The Bronchos also pick up two individual titles from Gabe Johnson and Shawn Streck
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UCO's Shawn Streck secured an individual national title to help lead the Bronchos to their ninth all-time championship. Courtesy of UCO Photo Services.
For the second year in a row, the University of Central Oklahoma are NCAA Division II wrestling national champions.
Coach Todd Steidley wins his second national title as Bronchos’ head coach, as well as the program’s ninth overall title to officially own the most in NCAA Division II wrestling. It is the fourth time the program has repeated as champions and the first since 2002-2003, when they won back-to-back titles under coach David James.
UCO finished the 2024 D-II Wrestling National Championships at Wichita’s Hartman Arena with 102 total points as a team on Saturday (March 16), beating the second-place school Lander University at 82.5 points.
Gabe Johnson and Shawn Streck also each won their final matches of the tournament to secure individual national titles.
The Bronchos had eight wrestlers represented in Wichita with six making it to the championship semifinals of their respective weight class brackets. Of those six, Johnson (157), Anthony DesVigne (174), Dalton Abney (197) and Streck (HWT) advanced to their championship final matches.
UCO had the team title secured by the second day of the tournament, officially becoming the winningest program in D-II championship history. The final day consisted of championship matches for all weight classes, which saw the Bronchos win two individual titles and two runner-up finishes.
Senior and two-time national champion Dalton Abney was defeated in the championship final to finish as national runner-up in the 197. Anthony DesVigne suffered a loss by fall in his final match to finish as runner-up in the 174.
Todd Steidley was also named the 2024 Coach of the Year at the tournament for both the MIAA conference and all of Division II.
With UCO now owning the most wrestling titles in D-II history, it’s safe to say that the championship trophy runs through Edmond, Oklahoma, adding to an already rich wrestling pedigree in the state.