The Open Mat presents awards annually in three categories for each division of college wrestling at the conclusion of the season. Awards are presented for Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Wrestler of the Year.

Central Oklahoma's Gabe Johnson put an exclamation point on his college wrestling career by winning his third national title at 157 pounds and finishing his senior season undefeated.

On Friday, Johnson was announced as the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year by The Open Mat.

The UCO senior was dominant all season long, compiling a perfect 23-0 record with 17 bonus-point wins.

At the 2026 NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Johnson outscored his opposition 45-5 and helped lead the Bronchos to their third title in five years.

On March 1, Johnson won the NCAA Division II Super Regional IV title at 157 pounds, becoming just the fourth four-time regional champion in UCO wrestling history. He finished the tournament with three technical falls and a 14-8 decision in the finals.

Less than two weeks later, Johnson entered the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships as the top seed at 157 pounds. He pinned his first two opponents in the first period to earn a spot in the semifinals. In the semifinals, Johnson cruised to an 8-1 victory over fourth-seeded Easton Worachek of UW-Parkside.

For the second straight season, Johnson met St. Cloud State's Joel Jesuroga in the national finals at 157 pounds. Like Johnson, Jesuroga entered the match undefeated. Neither wrestler scored a takedown in regulation and the two wrestlers traded escapes, which sent the match to sudden victory tied 1-1. After no points were scored in sudden victory, the match came down to the tiebreaker period, where Johnson rode Jesuroga for 18 seconds while only giving up four seconds of riding time. That 14-second riding time difference proved to the difference as Johnson earned the 2-2 victory on criteria.

With the win, Johnson became just the third three-time national champion in UCO wrestling history and the program's 12th four-time All-American. He ended his career on a 36-match winning streak and won 64 of his final 65 matches.