Graham claimed a 5-4 win over Marcus Walker on a takedown with just two seconds left in the match as UCO jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but the Mules earned a major decision at 141 to pull within 9-4.

Standage bumped the lead to 15-4 with his fall at 149, reversing Brandon Russow midway through the second period to take a 4-3 lead before turning him over and getting the pin at the 4:36 mark.

UCM's Denis Ryzhov edged Eden Bernstein 7-6 at 157 on a takedown with four seconds left and the eighth-ranked Adkins followed with a 2-0 win at 165 on the strength of a first-period takedown.

The Mules made it 18-13 with a fall at 174 and Phil Witt took an early 2-0 lead over Keck in the next match, but the freshman reversed Witt to his back with 40 seconds left in the opening period and finished it 19 seconds later.

Edison then put the dual away, racking up five takedowns and more than four minutes riding time in a 13-1 rout.

UCO returns to action at the Missouri Valley Open Saturday and then ends the dual season next Friday, Feb. 12, by hosting Newman.

Central Oklahoma 28, Central Missouri 19
125 -- Casy Rowell, UCO, won by forfeit.
133 -- Trison Graham, UCO, dec. Marcus Walker, 5-4.
141 -- Cory Bloodgood, UCM, major dec. Trey Branscum, 12-4.
149 -- Austin Standage, UCO, pinned Brandon Russow, 4:36.
157 -- Denis Ryzhov, UCM, dec. Eden Bernstein, 7-6.
165 -- Derrick Adkins, UCO, dec. Bryan Click, 2-0.
174 -- Matt Bailes, UCM, pinned Cody Rowell, 1:46.
184 -- Tanner Keck, UCO, pinned Phil Witt, 2:39.
197 -- Jarrett Edison, UCO, major dec. Doug Thompson, 13-1.
Heavyweight -- Brandon Hayes, UCM, pinned Keegan Hulsey, 1:59.
Central Oklahoma Dropped a 27-10 Decision to Oklahoma

EDMOND (Nov. 11) - Two newcomers to the lineup and a veteran earned wins for Central Oklahoma as the Bronchos dropped a 27-10 decision to Oklahoma Wednesday night at Hamilton Field House.

Rookie Casy Rowell and redshirt freshman Trison Graham prevailed in the first two weights to stake UCO to a quick 7-0 lead, but the No. 18-ranked Sooners took the next seven matches to clinch the dual before senior All-American Dustin Finn capped the night on a good note with an exciting overtime triumph.

It was the dual opener for the Bronchos, ranked sixth in Division II.

"I thought we had some guys really battle hard tonight," UCO head coach David James said. "Casy and Trison are two young guys who give you everything they've got and they both wrestled smart matches and Dustin did a great job.

"We could have obviously done better at some weights, but overall it wasn't a bad night and I think we learned some things that will benefit us in the long run."

Rowell opened the match with an impressive 8-0 major decision over Justin Forrest at 125 pounds, scoring three takedowns and racking up nearly five minutes riding time en route to the rout that gave UCO a 4-0 lead.

Graham followed with an 8-5 victory at 133, using a pair of second-period takedowns to break a scoreless tie and take a 5-1 lead. Graham upped his lead to 7-2 with another takedown midway through the final period and coasted in.

The Sooners then showed their strength, recording a fall and three major decisions in winning the next seven bouts to open up a 27-7 lead.

That didn't faze Finn in the final match as the senior heavyweight edged Nathan Fernandez 7-5 to avenge an 8-4 loss in last Sunday's OCU Open.

Finn led 3-1 after two periods and appeared to have the match wrapped up when he made it 5-2 on a takedown with 28 seconds left, but Fernandez escaped at 0:12 and then took Finn down with just one second left to tie it and force overtime.

A two-time national runner-up ranked No. 1 this year, Finn finally prevailed on a takedown 36 seconds into the one-minute sudden-victory period.

The Bronchos return to action Saturday at the Central Missouri Open and then go to Oklahoma City University for a dual next Tuesday.

