MARSHALL, Mo. (Feb. 7) – Tommy McCarty captured Outstanding Wrestler honors as one of three Central Oklahoma champions at the Missouri Valley Open here Saturday.

McCarty claimed the 174-pound title, with the Bronchos also getting gold medal efforts from 125 Tim Elliott and 149 Luke Elmore in the all-day tournament. Dustin Finn was the runner-up at heavyweight, while 141 Colby Robinson and 174 Derrick Adkins came in fourth.

“We got a lot of quality mat time and it was a good year-end tournament that will help us get ready for the stretch run,” UCO coach David James said. “We had some guys step up and do some good things that hopefully will help them the rest of the way.”

McCarty, ranked third in NCAA Division II, completed a four-match run through the tournament with a 6-2 finals win over defending NAIA national champion and top-rated Matt Cauley of Lindenwood to claim OW honors.

Elliott had a dominating day with four bonus-point wins, capped by a first-period fall in the finals over Meramec’s Eric Prayther. Elmore also won four matches on the day, ending it with a tough 5-3 triumph over Meramec’s Eddie McCray.

Finn waltzed into the finals before dropping a controversial 2-1 decision to McKendree’s Dan Moore, with a penalty point called against Finn for fleeing the mat the difference.

Robinson lost two matches to Farinella in the tournament, losing to him in the quarterfinals and again in the third-place match. Adkins, a true freshman wrestling unattached, went 5-2 on the day in finishing fourth.

The Bronchos finish their dual season with three matches in five days next week, hosting Newman Tuesday before going to Central Missouri Thursday and then returning home to take on Truman State in the finale.

Missouri Valley Open
Championship Finals
125: Tim Elliott, UCO, pinned Eric Prayther, Meramec 1:10.
149: Luke Elmore, UCO, dec. Eddie McCray, Meramec, 5-3.
174: Tommy McCarty, UCO, dec. Matt Cauley, Lindenwood, 6-2.
Hvy: Dan Moore, McKendree, dec. Dustin Finn, 2-1.

Consolation Finals
141: Cody Farinella, Missouri, dec. Colby Robinson, 3-0.
174: Jared Price, Cal State-Bakersfield, dec. Derrick Adkins, UCO (unattached), 3-1 (SV).