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Benham Wins 3rd State Wrestling Championship

February 28, 2023

Sperry's Brady Benham did last weekend what few wrestlers have ever accomplished: Win three state individual titles. Benham, a junior, roared through the 157-pound division to reach the finals, where he defeated Jackson Wilkins 5-2 on Saturday at the State Fairgrounds Arena in Oklahoma City.

With wins his freshman, sophomore, and now junior year, Benham has already set his sights on next year. "I feel like I'm not done yet. I need one more," the soft-spoken Benham said. "Ever since I was a freshman I was told I could be a four-time state champion. It would be nice if I could do that. It would be a relief."

Brady won twice on Friday to advance to Saturday night's final. He opened the tournament by pinning Gunner Huffman of Vinita early in the second round. Then in the semifinals, he won by a 14-5 major decision over Rich Hart of Perkins-Tryon.

Brady is the second Sperry Wrestler to win three state championships, but Sperry High School has never had a 4-time state wrestling champion. Former Pirate Prent Arnold was runner-up as a freshman before winning state each of the next three years.  

The Pirates also received a fourth-place finish from senior Riley O'Rourke. Wrestling at 165 pounds, O'Rourke defeated Comanche's Kasen Vanbuskirk 8-2 in the opening round. O'Rourke was then bounced to the losers bracket before pinning Kyle Harrall of Hinton in 3:48. O'Rourke then lost a tough 9-6 decision in the third-place match to Zach Dawson of Marlow.