As a result of his strong performance when it mattered most, this year's preseason rankings have Mason ranked as the third-best wrestler in the nation at 174 pounds.
Though a fifth-place finish for someone ranked outside of the top 10 would be considered by most as a successful showing, Mason competes as part of an Oklahoma State wrestling team that has set a higher standard. Having won the NCAA team title 34 times, most recently in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, the Cowboys expect nothing but the best.
"I was disappointed in being fifth. A lot of us could have done better," Mason said. "I could have placed higher. I should not have lost a few matches that I did lose at nationals. Every person factors in. It is individual, but it is also a team race. I should have won some more matches to help the team out."
Mason was also upset with how he started last year as a redshirt sophomore, "I definitely don't want to start out 5-5 like I started out last year. That was ugly." Despite the slow start, Mason flipped the switch to win 22 of his last 30 matches to end with a season record of 27-13.
With the momentum gained at the end of the season, Mason said he worked in the offseason on doing what he needs to do to be a national champion.
"I have been working harder on my offensive shots. I started to get a few at the end of the season last year, but I have been working harder on them this year. My defense needs improving and I have been working on that this off-season," Mason explained. "On bottom, I need to be getting out faster. On top, I need to stop hanging as much as I have been. I need to switch up my breakdown techniques instead of doing the same one every time. Those are the four or five things that I really need to improve in order to be successful and win a national title this year."
The biggest talk surrounding the Oklahoma State wrestling program during the off-season was of the grueling workouts coach John Smith threw at the team during the summer months of training. Mason said the training was vastly different from the past.
"We ran a lot more and we wrestled a lot more in the length of our goes. The intensity was brought up from last year at the same point of the season," Mason said.
Smith wanted to emphasize that his team would be physically fit and ready to rebound from a disappointing season.
"[Running in the heat during the summer] really builds mental toughness for sure," Mason said. "I think coach turned it up because we have several guys who are stepping into the lineup for the first time. He wants them ready for the first match and he doesn't have a year for them to build that confidence so he is trying to get them mentally tough."
Mason said the Cowboys are tougher, stronger and more intense than last year. From an individual perspective, his off-season workout and desire to improve have made Mason more competitive and he's ready to challenge for an NCAA title this year.
"Mentally I am ready," Mason said. "I am really hungry this year. There are things I want to accomplish that I do not want to slip out of my grasp."
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now