Local wrestling trio to participate in national tournament in Iowa

Three local wrestlers will be in the national spotlight this weekend.

Sallisaw wrestlers Lincoln and Miles Sanders and Gore Pirates Youth Wrestling wrestler Jaydan Gates will be representing Sequoyah County at the 2025 USA Wrestling Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals, which will begin today and end Sunday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Both Sanders brothers, who will be representing Team Tulsa, basically earned their spots in their respective age group and weight class by participating in the 2025 Southern Plains Regional Tournament, which took place Memorial Day Weekend at the Oklahoma City Convention Center.

At that event, Lincoln Sanders was fourth at 67 pounds in the age 10-and-younger division, while Miles — who wrestled up a weight class, going to the 52-53 pound division in the age 8-and-younger division — was runner-up.

Both Sanders brothers are ready for this weekend’s big tournament.

“I’m feeling good about it,” said Lincoln Sanders, who will still be at 67 pounds in the age 10-and-younger division. “It’s going to be a long drive, but I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m feeling really good about this tournament,” said Miles Sanders, who will be back at his normal 49 pounds in the age 8-and-younger division. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Gates, who will be representing River Valley Freestyle Academy, also is looking forward to this weekend.

“I’m excited,” said Gates, who will still be at 175 pounds in the age 14-and-younger division. “I think I have a good chance at winning. I’m looking forward to it.”

Gates has had quite the success over the last month. He won both the Greco-Roman championship and the freestyle championship at 175 pounds in the age 14-and-younger division at the Southern Plains Regional Tournament, then he went 9-5 in combined matches in both freestyle and Greco-Roman competition for Team Oklahoma at the 2025 Age 14-and-Younger National Duals, which took place the second weekend of June in Oaks, Pa. The soon-to-be Gore Pirates freshman wrestler said these events have prepared him for this big tournament this weekend.

“It’s helped me learn a different style,” Gates said. “This will be different from folk style. You don’t get to wrestle on the mat as much.”

All three wrestlers hope this weekend’s national tournament will better prep them for their respective regular-season wrestling campaigns — wrestling for the Pirates for Gates and Sallisaw Takedown Club and Team Tulsa events for the Sanders brothers.

“It will help me get used to good competition because it’s going to be different wrestling high school than junior high,” Gates said.

“It’s going to make me better because I’ve already wrestled 8U (age 8-and-younger division) and younger,” Lincoln Sanders said. “Most of the kids I’ve wrestled who are moving up (as he is) I’ve already wrestled, and I’m not afraid of those kids beating me.”

“It’s going to make me better because these kids I’ve already wrestled,” Miles Sanders said. “I know I can beat them and take home the national championship.”

All three locals are hoping to bring home at least one national championship — or better yet two national titles — at the end of this weekend.

“I would feel really good,” Miles Sanders said. “It would be an honor to win both,” Lincoln Sanders said.

“It would be great,” Gates said.