125: Casy Rowell, UCO, major dec. Justin Forrest, 8-0.
133: Trison Graham, UCO, dec. Alex Ekstrom, 8-5.
141: Zack Bailey, OU, major dec. Scott Berens, 18-4.
149: Kyle Terry, OU, major dec. Austin Standage, 14-3.
157: Chad Terry, OU, dec. Eden Bernstein, 12-5.
165: Derek Peperas, OU, dec. Derrick Adkins, 4-2.
174: Jeff James, OU, major dec. Cody Rowell, 23-10.
184: Erich Schmidtke, OU, dec. Kenny Meredith, 5-0.
197: Eric Lapotsky, OU, pinned Jarrett Edison, 6:20.
Hvy: Dustin Finn, UCO, dec. Nathan Fernandez, 7-5 (SV).
Central Oklahoma Intrasquad Dual

EDMOND (Oct. 28) - Redshirt freshman Trison Graham upset a returning All-American for the Bronze team, but the Blue won three overtime matches to pull out a 22-19 victory in Central Oklahoma's intrasquad dual Wednesday night at Hamilton Field House.

Graham knocked off senior All-American and No. 5-ranked Scott Berens 6-4 at 133 pounds to give the Bronze a 7-4 lead after three matches, with the Blue coming back to win six of the next seven bouts to grab a 22-10 lead en route to the win.

The Blue got overtime victories from Mike Walkup at 141, Austin Standage at 149 and Tanner Keck at 165 in building its big lead before the Bronze made it close by claiming the last two matches, including a fall by Mikey Morgan.

It was the first of two intrasquad duals for the No. 6-ranked Bronchos, who will hold another Blue-Bronze battle next Thursday in Norman. UCO opens the season on Nov. 8 at the Oklahoma City University Open.

"I saw a lot of good things, especially from some of our young guys, but we obviously have a lot of work ahead of us," said 28-year head coach David James. "It was good for us to get out of the room and compete in front of a crowd, because some guys wrestle better in those situations."

Freshman Casy Rowell started the dual with a 13-4 major decision to give the Blue a quick 4-0 lead, but Seth Johnson followed with a 12-2 rout for the Bronze to tie it.

Graham then pulled off his upset of Berens, getting a reverse in the final minute of the match to take a 5-4 lead and controlling Berens the rest of the way to add a riding time point for the 6-4 victory.

Walkup used two third-period takedowns to draw even with Tyson Bernardi at 6-6 and force overtime, then won it with another takedown 30 seconds into the sudden-victory period.

Standage prevailed 5-3 over Chris Watson on a takedown just six seconds into the first OT and Keck earned a 3-2 win over Derrick Adkins with an escape in the second tiebreaker.

Blue 22, Bronze 19
125: Casy Rowell, Blue, major dec. Nick Rice, 13-4.
125: Seth Johnson, Bronze, major dec. Andrew Schmauch, 12-2.
133: Trison Graham, Bronze, dec. Scott Berens, 6-4.
141: Mike Walkup, Blue, dec. Tyson Bernardi, 8-6 (SV).
149: Colby Robinson, Bronze, dec. Ryan Rosales, 4-0.
149: Austin Standage, Blue, dec. Chris Watson, 5-3 (SV).
157: Kelly Henderson, Blue, dec. Justin Suskey, 7-2.
157: Eden Berstein, Blue, dec. Joe Snedden, 5-1.
165: Tanner Keck, Blue, dec. Derrick Adkins, 2-1 (TB).
174: Cody Rowell, Blue, dec. Brennan Ochoa, 5-3.
174: Mikey Morgan, Bronze, pinned Rance Rue, 4:37.
184: Daniel Morrison, Bronze, dec. Kenny Meredith, 3-2.
All-staters Harris, Reed Among Oklahoma City Wrestling Recruits

OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma City University has added two all-staters and two transfers among seven recruits to its men's wrestling program.

