The second half of the Division II college wrestling season kicks off Friday with several of the top teams in the country vying for the title at the NWCA National Duals inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 

The top three teams in the national rankings — #1 Central Oklahoma, #2 Nebraska-Kearney and #3 UW-Parkside — grabbed the top three seeds with #6 Lander slotting into the fourth seed.  

The grueling two-day tournament tests each team’s top-to-bottom depth and ability to score and prevent bonus points. Here are five things to watch this weekend: 

Central Oklahoma Enters As The Favorite

Central Oklahoma comes into the weekend as the tournament’s top seed with 10 ranked individuals, and the Bronchos are expected to be at full strength to start the second half. Led by two-time national champ Gabe Johnson at 157, UCO is undefeated in duals against D2 competition and depth makes the Bronchos dangerous in a dual format. 

UCO currently has four wrestlers who are undefeated against D2 competition this season:

— #1 Jason Henschel (133) — 6-0

— #3 Josh Taylor (141) – 4-0

— #1 Gabe Johnson (157) — 5-0

— #2 Branson Britten (184) – 10-0 

The path to the title won’t be easy for the Bronchos. Their side of the bracket features perennial power St. Cloud State, which won the duals last year, and fourth-seeded Lander. 

Lander Looks to Remain Perfect

Lander is off to a hot start this season, posting an 11-0 dual record, including a 32-6 win against Division I Campbell. Two-time national champ David Hunsberger (165) leads a Bearcat squad that has blanked five of its dual opponents by a collective 246-negative 2 score (the opposing team was docked a team point in two of those duals).  

For coach R.C. LaHaye, the key to success is all about the process. 

“We need to just keep doing what we are doing, taking it one day at a time, getting a little better each day,” he said. “We know we have a good team, we just have to keep winning the daily battles.” 

The Bearcats will be challenged by UMary in the opening round. If they can pass that test, they will face either St. Cloud State or Maryville in the quarterfinals.  

Can UW-Parkside Keep the Momentum

UW-Parkside is coming off an impressive first half of the season, winning its second straight Midwest Classic. The Rangers are tough from top to bottom and are led by returning All-Americans Shane Corrigan (125), Jalen Spuhler (149), and Dajun Johnson (174). 

“Everything comes from preparation, right?” coach Nick Becker said. “I’ve seen it in the room for the past months, even going back to summer.”

The Rangers will face a tough test in their first round in West Liberty, which is returning from the winter holiday rested and healthy.  

West Liberty At Full Strength

West Liberty is a team that could be flying under the radar at the National Duals. The Hilltoppers’ first half of the season was heavily impacted by injuries. However, coach Danny Irwin believes that his team will be at full strength after the winter holiday. 

“I would expect us to have just about everybody at our disposal when we come back,” he said.  

The road to a team title for West Liberty starts with a stiff challenge against UW-Parkside. The key match may come at 157 pounds between Parkside’s #4 Easton Worachek and West Liberty’s #8 Nico Taddy. For the Hilltoppers to come out on top, they will also need to rely on production from two-time All-American and returning NCAA finalist Khyvon Grace (141).    

First-Round Fireworks

The National Duals will kick off on Friday at 2 PM, and there are some first-round matchups that could start the tournament off with a bang. Duals to watch in the first round include: 

— Central Oklahoma vs. Ashland

— Nebraska Kearney vs. McKendree

— UW-Parkside vs. West Liberty 

— Tiffin vs. Upper Iowa