Vian state qualifiers ready being a part of new venue

Vian High School will have three wrestlers at this upcoming weekend’s state tournaments, which will be in a new place.

After decades of having state wrestling at Jim Norick State Fair Arena, which was imploded last spring, this year’s state wrestling tournaments will take place at “The ‘New’ Big House,” OG&E Pavilion.

All three Vian state qualifiers are anxious to “open” the new venue.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” Vian Wolverines 138-pounder Adoff Stahl said. “I think it’s super.”

“It feels good,” Vian Wolverines heavyweight Garritt Hunt said. “I’m ready to see what the new building looks like.”

“I think it’s very exciting,” Vian Lady Wolverines 120-pounder Maddison Turman said. “I’m glad to have the opportunity to be there.”

Stahl and Turman are making their high school state wrestling tournament debuts this weekend. They both were pretty much in awe and excitement when they got qualified at their respective regional tournament last week.

“It felt good,” Stahl said. “I was trying to catch my breath … I was dying.”

“I was really excited to get the opportunity to get to go to state especially for my sophomore year,” Turman said. “This is really exciting for me.”

While this is Turman’s first-ever high school state tournament, it’s not her first appearance as a state wrestler — which the Lady Wolverine is hoping will help keep her from being as nervous as she might be otherwise.

“I went to junior high all-state and placed there as an eighth-grader,” she said. “I feel the nerves won’t be as great.”

Last year, Hunt was the Class 3A state runnerup at heavyweight. He’s glad he made state once again in his final chance to do so. He is bound and determined to not finish any lower than state runner-up this year.

“It feels good,” he said. “I can’t get worse than I did last year.”

Hunt also believes he is in a better position to do just that.

“I just need to do more offense,” Hunt said. “I weigh a little bit more than I did last year. I think that will be better for me.”

All three would like to end this season as a state champion.

“It would be great if I did that,” said Hunt, who will wrestle his statequarterfinal match Friday against whoever wins Thursday’s heavyweight “wrestle-in” match between Anadarko’s Josiah Raines and Checotah’s Payden Miller.

“I’m going to try my hardest to get it done,” said Stahl, who faced Lone Grove’s Luke Stinson in his weight’s “wrestle-in” match on Thursday.

“I’d be feeling a lot of excitement,” said Turman, who will go up against Little Axe’s Brylee Mullican in the statetournament quarterfinals on Friday. “I’m looking forward to it.