STOKING THE COLE
UCO's Province passed up Div. I for Div. II history
OMAHA — There is no doubt that Cole Province would be a force at the NCAA Division I level.
The Central Oklahoma senior has already won three NCAA Division II championships and is favored to make it a four-peat this March at the national meet in Mankato, Minn.
But during his stay in Edmond, Okla., the Division I schools have come calling. They have tried to convince Province to move up a level and test himself against the best collegians in the country.
Province watched his former teammate, Muhammed Lawal, make the jump to Division I last year after winning a Div. II title the year before at 197. Lawal finished third at Div. I Nationals last year for Oklahoma State.
But through it all, Province remains a Central Oklahoma Broncho. Province, who survived an injury-plagued junior season to win national title No. 3, looks healthy again. He finished second in the tough Kaufman-Brand Open, Nov. 22, in Omaha.
“Cole has just meant so much to our program,” Central Oklahoma coach David James said. “He could obviously wrestle Division I, but he has been very loyal to our program and had great success. He is a great leader and a great kid. He is a coach’s dream — he wrestles just as hard in practice as he does in the meets. He is absolutely a true competitor.”
Province knocked off talented Minnesota freshman Quincy Osborn in a thrilling semifinal bout in Omaha, scoring a late reversal with just one second left in the match to pull out a 5-4 victory in double-overtime.
Province then ran into Iowa State senior All-American Zach Roberson in the finals. Province fell 10-0 in the
133-pound finals. The match was scoreless after one period before the two wrestlers got into a scramble in the second period.Roberson, fourth in the nation last year, caught Province on his back to break the match open.
“It was a tough go for Cole in the finals,” James said. “Cole looks forward to those types of matches and has beaten his share of good Division I wrestlers. He loves competition. He will bounce back from that match, no doubt about that.”
Province, from Claremore, Okla., won a state championship as a senior and placed fourth at Junior Nationals. He originally signed with Oklahoma, but was only a partial qualifier academically and wound up at D2 power Central Oklahoma.
He redshirted his first year before beginning his run of three straight national titles in 2001.
“Cole is really excited about this season,” James said. “It would mean a lot to our program to see him win his fourth national title. He is one of those special kids, that’s for sure.”
Province’s teammate, two-time Division II national champion Shawn Silvis, also placed second in Omaha. Silvis, a senior, fell 4-2 to Minnesota All-American Jacob Volkmann in the finals at 165.
Silvis often is overshadowed by Province, but James fully understands Silvis’ value to his team.
“Shawn is the same caliber of wrestler and same caliber of person as Cole is,” James said. “He is a great leader in so many different ways — by example and vocally. You couldn’t ask for a better leader. He really cares about how everybody else on the team is doing. He is a great kid.”
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