Mason Parris

Mason Parris (born October 1, 1999) is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 125 kilograms. In freestyle, he claimed the 2019 World Junior Wrestling Championships gold medal. As a folkstyle wrestler, he was the 2023 NCAA Division I national and Big Ten Conference champion at 285 pounds for the Michigan Wolverines, and the Dan Hodge Trophy winner.

High school career

Parris attended Lawrenceburg High School in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where he was a three-sport athlete, participating in wrestling, football, and track and field. In wrestling, he won three Indiana state titles at 220 pounds in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He set an Indiana state record with 11 career pins at the state tournament. He finished his career with an overall record of 206–1, including a 152–0 recorded over his final three seasons. He also won the Junior Schalles Award for best high school pinner in 2018.

In football, he was a three-time First Team All-State as a linebacker, and a three-time TriState Football Indiana Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his career with 612 total tackles (302 solo), 17.0 sacks, 61.5 tackles for losses, 10 forced fumbles, five interceptions, and 16 fumble recoveries.

College career

As a freshman at Michigan, Parris compiled a 32–9 record. He led the Wolverines with 32 wins and 13 falls. As a sophomore, he compiled a 28–1 record. He led the team with 28 wins and 11 falls. At the Big Ten tournament, he finished as runner-up to Gable Steveson, losing 8–6. He was then scheduled to compete at the NCAA championships as the second-seed, however, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the season ended, he was named a first team NCAA Division I All-American due to his performance through the season.

As a junior he compiled a 12–2 record, after he missed half of the season due to a herniated disc in his neck that he suffered at the U.S. World Team Trials semi-finals in September 2021. At the Big Ten tournament, he finished as runner-up to Steveson. During the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, he faced Steveson in a rematch of the Big Ten championships, and finished as runner-up, losing in the final 8–4. Parris only lost three matches over the last two seasons, all to Steveson. After the season ended, he was again named an All-American. In December 2021, he signed a NIL (Next In Line) deal with the WWE.

As a senior he compiled a 19–6 record. He finished in fourth place at the Big Ten Championships and in fifth place at the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. After the season ended, he was again named an All-American.

As a fifth-year senior he compiled an undefeated 33–0 record, with 21 bonus wins, 11 pins, three technical falls and seven major decisions. He Earned 17 wins over nationally ranked opponents and posted a combined 10–0 record over the 2023 NCAA heavyweights All-Americans. At the Big Ten tournament, he won the heavyweight championship, defeating Greg Kerkvliet 5–3 in overtime of the final. He became the first Michigan wrestler to win a Big Ten heavyweight championship since Airron Richardson in 1998. At the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships he posted a perfect 5–0 record at the NCAA Championships as the top-seed, and outscored his opponents 49–6. During the final he again defeated Kerkvliet, 5–1, to win the NCAA heavyweight championship. He became the first Michigan heavyweight champion since Kirk Trost in 1986. Following an outstanding season he was named an All-American and awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy, as the best collegiate wrestler. He was also named the University of Michigan's Athlete of the Year.

International career

During the 2019 World Junior Wrestling Championships, he posted a perfect 4–0 record and defeated his opponents 36–3. During the gold medal match, he pinned future Olympic medalist Amir Hossein Zare in the first-period.

He represented the United States at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships where he won a bronze medal in the men's freestyle 125 kg. He then represented the United States at the 2023 Pan American Games and won a gold medal in the men's 125 kg, defeating two-time Olympian and three-time Pan American Games medalist José Daniel Díaz.

