Four named to Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame

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Mike Kirk (Central Oklahoma Sports Information)
02/23/2005


Central Oklahoma head coach David James and three former greats who combined for nearly 400 career wins have been selected to the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame, it was announced Wednesday by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Committee.    Joining James in the 10th class of inductees is Howard Moore, a four-time All-American and two-time national champion; Keith Cunningham, a two-time national champion and the school¹s all-time win leader; and Randy Zellner, a three-time national finalist who ranks second on UCO¹s career win list.    The foursome will be inducted during the Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame Ceremony at 7 p.m. March 10 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Omaha, Neb., site of the 2005 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.  Tickets for the banquet are $30 and can be reserved by emailing Geri Backora at gbackora@mail.unomaha.edu by March 9.    
David James
James, a four-time All-American as a competitor at UCO, is in his 23rd year as head coach of the Bronchos and has led UCO to 11 national championships and 21 consecutive top-four national tournament placings. James guided UCO to five NAIA national titles before the school moved to NCAA Division II before the 1989-90 season and in 15 Division II national tournaments since then the Bronchos have won six national championships and been runner-up four times. UCO has also won the Midwest Regional team title all 15 years it has been in Division II. A three-time Division II National Coach of the Year winner, James has coached 43 individual national champions, including 33 in Division II and had 134 All-Americans, 86 of those in Division II. James has had a winning dual record all 23 years at the UCO helm, having compiled a 264-92-4 record.
Howard Moore
A native of Coweta, Moore was a four-year standout at 167 pounds and was a seventh-place NAIA All-American as a freshman in 1988-89 in helping UCO win the team championship in its final year as a member of that organization. Moore won the Division II national championship at 167 as a sophomore in stunning fashion, upsetting the Nos. 1, 3 and 5 seeds en route to the title. He came back as a junior in 1990-91 and made the national finals for the second straight year before falling to Portland State four-time champion Dan Russell. Moore overcame an early-season injury to win his second national championship at 167 pounds as a senior in 1991-92 to cap off a 24-2-3 campaign, with his finals victory clinching UCO¹s first-ever NCAA Division II national team title. Moore finished with a 104-39-5 career record.
Keith Cunningham
A native of Mustang, Cunningham went 36-18 at 158 pounds as a redshirt freshman in 1990-91 but failed to qualify for the national tournament after finishing fourth with two one-point losses at the Midwest Regional, including a 5-4 decision on riding time to the eventual national champion. Cunningham came back as a sophomore in 1991-92 to go 43-9 with 20 bonus-point wins at 158, claiming the Midwest Regional title and the national championship in helping UCO capture its first-ever Division II team title. Cunningham moved up to 167 pounds as a junior in 1992-93 and repeated as national champion, capping off a 26-9 season with an uncanny overtime victory in the national finals as the Bronchos won a second straight team title. He ended his career with another finals appearance in 1994, losing a close decision in the finals at 167 to finish up a 36-5 season that included 23 bonus-point wins in helping UCO win the team championship for the third straight year. Cunningham ranks as UCO's all-time win leader with a 141-41 record that included 73 bonus-point wins. He placed in 28 tournaments during his career, with the Bronchos winning four straight Midwest Regional team titles and three consecutive Division II championships.
Randy Zellner
A product of Owasso, Zellner went 28-11 and won the Midwest Regional championship before finishing eighth at the Division II national tournament as a redshirt freshman in 1990-01. He came back as a sophomore in 1991-92 and went 36-15, finishing second in the Midwest Regional before rebounding two weeks later to win the national championship and help lead the Bronchos to the team title. Zellner won another Midwest Regional title and made it back to the national finals again as a junior in 1992-93, losing a tight match in the finals to finish 35-8 while helping UCO again capture the team national championship. He won a third Midwest Regional crown as a senior in 1993-9, but lost an overtime thriller in the finals to end a 33-8 season, though the Bronchos won a third consecutive team championship. Zellner finished his career with a 132-42 record that ranks second on UCO's all-time win list and he placed in 29 tournaments during his four years with the Bronchos, including three times at the rugged Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.