Five Things to Know At The Division 2 NCAA Tournament

The 2024 Division II season comes to a crescendo this weekend at Hartman Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The tournament is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Friday with the finals scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday. 

This year’s field is loaded, boasting seven returning national champions and four runner-ups from 2023. Central Oklahoma is chasing its second straight national championship while Lander University and St. Cloud State University are on the Bronchos’ heels and will look to steal the show. 

Here are five things to follow at the Division II NCAA Tournament: 

Can Central Oklahoma Repeat? 

Central Oklahoma ran away with the 2023 title, finishing 43 points ahead of second-place Lander. The Bronchos will likely face stiffer competition this year. UCO enters the tournament with eight qualifiers, each of whom is seeded in the top six. 

Central Oklahoma coach Todd Steidley isn’t worried about seeds or rankings. 

“Our guys have worked extremely hard to get to this point,” he said. “I'm proud of everything we've accomplished this season, but we still have much left in front of us. 

“Rankings and seedings mean nothing once you step on the mat and we realize that. We're looking forward to the national tournament and are excited about our chances in what should be a great team race."

The two teams best positioned to compete with UCO are Lander and St. Cloud State, both of which have six wrestlers seeded in the top eight. Lander will be a force to be reckoned with as it has nine qualifiers, including two top-seeded wrestlers in James Joplin (125) and David Hunsburger (165). 

For St. Cloud State, it will need to lean on big-time points from Nick Novak at 157 pounds. The returning champion is the lone top seed for the Huskies. However, St. Cloud State survived a tough Super Region with eight qualifiers, so its lineup will come in battle-tested and could end up stealing the show.

Hixenbaugh Chasing Perfection At 133

Montevallo University’s Gabe Hixenbaugh enters the tournament with a 27-0 record and is the first NCAA qualifier from his school. He will look to continue his dominance this weekend, in a crowded 133-pound bracket that includes returning champion Gavin Quiocho (Glenville State) and returning runner-up Quentrevion Campbell (Chadron State). Hixenbaugh beat Quiocho and Campbell at the Midwest Classic earlier in the season. 

"I am extremely proud of what Gabe has done so far this season. He has put in the hard work and been an amazing leader for this team, especially for us being as young as we are," Montevallo coach Daniel Ownbey said. "It shows that you can win here at Montevallo. Now all that is left is to put together one more tournament to cap off his amazing season."

Donathan Brothers Shoot For Titles

Top-ranked 141-pounder Zackary Donathan (Tiffin) and his second-ranked 149-pound brother Chris Donathan (Grand Valley State) will both look to win national titles at back-to-back weights. Zackary is a returning national champion and comes into the NCAA tournament with a 17-0 record. He’s on a 28-match winning streak going back to last year, with his last loss coming against Christian Small (Lake Erie), a loss he avenged in the NCAA tournament finals. 

Small is a common thread between the Donathan brothers, with Chris Donathan’s only losses on the season coming in the form of a medical forfeit to Jacob Ealy (Pitt-Johnstown) at the Midwest Classic and a 4-3 defeat to Small at the Super Regional Tournament. For Chris to win a title he may have a chance to wrestle Ealy in the semi-finals and Small in the finals.  

The Seven Returning Champs

The NCAA tournament is always filled with talent, and this year is no exception with seven returning national champions in the mix. 

Gavin Quiocho (133) – Glenville State University

Zackary Donathan (141) – Tiffin University

Nick Novak (157) – St. Cloud State University

Chase Luensman (165) – Upper Iowa University

Ty McGeary (184) – West Liberty University

Dalton Abney (197) – University of Central Oklahoma

Shawn Streck (285) – University of Central Oklahoma

Of those seven, only Donathan, Novak, McGeary, and Abney are coming in as the top seed in their bracket. 

Adding to the overall tournament difficulty, there are also four returning national runner-ups in 125-pound Jaxson Rohman (Augustana), 133-pound Quentrevion Campbell (Chadron State), 149-pound Christian Small (Lake Erie), and 197-pound Derek Blubaugh (UIndy).

Will Abney Secure His Third Title? 

While seven wrestlers are bidding to repeat, only one — Central Oklahoma’s Dalton Abney (197) — is in a position to win a third title. Abney has battled injuries throughout his career but has won 26 consecutive matches, is a three-time national finalist, and has an overall career record of 86-6. 

The last two wrestlers to beat Abney are Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis) and Dominic Murphy (St. Cloud State). Both are on the opposite side of the bracket and either could meet Abney in the finals for a rematch. In last year’s finals match Abney beat Blubaugh in a close 1-0 match. Abney has dominated the overall series with Blubaugh with a 6-1 all-time record, including two wins in the finals at the NCAA tournament.