Maci Miller

Writer

Coming into the new season on top, the Marlow High School Wrestling team is looking to continue their successful run.

This year’s MHS wrestling team has a great dominion to hold up, coming in behind two years of State Champion wrestlers.

Two years ago, the Outlaws became state champions after being runner-ups the previous year.

Last season was very successful for the team in all matches, but their dominance really started when they became Regional Champions for the second year in a row.

Then last February, the Outlaw wrestlers earned their second straight 3A Dual State Wrestling Championship title.

Later that same month, the team became the Oklahoma State Champions in Class 3A wrestling for the second consecutive year, along with being named the Class 3A Academic State Champions to wrap up an extremely victorious wrestling season.

Sophomore Brock Smith was a part of last year’s team and will use the lessons he learned to be a leader to the other wrestlers this season.

“Last year’s team had a bunch of leaders who always got people performing to the best of their ability, and I plan to carry that on,” expressed Smith.

The MHS Wrestling team started their 2022-23 season on Nov. 12 at the Westmoore Open and have been on the mats ever since in tournaments.

Marlow Wrestling has had individual winners in each of this season’s competitions; including the Westmoore Open, and the Marlow Open that hosted both junior high and high school wrestlers from different schools in the area and from around the state.

Girl’s wrestling has also been becoming popular around the state, and that is no different here at Marlow.

The high school wrestling team has added three girl wrestlers to the team this year who will strive to build up a new story of success and grow that side of the program.

Sophomore Britney Mackey expressed how she became interested in wrestling.

“I had recently stopped doing gymnastics and needed a new sport to do, and wrestling looked like something I could be good at,” stated Mackey.

Both boys and girls wrestling teams have been practicing for hours each day after school. 

The teams do so in order to  prepare the wrestling teams for the many duals and tournaments they will compete in this season leading up to state tournaments.

To start each season the team starts practicing and conditioning so that they can reach the highest level of success.

“Conditioning is by far the hardest part of wrestling,” stated Smith. 

Many members of the wrestling team have to take extra preparation in order to be in their preferred weight classes, which can range from 106-285 lbs.

Smith, who wrestles in the 215 lb weight class, believes that the team is stacked in these weight ranges.

“We have plenty of good guys at every weight this year, and that can definitely take us pretty far,” stated Smith.

The Outlaw wrestlers in these varieties of weight classes proved Smith’s good words about them at the Mid America Nationals which was held Friday Dec. 9 and Saturday Dec. 10 in Enid, Oklahoma.

Some of Marlow’s top performing athletes made the trip to represent the MHS wrestling program.

This tournament consisted of some of the best wrestlers from not only Oklahoma but the states of Texas, Kansas and Missouri as well.

The team had many matches against talented competitors making them better and ready for other competitions.

The wrestling team placed third overall as a team and will use this success to continue competing and preparing for upcoming tournaments or competitions.

The Outlaw wrestlers next tournament will be in Harrisonville, Missouri, on Dec. 16 and 17 at the Harrisonville Tournament.