​Oklahoma has gone through a wrestling rebirth in the past few years. There was a bit of a lull there in the first part of the 2000s when the state hadn't won a freestyle national title. In fact, by their own standards, Oklahoma wrestlers hadn't come close. Between 2003 and 2013, the great wrestling state of Oklahoma did not win a single junior national freestyle title and only finished in the top 10 twice. Oklahoma started to right the ship in 2013, finishing second, third, and then first, respectively, from 2013-15. Changes like this don't happen on accident.

So the question that most other states have probably been asking is how did Oklahoma fall off the proverbial wrestling map for 10 years only to re-emerge as a national powerhouse? As an outsider looking in, it's pretty simple. It's a combination of both the new and old.

Don't miss a match at the 2017 Geary Invitational Wrestling Tournament, live this Friday and Saturday on FloWrestling

The New

There has been a serious influx of young, motivated, and experienced coaches at every level of Oklahoma wrestling. Anyone know who runs the Stillwater youth program? Oklahoma State wrestlers and coaches. There are more NCAA titles at a Stillwater youth practice than most kids will see in a lifetime. The club scene has taken off too. Hardell Moore's Oklahoma Wrestling Academy has raised the bar to a 12-month-a-year schedule and people are following suit. Then there are high school coaches who are making a big impact such as Matt Suber, who is turning Tuttle High School into a national powerhouse. 

The Old

Even when things weren't going great for Oklahoma wrestling-wise, in-state teams stuck to their guns. There were things that they knew that they were doing correctly, like bringing the nation's top programs to compete in Oklahoma with home-grown talent. There's no better example than this weekend's Geary Invitational Wrestling Tournament. It's one of the longest-running tournaments in the country. This year's field boasts three of the nation's top 20 teams from Oklahoma alone: No. 13 Tuttle, No. 17 Sand Springs, and No. 19 Choctaw. When you add in top-ranked Blair Academy making the pilgrimage from New Jersey, there's no doubt as to why the Oklahoma tournament scene is one of the best in the country.

Need more proof that Oklahoma is back in a big, bad way? They're hanging world medals around young athletes' necks again. This summer, Sand Springs High School senior Daton Fix won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Macon, France. Daton will be at the Geary Invitational this weekend. He posted an astounding 19 points-per-match-average at the KC Stampede last month (133 points total in seven matches). Can he replicate those numbers with the likes of No. 7-ranked Zach Sherman in his bracket? It'll be fun to find out.

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