Mark Kirk
Wow! If you didn’t enjoy Saturday night’s action at the State Wrestling Tournament then you either need to check your pulse or find a new sport to watch. An historic accomplishment, amazing wrestling, and a crazy team race that wasn’t decided until the final match of the night! The 2023 Girls State Tournament had it all!
Going into the finals on Saturday night, Edmond North led with 57 points, Bixby was in 2nd with 53 and Union in 3rd with 51.5. It was going to take a perfect storm for Union to win their second straight state title and after the dust had settled, that is exactly what happened. In the closest of finishes, Union won the state championship with 63.5 points, with Bixby and Edmond North sharing 2nd place, just ½ point behind at 63 points.
Prior to the spectacular finish to the team race, history was made when Choctaw Peyton Hand won the 115 lb. state title to become Oklahoma’s first 4X Girls State Champion. Hand won the initial Girls State Tournament in 2020 at 100 lbs., winning the 2021 state title at 112 lbs. and the 2022 state title at 107 lbs. Peyton, who has signed to wrestle at Ottawa University in Kansas, advanced to the finals with two straight falls…
