By Chad Otterness
During the month of July 2018, Mason Gehloff won the USA Wrestling National Freestyle tournament at 88 pounds and Greco-Roman title at 94 pounds to earn USAW Fargo Cadet Double Championships in one of the most demanding age level tournaments in the country. Recently, Mason earned his first Minnesota State High School Wrestling Championship at 106 pounds in Class AA. Mason is a sophomore at Waseca High School.
Q. This is your first Minnesota State title. How did you prepare for that? Are you still giving up some weight to your opponents?
I prepared myself by training three days a week in the Fall and lifted weights. During wrestling season I lifted weights in mornings before school and trained on the weekends in Ames, Iowa with Sebolt Wrestling Academy. My goal was to put on weight and muscle. I was about 106 pounds during the State Tourney and cutting no weight. I was giving up some weight, but I felt strong to where it didn’t make a difference giving up any weight.
Q. How is the training going with Sebolt Wrestling Club? Are other area wrestlers competing with Sebolt?
Training with SWA is great. Practices are very intense and help prepare me better mentally and skill wise for all wrestling matches. There is one other area wrestler that trains with SWA and his name is Blake West. Blake also has a mat in his shed that works out well for us to get some extra workouts in too.
Q. What is your plan for competing this spring and summer? Do you foresee any overseas wrestling opportunities in your future?
My plan for Spring and Summer wresting is to keep training with SWA and Owatonna wrestling practices with past Gopher wrestlers. My goal is to get bigger and train to make it on the Freestyle and Greco-Roman World Team. If I make the World team I will get a shot at wrestling overseas.
Q. Are you looking toward any type of collegiate wrestling beyond high school? If so, what schools have you expressed an interest?
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I’m looking forward to wrestling in college. My goal is to wrestle for a D1 program. Schools that interest me are the Gophers, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Penn State.
Q. Any other areas of interest in Waseca Schools? Sports, activities, family outings.
My freshman year I ran Cross Country now it’s just wrestling. I enjoy family outings going fishing, hunting, boating, and riding dirt bikes.