Bronchos Finish With Three All-Americans

3/10/2012 4:03:00 PM

Tanner Keck

PUEBLO, Colo. (March 10) – Central Oklahoma finished with three All-Americans and was tied for seventh in the team standings at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships here Saturday.

The Bronchos got a fourth-place finish from 184-pounder Tanner Keck, while 141 Casy Rowell and 149 Ky Corley both took fifth as all three earned All-America honors for the first time.

Fifth-ranked UCO tied No. 6 Augustana for 10th place in the team standings with 41.5 points. No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney won the championship, followed by top-ranked St. Cloud State, No. 11 Findlay and No. 7 Grand Canyon.

“We certainly didn't have the tournament we were looking for, but I'm proud of the three guys who placed and thought they did a good job,” head coach David James said. “We had some guys who didn't perform like they're capable of and that was disappointing.

“Seven of our nine qualifiers will be back next year and we're got to do the things in the off-season to get better so we can get this program back where it belongs.”

Keck lost to Findlay's Adam Walters 5-2 in the semifinals, then came back to win his first consolation match before losing in the bronze medal match.

The sixth-ranked junior used an early takedown and two-point near-fall to take a 4-0 lead over No. 1 Dallas Smith of Ouachita Baptist in the consolation semifinals and clinched a 7-2 win with a late takedown to avenge three earlier losses to Smith this season.

Keck fell to Nebraska-Kearney's Ross Brunkhardt 4-2 in the consolation finals to end the season with a 27-10 record.

The fifth-ranked Corley was knocked into the consolations with a 6-1 semifinal loss to No. 3 Raufeon Stotts of Nebraska-Kearney and then dropped an 8-5 decision to Pittsburgh-Johnstown's Nathan Link to fall into the fifth-place match.

But Corley ended his career on a high note, claiming fifth with an 8-3 victory over Gannon's Ethan Swope. Corley led just 3-2 in the final period before clinching the win with a takedown and near-fall to finish the year 21-9.

Rowell pinned Aaron Smith of American International in his first consolation match of the day, breaking a scoreless tie when he escaped and then taking Smith to his back midway through the second period for the fall.

The unranked sophomore fell to No. 3 Chism Fink of Augustana in the consolation semifinals before bouncing back to knock off second-rated Trevor Johnson of Mary 3-2 in the fifth-place bout.

Rowell, who lost a 7-2 decision to Johnson in Friday's quarterfinals, had a first-period takedown and then broke a 2-2 tie with a third-period escape to pull out the win and cap up a 31-12 season.

NCAA Division II Championships
Consolation Finals
184 – Ross Brunkhardt, Nebraska-Kearney, dec. Tanner Keck, UCO, 4-2.

Fifth Place
141 – Casy Rowell, UCO, dec. Trevor Johnson, Mary, 3-2.
149 – Ky Corley, UCO, dec. Ethan Swope, Gannon, 8-3.

Championship Semifinals
149 – Raufeon Stotts, Nebraska-Kearney, dec. Corley, UCO, 6-1.
184 – Adam Walters, Findlay, dec. Keck, UCO, 5-2.

Consolation Quarterfinals
141 – Rowell, UCO, pinned Aaron Smith, American International, 4:49.

Consolation Semifinals
141 – Chism Fink, Augustana, dec. Rowell, UCO, 5-3.
149 – Nathan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown, dec. Corley, UCO, 8-5.
184 – Keck, UCO, dec. Dallas Smith, Ouachita Baptist, 7-2.

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