UCO coach Steidley savoring Bronchos’ first wrestling national title since 2007
Todd Steidley figures he talked too much last year about a national championship.
“I just felt like maybe I made ‘em too nervous,” the Central Oklahoma wrestling coach said.
The Bronchos hadn’t won the NCAA Division II wrestling title since 2007; a program with this much prestige and expectations tends to weigh upon itself.
So this year, Steidley didn’t say much about the national title. He figures his wrestlers come to Edmond to win championships and get degrees. No reason to belabor the point.
The low-key method worked. Led by national champions Dalton Abney and Shawn Streck — UCO stormed to the DII title on Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa — with 121 points, outscoring runner-up Lander by 43.
This was UCO’s 16th national championship — eighth in NAIA and now eighth in NCAA Division II — matching the record held by Nebraska-Omaha and Cal State-Bakersfield.
“It’s a great time to be a Broncho,” said Steidley, who was a national champion wrestler at UCO and returned in 2016 to coach the program David James built into a national power.
“I’m really proud.”
In 2022, Steidley figured UCO was the team to beat. Undefeated in duals, won all its tournaments. Until the NCAA Championships. NebraskaOmaha stormed to the title, and UCO’s drought continued.
“This year, fortunately, our guys were not going to be denied,” Steidley said. “They took control and never looked back.”
The Bronchos had a school-record nine all-Americans. In addition to Abney at 197 pounds and Streck at heavyweight, UCO’s Dylan Lucas (133, Plainview), Nate Keim (141, Collinsville) and Ty Lucas (165, Plainview) placed third; Alex Kauffman (184, Vinita) placed fifth; Brik Filippo (149, Tuttle) placed sixth; and Gabe Johnson (157, Choctaw) and Anthony DesVigne (174, Edmond North) placed seventh.
“Our strength all year has been our depth,” Steidley said.
UCO won just three of eight quarterfinal matches.
“We stress, in a tournament setting, you got five minutes to get your act together, then it’s time to concentrate on the next match,” Steidley said. “That’s exactly what we did.”
The Bronchos went 6-1 in the “blood” round, which determines all-American status.
Abney, from Tulsa Cascia Hall, beat Indianapolis’ Derek Blubaugh 1-0 to win his second straight national crown. The junior, 23-2 this season and 72-6 for his career, became the 12th four-time allAmerican in school history and the 18th multiple national champion.
Streck, from Merriville, Indiana, beat Glenville State’s Jared Campbell 8-3 in the finals. Streck, a junior, finished 26-0 and now is 38-2 as a twotime all-American.
“We have a special team,” Steidley said.
UCO always had a special program. But now, the Bronchos are champions again.