Bronchos crown five champions; qualify eighth for wrestling nationals

The University of Central Oklahoma wrestling team continued its dominance Saturday, winning its third consecutive NCAA Division II Super Regional IV title. The Bronchos secured five individual championships and qualified eight wrestlers for the NCAA Division II National Championships. 

McKendree finished with the highest match point total at 286, while UCO ended with 249, but the Bronchos had more individual champions than any other team. Their victories came in high stakes matches, with four of their five champions winning by decision and only one final being decided by a major decision. 

No. 4-ranked Peter Rolle won his first regional crown at 133 pounds with a 4-1 decision over No. 5-ranked Jimmy Anderson of Ouachita Baptist, marking his second win by decision in the tournament after securing a 10-0 major decision in the semifinals. At 157 pounds, No. 2-ranked Gabe Johnson won his second straight regional title with a 4-1 victory over No. 10-ranked John Ridle of Central Missouri in the finals. Johnson, who entered the tournament with a 22-1 record, controlled the match from start to finish after pinning Indianapolis’ Nathan Conley in just 2:17 during the semifinals. His pin was one of three recorded by UCO wrestlers in the tournament. 

No. 8-ranked Hunter Jump claimed his second consecutive 165-pound title with an 8-0 major decision over No. 6-ranked Cory Peterson of McKendree in the final. His earlier matches included a 4-3 semifinal victory against Newman’s Jace Fisher and a first-period pin against Maryville’s Nick Baer in the quarterfinals.

No. 7-ranked Garrett Wells secured his second-straight regional championship at 184 pounds, winning the final with a 6-3 decision over Central Missouri’s Damon Ashworth. His semifinal win came by fall over Maryville’s Dalton Litzsinger at the 4:39 mark, while he opened the tournament with a 19-3 technical fall over Newman’s Chris Mapp in the quarterfinals. 

Not every final match went Central Oklahoma’s way, but the team still had a strong showing across all weight classes. Top-ranked Studd Morris finished as the runner-up at 125 pounds after a 5-3 loss to No. 4-ranked Jakason Burks of Central Missouri. Morris had previously defeated Indianapolis’ Nathan Smith 10-4 in the semifinals and pinned Kentucky Wesleyan’s Bryson Rowley in 1:37 during the quarterfinals. 

No. 12-ranked senior Dylan Brown reached the final at 149 pounds before falling to Indianapolis’ Jackson Hoover in an 8-4 decision. Brown won a 1-0 semifinal match against Central Missouri’s Garrett Lyons and pinned Quincy’s Zachary Harrington in the quarterfinals. 

At heavyweight, Judson Rowland placed fourth after losing 9-5 in the third-place match against Indianapolis’ Cale Gray. Rowland’s tournament included an 8-3 quarterfinal victory against Central Missouri’s Torin Forsyth and a consolation semifinal win over Newman’s Caleb Wunsch. 

With five champions and three additional national qualifiers, Central Oklahoma is in position for another deep run at the NCAA Division II National Championships in two weeks and will now aim to add a national title to its regional success.