Geary Invitational Wrestling Tournament

Coach Nelson grew up in a wrestling family and began wrestling when he was 9 years old in Midwest City at Country States Elementary School. He competed for the Bomber High School wrestling team from 1972-74. While in 1974, he helped lead Midwest City to the team State Championship. During his high school years he placed at the Geary Tournament each year, second place in 1972, a Champion in 1973 and first again in 1974 while also being voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the to...urnament. After going on to wrestle at OU where he made an immediate impact on the team, Nelson would win the Big Eight tournament in 1975 and would become an All-American twice for the Sooners placing 3rd in 1976 and 1978 at the NCAA’S. After he finished college, he took on the challenge of starting to build new programs in Okarche and Tonkawa before returning to his alma mater at Midwest City in 1982. He spent the next 10 years coaching Midwest City to six state titles and two dual championships while being named Coach of the Year six times and National Coach of the Year twice while also having his teams ranked No. 1 in the nation. Coach Nelson also served on the NCAA National Executive Committee for 5 years. He has been selected to the Midwest City Hall of Fame and named to the Midwest High School Wall of Fame as well. Coach Nelson was inducted to the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014. A few of his favorite memories of the Geary Invitational was the hospitality from the whole community; and for the last several years Coach Fert let his Bomber team have their house while his family sacrificed went and stayed with his mother-in-law, so nice. He remembers staying with the Bill Hanks family every year when he was competing here from 1972-1974. He always loved the set up knowing the top 2 wrestlers could meet in the early rounds. Coach Kenny said his parents always brought him to the Geary Tournament when he was young to watch, and the gym was always packed full! In closing, Coach Nelson has this to say, The Geary Tournament was by far his favorite as a competitor and a coach! See more

Mr. Sells was born and raised in Geary, Oklahoma, where he attended Geary Public Schools 1st grade through 12th grade and graduated in 1962. He wrestled all four years in high school from 1959 to1962 and placed in the Geary tournament all four years - he was 3rd as a freshman, 2nd as a sophomore and a Geary Champion his junior and senior years! Not only was he a 2X Geary Champion, but he also went undefeated his junior and senior seasons and was a 2X State Champion and was v...oted the OW his senior year. Grady went on to be selected to the first Colorado-Oklahoma High School Wrestling team to tour Japan in the summer of 1962. He was voted Captain of the team by his teammates. He went 8-0, winning all his matches in their first experience with Olympic Free Style wrestling while touring Japan. He then went on to Oklahoma State University on a full wrestling scholarship from 1962 to 1966. He was a 3-year letterman for OSU, wherein 1963 he was a State AAU Champion and participated in the Pan Am Games trials. However, while at OSU, he had to wait patiently for his opportunity behind OSU’s only undefeated wrestler in the school’s history, Yojiro Uetake. Then in 1966, Mr. Sells took to the mat and earned a 2nd place in the Big 8 tournament; OSU won the Big 8 team title, then at the national tournament, he made it to the quarterfinals where he lost while his OSU team also won the National Tournament that year. In 1971, Grady began a wrestling program in Plano, TX, at the YMCA, which was in the beginning stages of introducing wrestling to the state of Texas. He was transferred by his company in 1973 to position over-seas, and he had to turn over the program to his assistant. The team continued on and did well enough in 1974 to win the YMCA state tournament. His knowledge and leadership in the sport of wrestling in those early years has helped Texas have a strong presence in their high schools all over the state now. His favorite memories of participating in the Geary Tournament was knowing he was from the smallest town Oklahoma participating in the sport and always against the larger schools of the state. It made him proud the larger schools wanted to attend this elite tournament with tough competition. He also remembers families opening their homes for teams to stay for the Out of Town Guests. He also remembers the citizens of Geary providing a unified support for their team not only during the tournament but also throughout the season and doing whatever was necessary for the team to be successful. See more

Mr. Sanders has been associated with the Geary Tournament for over 33 years dating back to 1966 when he wrestled in the tournament as a freshman for US Grant High School. His team won the tournament that year under the illustrious Hall of Fame coach, Virgil Milliron, who incidentally was also associated with the tournament for 35 years. Mr. Sanders has been involved with the sport of wrestling for 56 years and has spent 45 years officiating at all levels, from little league t...o high school to collegiate ranks where he spent 20 years as an NCAA official. Mr. Sanders implemented 5 officials for the tournament instead of 4 many moons ago, when he recognized the intensity of the tournament really required the need to give the officials a chance to catch their breath after one hotly contested match after another! There are not a lot of people willing to put on the striped shirt night after night and get heckled and ridiculed from the crowd, but he has taken great pride in being fair, knowing the rules, and doing the very best job he can each match he has called. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006. He has been named Oklahoma Official of the Year 5 times and is currently working as an Evaluator of Officials for the Big XII Conference and the OSSAA. He is extremely proud of receiving the Warren Heitzman award from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for Efforts to be God’s Special Role Model in Reaching Excellence in Character and Perfection in Officiating and Life. Some of Randy’s favorite memories of the tournament are the outstanding wrestling each year and seeing those athletes go on to greater things, with many becoming National Champions and Olympic Champions and World Champions. He also recalls the stories of teams staying in the homes of Geary wrestling supporters and eating breakfast at the elementary cafeteria school after weigh ins - which is still done to this day. He also cherishes the memory of getting to know Bob Stegall before his passing and meeting the people of Geary who have been so instrumental in developing the tournament and keeping it alive and well today. There are so many folks, but the Buser family, Base family, Swaggart family and all the Brack’s are some that come to mind immediately. He also remembers being hired for his first Geary Tournament back in 1978 by coach Butch Jacobsen. See more

It was a tight race for second, but coming in second place is Choctaw.

The first place team, leading the entire tournament, is Broken Arrow. Congratulations on a great tournament!

Receiving the Bob Stegall Outstanding Wrestler Award, from Stillwater High School, is Carter Young. Our awards are voted on by all coaches.