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Mario Mason

Mario Mason is an American amateur wrestler who represented the Blair Academy, the University of Minnesota, and Rutgers' Scarlet Knights. Mason is widely regarded as one of the most talented competitors of his generation, a status earned during his high school career, when he conquered 3 Prep National titles, 2 Junior National titles, and 1 Pan Am silver medal. He would later go on to qualify for the NCAA D1 Championships on 3 occasions and release one of Wrestling Fanatics' most revered instructionals - The Art of Misdirection.

Mario Mason Wrestling

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS

High School:
- 1st Place National Prep School Championships (2006, 2007, 2008)
- 1st Place NHSCA Junior National Championships (2007)

College:
- NCAA D1 Qualifier (2010, 2011, 2012)

Freestyle:
- 1st Place US Senior Last Chance Qualifier (2017)
- 1st Place USA Wrestling Junior Nationals (2007, 2008)
- 2nd Place Junior Pan Ams (2007)
- 5th Place Junior Freestyle Nationals (2006)

Weight:
- 140 lbs

Teams:
- Blair Academy
- University of Minnesota - Golden Gophers (College)
- Rutgers University (Scarlet Knights)

Mario Mason Biography

Mario Mason was born in Moorestown, New Jersey, United States of America.

Influenced by his father - who had been a boxer in his youth - Mason was initiated into combat sports at an early age, starting with karate. Although Mario did not appreciate the Japanese striking art, his father believed self-defense to be an important part of Mason's upbringing, therefore, when young Mario quit from karate, his dad put him up for wrestling practice at a local club. Mario was 8 to 9 years old.

Unlike his previous sporting experience, Mario quickly grew fond of grappling even though the sport did not come naturally to the young Jersey native. After a short experience at a local wrestling club, Mason joined another local club guided by coach Johnny Johnson, where things slowly improved. From there Mario traveled with his dad in search of the best training, doing several camps, but feeling most at home at Club Renegade with Dale Bonsall.

After gradual improvements in performance, Mario Mansor joined the Bair Academy - one of the prime wrestling programs in the nation, with nearly 100 years of existence. Mario initiated his relationship with the prestigious workgroup during 8th grade, a time when his career started turning in the right direction. During his 4 years competing for Blair, the team was 1st in the country twice, with Mario being given the captaincy of the squad during his last two years with the Jersey-based team.

Mario finished high school as a 2x Junior National Champion (freestyle) and Junior Pan Am silver medal, a status that opened plenty of doors from the top college wrestling Universities in the nation. After an extensive assessment of the opportunities at hand, Mason opted to join Minnesota's Golden Gophers, redshirting his first year.

Although enthusiastic at first, Mason quickly lost his edge in Minnesota, claiming personal reasons for his lackluster performances. His work ethics and drive dissipated and his confidence slowly dwindled to a point where Mason decided to approach his coaches and express his desire to quit the program and possibly stop wrestling altogether.

After his decision to quit the Gophers, Mario started training with different people, slowly regaining his interest in the sport. Being good friends with a few of the staff and athletes at the Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and keeping in mind the Uni's proximity to his family home in Moorestown, Mason decided to join the Scarlet Knights. The news was not taken gladly by Minnesota who, at first, refused to release the young prospect. Mario eventually overcame this initial reaction from his former team, who accepted his move to Rutgers. Back in NJ, Mason re-gained his passion for the sport.

 

Mario Mason Misdirection Sweep Single To Duck Under