Our Nation's Best
Lynn Wloszek
“That is what you get when you have a horrible year,” Mester said about being ranked No. 15 before the season. “I was surprised to be even that high.”
But it has been Mester who is doing some surprising this season, and, at 13-0, he is the only undefeated wrestler in the country at his class. In the latest InterMat rankings, however, CMU Head Coach Tom Borrelli said he sees different kind of surprise in Mester being rated No. 1 in the nation.
“For some reason, nobody seems to give our program any credit,” Borrelli said. “We have to prove everything to get any credit.”
Point proven.
The Mineral Point, Wis. native has ascended back to the national spotlight after battling through nagging injuries last season which hurt his conditioning.
“It started off with my back injury. There is about two and a half weeks right there,” Mester said. “Then my shoulder put me out for about four or five days. Then my knee surgery put me out about seven weeks.”
After returning from injury, Mester was unable to defend the MAC Championship that he captured during his redshirt freshman season. He finished second and received a wildcard entry to the NCAA’s, but failed to place.
He has been going through his short list of national rivals this season, highlighted by an 11-1 major decision over Iowa’s Luke Moffitt at the National Duals. Moffitt defeated Mester twice last season, most notably at the NCAA meet. For his work at the National Duals, Mester earned MAC “Wrestler of the Week” honors.
“That was a real big way to start off the year. I was not even in the best condition, but I felt I was in better condition than the guys I wrestled out there,” Mester said.
Mester was then kept out of the Midlands Tournament because of the flu.
“That was tough to sit in the stands and watch that because I thought I was better than those other guys,” he said.
But unlike last year, his physical setback was easily overcome and Mester came back to defeat Michigan’s Clark Forward, keying a CMU 19-13 victory.
Another difference in Mester’s season was the reemergence of a role he had been practicing for years: friend and mentor of his brother, Josh. Josh is a freshman redshirt wrestler for CMU.
“They kind of feed off of each other and they do not want to let each other down,” Borrelli said. “I see a lot of Jason a couple years ago in Josh. I think they are the type of guys who mature late and because of that I think they develop more as they get older.”
Josh said his brother has helped immensely in his transition.
“It’s been tons easier, just coming out here guys know me because of him and he makes everything easy,” he said.
And while being Jason Mester’s little brother was at times stressful, Josh said he has now overcome any jealousy.
As for Jason, the rest of the season presents many challenges. He has a conference title he wants to win back, and would also like to become among the first Chippewas to place at Nationals since 2000.
Mester will face opposition on the road to Kansas City’s Kemper Arena, the site of the 2003 NCAA Championships.
Among the obstacles is defending national champion Aaron Holker of Iowa State, and talented true freshman wrestlers Oklahoma’s Teyon Ware and Oklahoma State’s Zack Esposito.
But the elder Mester said he believes he has as good a chance as anyone to bring home the title. And, the rest of the wrestling world has taken note.
But this time, no one is surprised.
