UCO Finishes Ranked 30th in Directors Cup
Derek Parker
The University of Central Oklahoma scored 452 points in the Division II Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup race this year and finished ranked 30th out of over 300 Division II schools.
“UCO is held in high esteem across not only the conference but the nation,” said UCO athletic director Eddie Griffin. “We have quality programs athletically and academically. That’s what we’re proud of and our coaches continue to do a good job.”
Division II programs across the nation have a chance to win the award, earning points based on each of their team’s finishes in the NCAA championships.
The Bronchos earned 64 points in the fall due to a historic soccer season. The soccer squad started their season out on a 16 game win streak before finishing 22-2, the best record in school history. They won the MIAA postseason tournament, defeating Washburn University, Fort Hays State University and the University of Central Missouri before losing 4-3 overtime to Central Missouri in the NCAA Division II Central Regional.
UCO wrestling attributed 58.5 points to UCO’s total, finishing fourth in the DII Super Regional IV Tournament and 16th in the DII wrestling championships. Heath Gray and Greg Wilson both earned all-American honors.
Central earned 329.5 points in the spring, with strong finishes from rowing, softball and tennis.
Rowing’s second straight national title earned a maximum 100 points. The Bronchos finished first in the V4+ and V8+ over the Florida Institute of Technology to earn UCO’s 20th ever national title.
Softball and tennis finished with 64 points each, with both having historic seasons.
Tennis lost in the NCAA Championships Round of 16 but finished 19-5 on the season. UCO won 6-3 in the No. 1 doubles in their first match against Azusa Pacific University but lost in both No. 2 and No. 3 to go down. APU eventually finished the Bronchos season with a 4-1 victory.
Central softball’s historic run came to a close in the Division II Central Super Regional when they lost out in back to back games to the eventual national champion Augustana University. The Bronchos won the MIAA regular season and tournament titles, along with the Central Regional I Tournament. They finished with the second most wins in program history and graduated four decorated seniors, including JoBi Heath, who set multiple offensive records at Central. Augustana won 7-6 in a walk-off win that finished UCO’s season.
Women’s golf earned 51.5 points toward the Leafield cup, ending with a sixth-place finish in the NCAA Division II Central Regional, with only the top four teams making it to the championships. Sydney Roberts tied for ninth with a total of 228.
Broncho baseball finished with 50 points after posting a 38-20 record and making it to the NCAA Central Region II Final for the second time in three years. UCO’s season ended with an 8-5 loss to Central Missouri, but qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time and sent pitcher Spencer Van Scoyoc to the MLB Draft.
Overall, UCO finished within the top 10 percent of Division II schools this year, a testament to its program’s success, according to Griffin.
“If we’re 30th out of about 300 Division II schools, that’s pretty good and I’m really proud of our student-athletes,” Griffin said.
Central soccer will kick off the 2019-20 season for UCO and will play their first game on September 5 at 1 p.m on Tom Thompson Field.