"Central Oklahoma is going to be a real fun dual meet, given that there will be a ton of Oklahoma wrestlers on the mat,” head coach Jack Spates said. “Of course UCO has that great division-two national champion tradition. We are looking forward to Tuesday night and want to encourage Sooner fans and wrestling fans to come out and see some good action."
The Sooners have five Sooners individually ranked to begin the season, headlined by returning All-Americans Zack Bailey, ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds, and Tyler Caldwell, No. 8 at 174 pounds. Also in the top 10 are Big 12 Champion Jarrod Patterson, slated No. 9 at 125 pounds, and No. 10 Nathan Fernandez among heavyweights. The Sooners also return starters Jeff James (184 pounds) and Erich Schmidtke (184 pounds). James wrestled at 174 pounds for the Sooners last year and was ranked as high as No. 15 preseason in the 174 pound weight class. Schmidtke, ranked No. 18, continues to man the 184 pound position for the Sooners after defeating James by a 2-1 decision in the Red/White Classic.
“This is a good opportunity for some of our fans to see Zach Bailey, one of the premier wrestlers in America and ranked No. 1 in several of the national rankings,” Spates said. “He is also a participant in the NWCA All-Star meet where the best two wrestlers in the nation compete. Fans will also see a young, hungry team that is really working hard. We want to encourage Sooner fans to come out and lead their team on to victory.”
Oklahoma recorded a 27-10 defeat of the Bronchos in last year's season opener and leads the overall series by a 42-8-1 margin.
Following the match fans will be able to get player and coaches autographs as part of Fan Appreciation Night.
The Bronchos are led by head coach David James, now in his 29th season at UCO. His overall record of 326-116-5 makes him the winningest coach in school history and one of just 35 coaches in the history of collegiate wrestling to notch over 300 victories.
Last season, the Bronze and Blue collected an 8-5-1 overall record, after battling a myriad of issues. Tuesday also marks UCO's first dual of the 2010-11 campaign.
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