Freestyle record

! colspan="7", Senior Freestyle Matches
, -
! Res.
! Record
! Opponent
! Score
! Date
! Event
! Location
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, 35–9
, align=left, Giorgi Meshvildishvili
, style="font-size:88%", 5–2
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, January 11, 2024
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2024 Grand Prix Zagreb Open
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,
Zagreb, Croatia
, -
, Loss
, 34–9
, align=left, Amir Reza Masoumi
, style="font-size:88%", 6–11
, -
, Win
, 34–8
, align=left, Amar Dhesi
, style="font-size:88%", TF 11–0
, -
, Win
, 33–8
, align=left, Vakhit Galayev
, style="font-size:88%", TF 15–4
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, 32–8
, align=left, José Daniel Díaz
, style="font-size:88%", 2–0
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, November 2, 2023
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2023 Pan American Games
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,
Santiago, Chile
, -
, Win
, 31–8
, align=left, Aaron Johnson
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, -
, Win
, 30–8
, align=left, Elison Adames
, style="font-size:88%", TF 12–0
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, 29–8
, align=left, Abdulla Kurbanov
, style="font-size:88%", TF 12–2
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, September 16–17, 2023
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2023 World Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,
Belgrade, Serbia
, -
, Loss
, 28–8
, align=left, Geno Petriashvili
, style="font-size:88%", 6–8
, -
, Win
, 28–7
, align=left, Deng Zhiwei
, style="font-size:88%", 8–4
, -
, Win
, 27–7
, align=left, Abraham Conyedo
, style="font-size:88%", 3–0
, -
, Win
, 26–7
, align=left, Yusup Batirmurzaev
, style="font-size:88%", TF 11–0
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, 25–7
, align=left, Dániel Ligeti
, style="font-size:88%", INJ
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, July 13–16, 2023
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2023 Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,
Budapest, Hungary
, -
, Win
, 24–7
, align=left, Deng Zhiwei
, style="font-size:88%", 5–0
, -
, Win
, 23–7
, align=left, Youssif Hemida
, style="font-size:88%", TF 11–1
, -
, Win
, 22–7
, align=left, Abraham Conyedo
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Loss
, 21–7
, align=left, Gable Steveson
, style="font-size:88%", 0–5
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, June 9–10, 2023
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2023 Final X
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2, Newark, New Jersey
, -
, Loss
, 21–6
, align=left, Gable Steveson
, style="font-size:88%", 2–6
, -
, Win
, 21–5
, align=left, Nick Gwiazdowski
, style="font-size:88%", 6–2
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, May 20–21, 2023
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2023 US World Team Trials
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3, Colorado Springs, Colorado
, -
, Win
, 20–5
, align=left, Wyatt Hendrickson
, style="font-size:88%", 12–11
, -
, Win
, 19–5
, align=left, Tony Cassioppi
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, 18–5
, align=left, Wyatt Hendrickson
, style="font-size:88%", TF 20–7
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, April 27, 2023
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, 2023 US Open National Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=6,
Las Vegas, Nevada
, -
, Win
, 17–5
, align=left, Demetrius Thomas
, style="font-size:88%", Fall
, -
, Loss
, 16–5
, align=left, Gable Steveson
, style="font-size:88%", TF 1–12
, -
, Win
, 16–4
, align=left, Ty Walz
, style="font-size:88%", 4–0
, -
, Win
, 15–4
, align=left, Gary Traub
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, -
, Win
, 14–4
, align=left, Gabe Jacobs
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Loss
, 13–4
, align=left, Nick Gwiazdowski
, style="font-size:88%", 3–10
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, September 11–12, 2021
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2021 US World Team Trials
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4, Lincoln, Nebraska
, -
, Loss
, 13–3
, align=left, Nick Gwiazdowski
, style="font-size:88%", 0–6
, -
, Win
, 13–2
, align=left, Dom Bradley
, style="font-size:88%", 8–4
, -
, Win
, 12–2
, align=left, Austin Schafer
, style="font-size:88%", Fall
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, 11–2
, align=left, Tony Nelson
, style="font-size:88%", 6–3
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, April 2–3, 2021
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2020 US Olympic Team Trials
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4, Fort Worth, Texas
, -
, Win
, 10–2
, align=left, Dom Bradley
, style="font-size:88%", 7–4
, -
, Win
, 9–2
, align=left, Tanner Hall
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, -
, Loss
, 8–2
, align=left, Greg Kerkvliet
, style="font-size:88%", 4–4
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, 8–1
, align=left, Jordan Wood
, style="font-size:88%", TF 12–1
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, December 4–5, 2020
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, FloWrestling RTC Cup
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4,
Austin, Texas
, -
, Win
, 7–1
, align=left, Nick Gwiazdowski
, style="font-size:88%", 10–7
, -
, Loss
, 6–1
, align=left, Nick Gwiazdowski
, style="font-size:88%", TF 8–18
, -
, Win
, 6–0
, align=left, Tony Nelson
, style="font-size:88%", 8–2
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, 5–0
, align=left, Tanner Hall
, style="font-size:88%", 8–2
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, October 9–11, 2020
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2020 US National Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5,
Coralville, Iowa
, -
, Win
, 4–0
, align=left, Trent Hillger
, style="font-size:88%", Fall
, -
, Win
, 3–0
, align=left, Jordan Wood
, style="font-size:88%", 9–6
, -
, Win
, 2–0
, align=left, Chris Lance
, style="font-size:88%", 9–4
, -
, Win
, 1–0
, align=left, Josh Heindselman
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, -

References

External links

Michigan Wolverines bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parris, Mason
Living people
1999 births
American male sport wrestlers
Michigan Wolverines wrestlers
People from Lawrenceburg, Indiana
World Wrestling Championships medalists
Wrestlers at the 2023 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 2023 Pan American Games
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in wrestling
21st-century American sportsmen