College Post Season Coverage

KEARNEY, Neb. - Four years doesn't seem like a long time between national championships for most schools.

But when you are a traditional powerhouse like Central Oklahoma it can seem like an eternity.

The Bronchos ended their title drought by capturing their 15th national championship after yet another dominating session Saturday at the NCAA Division II Championships at Nebraska-Kearney's Health & Sports Center.

Third-ranked Central Oklahoma, which earned its first national title since winning back-to-back crowns in 2002 and 2003, advanced five wrestlers into the finals as it clinched the national title early Saturday afternoon. The Bronchos enter the finals with 120.5 points, 22 more than second-place and top-ranked Nebraska-Kearaney.

Central Oklahoma finished with eight All-Americans. The Bronchos have pulled off 13 upsets over higher-ranked wrestlers in the meet while not suffering an upset entering the finals. UCO is 32-9 overall entering the final round.

UCO's lethal one-two punch of freshman Tyler Zukerman (125) and senior Jared Henning (133) provided the spark to fuel the Bronchos for the third straight session. Zukerman and Henning, both fourth-place finishers two weeks ago in the regional, will be joined in Saturday night's national finals by teammates Kyle Evans (141), Jason Leavitt (157) and Josh LeadingFox (heavyweight).

"We owe everything to our 125- and 133-pounders - those guys were just tremendous with the way they sparked the whole team," Leavitt said. "The ball started rolling and it hasn't stopped. We lost a few duals during the season, but that doesn't mean anything. This is what matters and this is what we've trained so hard for all year.

"We came in here wanting to win our 15th national championship - we wanted it pretty bad and everybody on the team really stepped up."

Nebraska-Kearney will have finalists in top-ranked teammates Trevor Charbonneau (125) and Tervel Dlagnev (heavyweight). Charbonneau will meet Zukerman while Dlagnev will meet LeadingFox in UNK vs. UCO battles in the finals. Charbonneau and Dlagnev both beat their Central Oklahoma finals foes during their regular-season dual in Kearney.

"My coaches just told me to stay patient and wait for my opportunity to score a takedown," Charbonneau said after his semifinal win. "I am very excited and very relieved right now. I lost in the semifinals last year, so I was pretty nervous before this match. I feel like I got over that semifinal jinx and I'll be ready to go for the finals."

Three-time defending national champion and fourth-ranked Nebraska-Omaha only finished with four All-Americans, but three will participate in Saturday night's finals. Maverick senior J.D. Naig (174) will seek his third straight national title while sophomore Todd Meneely (149) and true freshman Austin Boehm (184) will seek their first crowns. UNO is in fourth place with 58.5 points.

Second-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato is in third place with 63 points. The Mavericks have one finalist in top-ranked Andy Pickar at 165. Minnesota State senior Travis Krinkie (184) finished his career as a four-time All-American. He placed seventh.

Nebraska colleges had a strong day as Chadron State College, located in the northwest part of the state, will have finalists in sophomores Brett Hunter (165) and Josh Majerus (197). It marked the first time Chadron State has had two finalists. Chadron State stands in seventh place with 52 points.

UCO's Leavitt, a junior, knocked off defending national champion Brad Becker of Wisconsin-Parkside 4-3 in the 157 semifinals. He now faces another national champion, Antonio Guerrera of Findlay, in the finals. Guerrera was a national champion at 149 last year before bumping up a class this year.

UNO's Boehm, who was pulled out of his redshirt late in the season after national qualifier Nate Oviatt suffered a season-ending injury, executed a lateral drop in the closing seconds to pull out a dramatic 6-5 semifinal win over No. 5 Mark Murphy of Shippensburg at 184. Boehm will meet No. 2 Jared Deaguero of Adams State in the finals.

"This is just unbelievable - it's so much more than I ever expected this year," Boehm said. "I went through a real tough streak when I first stepped onto the varsity, I took a lot of lumps. I kept my head on straight, and working with J.D. Naig helped me a ton."

Boehm, known for his big-move capability, hit a big one with his lateral drop in the semifinals that sent him into the finals.

"I was in desperation, I was down and time was running out," Boehm said. "I figured I had to try to do something and it worked out for me."

2005 national champion and 2006 runner-up Andy Uhl of Findlay dropped a close 6-4 decision to Henning in the 133 semis. Uhl then fell 3-2 to Nebraska-Kearney junior Brett Allgood in the consolation semis. Allgood beat Uhl in the 2006 national finals. Allgood was upset in the first round, but rebounded to win five straight matches to place third. Uhl finished sixth.

Henning now owns wins over the last two national champions at 133. Henning was seventh at nationals two years ago, but was beaten out for a starting spot last year by All-American Earl Jones.

The top-ranked Naig rallied to beat Western State's eighth-ranked Larry Wilbanks 7-5 in the semis. Naig will meet Michael Jackson of Indianapolis in a rematch of last year's finals. Naig pinned Jackson in the 2006 finals.

2007 NCAA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIPS
FINAL-ROUND MATCHUPS
125
Tyler Zukerman (Central Oklahoma) vs. Trevor Charbonneau (Nebraska-Kearney) 

133
Joe Kemmerer (Kutztown) vs. Jared Henning (Central Oklahoma)

141
Steven Fittery (Shippensburg) vs. Kyle Evans (Central Oklahoma)

149
Todd Meneely (Nebraska-Omaha) vs. Mike Rogers (Carson-Newman)

157
Jason Leavitt (Central Oklahoma) vs. Antonio Guerra (Findlay)

165
Brett Hunter (Chadron State) vs. Andy Pickar (MSU-Mankato)

174
Michael Jackson (Indianapolis) vs. J.D. Naig (Nebraska-Omaha)

184
Austin Boehm (Nebraska-Omaha) vs. Jared Deaguero (Adams State)

197
Josh Majerus (Chadron State) vs. Ryan Phillips (Upper Iowa)

Hwt.
Josh LeadingFox (Central Oklahoma) vs. Tervel Dlagnev (Nebraska-Kearney)