Mason Barahona was one of the first wrestlers on the mats as the first State Wrestling Meet was held in the new OG&E Coliseum.
“It got my blood flowing,” Barahona said. “It makes you feel so small.”
The Colesium replaced the Jim Norick Arena as home to events at the State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, including OSSAA state events in wrestling and basketball.
“The new arena kinda got to me,” Barahona said. “The hype is real. In my head, it was just another tournament, but as soon as I saw the arena and the crowds.
I was sitting there staring in the arena.”
Barahona also wrestled at the 2025 State Meet, the last one to be held at “The Jim,” as the former arena was referred to by wrestlers.
“It was new to me both times. It was eye-opening. I felt more comfortable at the old one because I had been there, and I was prepared to be in that place,” said Barahona, who had also attended a bull-riding event at the Norick Arena.
However, at the 2026 meet, Barahona regained his composure and got to work. Once the awe of the new facility faded, the Pauls Valley senior actually felt the most relaxed he had felt at a match all season.
“Regardless, it was going to be the last tournament,” he said. “So why would you want all the pressure and not be good? I wanted to get the best out of the tournament.”
The senior who finished this season 32-4 felt more pressure at the Regional Meet, where he placed fifth in the 190 division. Barahona described the Regional Tournament as the “hardest and roughest tournament I wrestled all year.” He spent the week in between the two tournaments correcting mistakes from Regionals, such as being more patient to get points.
In the State Meet, Barahona faced Tyler Murray of Jay in a wrestle-in match-up.
“Once I got out there, to me, it was just another match. I got in it, felt really comfortable,” Barahona said. “I took a shot, he defended it, I took another shot, I thought, ‘I can take him down.’ I was feeling good, then he grabbed hold of my neck and wrenched me on it and pinned me. I was shocked because how could I lose to a kid I just picked up.”
Murray pinned Barahona in 1:26. Thankfully, his coaches and teammates were there to offer reassurance after the surprising loss.
“I was the only one who made it, so I felt like I let everybody down and didn’t make my goals,” Barahona said. “But my team was there, reassuring me, and the coaches told me to look to the future and new goals.”
His new goals include wrestling in college, where he hopes to be an All-American. He wants to study finance and business and get a realtor license to go into the family business.
Despite also making an impact on the Panther football team, Barahona prefers wrestling.
“I know it’s a want, but it feels more like a need,” he said. “I made good connections with the kids in it, and it made me grow as a whole. It keeps me healthy, and it feels good to know your accomplishments and know you’re better than another wrestler.”
Barahona joined the wrestling team in eighth grade, following a time of personal challenges, including the loss of an older brother.
“It was a new perspective of what I can do and what I’m capable of,” he said. “Then, it became ‘how far can I take this?’” Some of his other brothers were already on the wrestling team, so Barahona already knew the Panther coach, Jayson Bailey.
“He (Bailey) put us to work, but he also talked to us about having ‘a good feeling about y’all.’ He pushed us, but always showed us love,” Barahona said.
He also appreciates the Panther fans. He recalled shopping in town and adults expressing how excited they were to follow his matches and kids giving him high-fives.
“I could really feel the support of everyone in this town,” Barahona said.
