Top 10 Teams of the 2000s

Well, I just thought selecting UCO’s all-decade teams for men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling was tough. That was nothing compared to coming up with a list of the top 10 teams of the 2000s.

It took a lot of thought and I changed my mind on the order several times, but here’s what I came up with on UCO’s best teams of the past decade. And, man, where these teams fun to watch.

1. The 2001-02 wrestling team. What a powerhouse squad this was. The Bronchos rolled through a 15-1 dual season that included a title-winning effort in the Division II National Duals and captured the 13th national championship in school history with a dominating performance. Four individuals -- Matt Dodgen, Cole Province, Shawn Silvis and Muhammed Lawal – claimed national crowns.

2. The 2007-08 men’s basketball team. It was hard to pick this group over two other national championship wrestling teams, but in the end I went with a squad that set a school record for wins (28) and lost a double-overtime thriller in the national tournament quarterfinals. The Bronchos, led by senior star Sam Belt, won the Lone Star Conference North Division and LSC Tournament titles before pulling out a last-second decision in the South Central Regional finals to earn UCO’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 1992.

3. The 2002-03 wrestling team. UCO took a second straight Division II national title – and the 14th in school history – after going 18-1 in duals, setting a school record for wins. Province, Silvis and Mark Dodgen grabbed gold medals to lead the Bronchos.

4. The 2006-07 wrestling team. The Bronchos lost four duals, finishing 15-4, but a stirring national tournament performance resulted in the program’s 15th national crown. Kyle Evans was the lone individual champion, but UCO had four others in the finals – Tyler Zukerman, Jared Henning, Jason Leavitt and Josh LeadingFox.

5. The 2008-09 women’s basketball team. It was a record-setting season for the Bronchos, who were led by super senior leaders Lizzie Brenner and Mallory Markus. UCO set a record for wins (27), won its first outright LSC North Division championship and made it to the Sweet 16 in the national tournament before falling in the South Central Regional finals.

6. The 2002 women’s soccer team. Hard to ignore a team that posted 16 shutouts in 23 games. Sixteen! Lisa Hansen and Stephanie Gulisao led the defense and school career scoring leader Kim Brown paced the offense as the Bronchos went 20-3, winning the regular season and LSC tournament titles before dropping a heartbreaker in the national tournament.

7. The 2005 softball team. UCO won a school-record 44 games behind freshman pitching ace Alli Blake and senior slugger Tommie Mitts, rolled to the LSC North Division crown and then captured the LSC Tournament title before losing out in the regional finals.

8. The 2002 baseball team. The Bronchos overwhelmed teams with a formidable offense led by Bryan Coy, John Rogers, Rothy Briggs and Barrett Whitney in going an amazing 46-10, running away with the LSC North Division title before coming up short in a loaded South Central Regional.

9. The 2004-05 men’s golf team. UCO was a power on the links throughout the 2000s while winning dozens of tournament titles, but this group was the best of the bunch. All-American Todd Dayton led the way as the Bronchos won six tournaments, including the South Central Regional.

10. The 2002 volleyball team. Senior outside hitter Alma Brahimaj was the star, an unstoppable offensive force who led the Bronchos to a 30-7 record, the LSC North Division championship and the program’s first national tournament berth since 1994.

There were plenty of candidates for this list, but these were the best of the best, at least in my opinion. Some may disagree with my choices, or even my order, but that’s what lists are for – to get people talking!