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Chickasaw youth dominates wrestling competition

ADA, Okla. – A Chickasaw youngster is grabbing up state championships, multiple awards and making his mark in Oklahoma wrestling at the young age of 8.

Maverick Frazier competes in the 90-pound weight class in the Oklahoma City Prodigy Elite Wrestling Club and has medaled in 32 of 37 tournaments. He began competing at 5.

In the 2018-19 season, Maverick was the 6-and-under state champion in his weight class.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maverick's record for the past year is 28-8, while earning five first-place awards and a second-place award in tournament wrestling. His record wrestling in the two Oklahoma youth wrestling leagues – OKUSA and OKWA – is even more impressive. Maverick finished third in the OKUSA tournament and second in the OKWA meet.

He finished third at the United States Junior Open Championship. Oklahoma City hosted the tournament, and Maverick competed against wrestlers from several states.

His parents, Tyler and Amber Frazier, started Maverick out early and intend to start their other son, Slade, 6, in the wrestling program soon.

"Oklahoma City Prodigy Elite is a private program. The coaches and staff are just like family to us. He receives quality training and coaching from the organization," Mrs. Frazier explained.

"We are very proud of Maverick. He just loves competing. I think it is because wrestling is more a one-on-one competition and Maverick thrives in that setting. His wrestling honors have been noticed by Slade, who also is expressing interest in following his big brother into the program," she said.

Maverick attends second grade at Hayes Elementary School in Ada. One advantage both parents see is the experience Maverick will bring to Ada schools in five years when he can join the Ada Junior High School wrestling team. "With the success he is enjoying, he will have seven to eight years' experience on the mat when he enters junior high. We're excited for him," Mrs. Frazier said.

Both of Maverick's parents are Chickasaw. His great-grandmother was the late Dean McManus, a tribal legislator, servant leader and one of the first Chickasaw Nation employees who joined the staff of 25 others in 1975.

"Maverick was her baby," Mrs. Frazier recalls with a chuckle. "They were close, and we miss her to this day."

McManus died unexpectedly in 2017 after serving more than 40 years in various roles within the Chickasaw Nation and throughout Indian Country. McManus is in Mr. Frazier's lineage. Mrs. Frazier's lineage is traced through Katie Stick.

The Fraziers also have a daughter, Natalee, who recently placed second in Oklahoma Business Professionals of America and qualified to compete nationally. The national competition, slated for Florida, was canceled due to COVID-19. Natalee's portion of state competition was on "presentation management." She is a junior at Ada High School.

"She is a very smart young lady and helps her parents out tremendously," Mrs. Frazier said of Natalee. "With the age difference between the boys and Natalee it is almost like raising two different families. However, she helps us out and does a lot of necessary tasks that take a burden off us. We are fortunate. Natalee is wonderful and accommodating. She is a top student, she has a job and she is involved in many high school extra-curricular activities, too."

Maverick also enjoys playing little league baseball and 6-on-6 flag football. With so many interests and children excelling in competition, the Fraziers are busy.

"We make the trip to Oklahoma City three times a week for Maverick's training, and then we're off to Oklahoma City or Tulsa almost every weekend for tournaments," Mrs. Frazier said. "It (wrestling) makes for a tough schedule on us all," she said with a laugh.

For his part, Maverick explains his interest in wrestling in a word: "fun." He prefers to take an opponent off his feet and grapple on the mat looking for a pin or a hold the foe cannot escape from easily.

"Fun" also explains his joy of baseball. Maverick recalled hitting three out-of-the-park homeruns last season during coach-pitch baseball. He enjoyed the "tingle and thrust" of slamming a trio of homers he felt in his arms. He said he knew from the impact the hits were homers.

"I like to win," Maverick said, summing up his emotions of being a top competitor at such a young age.

 

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