UCO athletics hitting peak performance

Bradie Gray

Contributing Writer

UCO sports are currently performing at an unprecedented level. Among the teams currently in-season, five are ranked Top 15 in the nation as most of their seasons are still young or close to national tournament play.

The excellent level of play this semester is currently headlined by the Broncho basketball. One year removed from a conference championship and Division II National Tournament berth, Head Coach Bob Hoffman’s squad could end up having an even better ending than last season. Despite losing out on the MIAA regular season crown after last week’s loss to Northwest Missouri State, the No. 7 Bronchos finished league play at 24-4 and 18-4 in-conference, matching their records from a year ago. They did this while vastly improving their defense. In 2022, the team gave up an average of 70.9 points per game, but this season that number dropped to 61.1 points per game.

This was projected by many to be a down year for the team, having lost All-Conference player Isaiah Wade to the NBA G-League and star point guard Callen Haydon to injury in December.

The ‘Chos go into the postseason seeded at No. 2 in next week’s MIAA tournament and No. 3 in the Central Region of Division II. The team has taken a step back from last season in some categories, perhaps most importantly with a six-point drop in per-game scoring, but as the old adage goes, “defense wins championships,” and the UCO defense has taken the step forward to make a push this postseason, and it could be championship-caliber.

Out on the diamonds, Central has also made a major impression nationally. The Lady Broncho softball team is currently ranked No. 10 in Division II and still has the opportunity to improve. They currently sit at 8-3 in the young season after hosting the Raising Cane’s Softball Festival and going 4-1. They scored 7.9 runs per game and only gave up 3.2 runs per game with their only loss coming against Southern Arkansas, 9-8. Between that loss and an earlier loss this season, 8-3 against Oklahoma Christian, some games can get away from them, but with the season still so young, the Lady Bronchos look poised to not only make a run at the MIAA crown, but also at a Women’s Division II College World Series berth.

The Bronchos baseball team is not far behind. The team is ranked No. 13 nationally behind a

11-2 record and some red-hot batting. The team has scored 10 or more runs in six of their games so far, and they have scored at least four runs in every single game this season.

The team’s bats do not look to cool off for conference play, either. Central opened the MIAA season with a 3-0 weekend at home against Missouri Southern, outscoring them 30-20 overall. They certainly have room to improve on the mound, but many teams across the country use the early part of the season to construct and refine pitching rotations, and UCO is no different. One year removed from a 29-21 campaign, the team looks to have turned a page in 2023, and they seem ready to make a push for the conference crown and be a party crasher in the postseason nationally.

The Broncho wrestling team has also dominated in 2023. It is something Edmond expects these days, and Head Coach Todd Steidley’s team was happy to oblige. After finishing the regular season as the No. 1 team in the country and winning the MIAA Championship, the ‘Chos will not only host the NCAA Division II Super Regional IV Tournament, but they also have 10 wrestlers competing in it, all of whom are ranked in the Top 3 in their respective weight classes and six are ranked No. 1. The Top 3 placers at each weight category will advance to the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships where, a year ago, UCO had two individual national champions in Heath Gray and Dalton

Abney, but ultimately fell one spot short as a team with a runner-up finish. With 10 wrestlers in the field this late in the year and being this highly ranked, the Bronchos’ ultimate goal of a team national championship is within reach.

On the ice this season, UCO hockey is dominating once again, despite not being an official member of Broncho athletics. The ‘Chos club team is currently ranked No. 5 nationally in Division I of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, a national collegiate league on par with the NCAA that boasts major universities such as Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, and dozens more major Division I colleges. Central hockey almost took it the distance last season, finishing as the national runners-up in 2022. They are currently 26-7-1 and poised to make another run at the title this year. The final rankings of the year are set to release on March 1, and the ACHA National Tournament is set for March 16-21 in Boston with the Bronchos chomping at the bit to avenge last season’s loss.

With winter sports winding down and spring sports picking up, UCO has been eager to put an outstanding product on display across the board throughout 2023. A semester full of seasons like this can potentially put smaller programs on the map, and if these teams can sustain it, Central seems ready to put the entire region on notice going forward.