It’s tournament week! Join us as we look back on the rich history of this event, dating all the way to 1944.
Let's start with the coach who started it all!
Robert “Bob” Stegall was a coach in every sense of the word. Over 25 years with the Geary High School athletic program, he poured his heart into coaching wrestling, football and baseball, while also mentoring countless elementary athletes. To support the high school financially, Coach Stegall had the foresight to establish the “Geary Wrestling Tournament,” now recognized as the oldest wrestling tournament in the nation. He proudly attended 59 consecutive tournaments before his passing in 2002, and today his legacy is honored through the Bob Stegall Outstanding Wrestler award.
His coaching record stands as a testament to the high professional standards he demanded of himself and his athletes. Under his leadership, Geary’s teams never finished lower than fifth at the state tournament, earning a runner-up title in 1939–40 and third place in 1940–41—during an era with a single, no-class state championship. Throughout his tenure, Geary teams never lost more than two duals in a season, a feat that speaks volumes about his dedication and skill.
In 2000, Bob Stegall was inducted into the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for his Lifetime Service to Wrestling, a fitting honor for a man who devoted his life to the sport and to his athletes.
Though he is no longer with us, Coach Stegall’s legacy continues to shape the Geary Tournament. The tradition lives on. The standard remains high. And the question echoes every year: Who will rise to the occasion and be named the Bob Stegall Outstanding Wrestler?
1944 marked the beginning of a tradition that has only grown stronger, defined by high intensity matchups and legendary competitors. Eighty-one years later, the tournament still honors its roots with no advancement points and no seeding, just as it began.
In those early years, Blackwell reigned supreme, claiming the team title for the tournament’s first five seasons.
Among their standouts was Jim Gregson, an NCAA Champion who captured back-to-back Geary titles in 1945 and 1946. Another historic name etched into tournament history is Hugh Peery of Tulsa Central, an Olympian, 3X NCAA Champion and Hall of Famer, who took home the title in 1949. That same year, Tulsa Central snapped Blackwell’s winning streak and claimed the championship.
Who could have imagined back in 1944 that this humble beginning would grow into the iconic tournament we know today?