All-staters Kevin Harris of Del City, Okla., and Michael Reed of Ardmore, Okla., and transfers Bryce Dicus from Nebraska-Kearney and Tucker Rutherford from Neosho County (Kan.), as well as state runner-up Marvin Lewis of Bartlesville, Okla., Gregory Daniels of Midwest City, Okla., and Allen Lea of Webbers Falls, Okla., will join the Stars for 2009-10.

Harris finished his senior year with a record of 33-6 and third in state. Harris took third place at state as a junior and was on the academic all-state team as a sophomore. Harris has been named Oklahoma Coaches Association all-state and all-Mid-State Conference.
At OCU, Harris could compete at 141 pounds.

"Harris comes from a high school program that is rich in Oklahoma wrestling tradition," said OCU coach Archie Randall. "He will provide competition for the returning national qualifier Jeremy Garner."

Reed finished his senior year with a record of 38-3. Reed was named all-state and all-area as well. Reed is expected to wrestle at 285 for OCU.

"Reed will have the opportunity to train with two-time national qualifier and all-American Corey Johnson during his first year as a redshirt," Randall said.

Daniels was a member of the state champion wrestling program as a junior and sophomore. Daniels finished fourth in the state tournament in as a freshman and was a state qualifier as a sophomore.

"Daniels is a product of the Midwest City wrestling program," said Randall. "He was injured in his last season, but he will be another athlete to compete for the 133 vacancy."
Lea of Webbers Falls High School (Okla.) was named all-conference three times. Lea is projected as a 133-pounder for the Stars.

"Lea will be one of the several wrestlers who will make a run at replacing three-time national qualifier Justin Blumer," said Randall.

Lewis finished as Class 5A state runner-up at 171 pounds with a 34-6 record as a senior. Lewis went 61-13 in his junior and senior seasons.

Dicus is a transfer from Nebraska-Kearney. Dicus was a four-time district champion and a regional champion. Dicus, of Catoosa, Okla., was a Greco-Roman state champion and a freestyle runner-up.

"Dicus will transfer in at 125 and will be one of several wrestlers who will help to fill the void we had at that weight last year," Randall said.

Rutherford will transfer to OCU from Neosho County to further his wrestling career. Rutherford, of Jay, Okla., finished his high-school career with a record of 36-6 and was named all-state. Rutherford was also three-time all-conference and all-district, as well as the state runner-up.

"Rutherford will come in at 149 and is expected to strengthen the weight class, which has two returning national qualifiers," said Randall.

OCU hosts the Junior National Duals featuring top junior wrestlers from around the nation on June 24-28 at Abe Lemons Arena.
Division II Wrestler of the Year

EDMOND, Okla. -- Unbeaten 157-pounder Todd Meneely of Nebraska-Omaha has been selected as the 2008-09 NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year after winning his third straight national championship this season.

Meneely is the second winner of the award, sponsored by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association and voted on by eight regional representatives from around the country. Nebraska-Kearney heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev took the inaugural award last year.

Each of the four regions nominated a candidate, with Super Region Two nominee Meneely finishing with 28 points to edge out runner-up Cy Wainwright of Newberry and Super Region One by one point. Minnesota State-Mankato's Tommy Abbott was the Super Region Three representative and Arsenia Barksdale of Adams State the Super Region Four nominee.

Meneely, a native of Omaha, went a perfect 27-0 this season with 10 falls, seven major decisions and three technical falls. He was only scored on offensively three times (three takedowns) and won five tournament titles this year.

A three-time regional champion, Meneely captured the Division II national title at 149 pounds in 2007 and '08 before moving up to 157 this season and winning a third consecutive crown March 13-14 in Houston, Texas. He finished with a 85-5 career record in three years with the Mavericks.

Meneely was the driving force behind a UNO team that went undefeated in duals and ran away with the national team championship this season. He was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the NWCA Division II National Duals in January.

A four-time state champion at Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha, Meneely was a Freestyle and Greco Junior National champion in 2002.