Lawrenceburg's Mason Parris wins NCAA wrestling national championship
Michigan wrestler Mason Parris, the three-time Indiana state champion from Lawrenceburg with a 206-1 record and four-time collegiate All-American, can finally add a new title to his resume: NCAA wrestling champion.
Parris finished as the NCAA Division I runner-up in 2021 and in fifth place last year before breaking through in his final run.
NATIONAL CHAMPION!!!@Parris58 | #NCAAWrestling | #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/WFhLMTLBFe
— Michigan Wrestling (@umichwrestling) March 19, 2023
In the heavyweight division, Parris beat Iowa's Tony Cassioppi with a 16-1 technical fall victory in the semifinals, setting up a match with Penn State's Greg Kerkvliet. Parris defeated Kerkvliet 5-1, securing his first national championship and an undefeated 33-0 season.
Michigan’s Mason Parris defeats PSU’s Greg Kerkvliet to become the heavyweight champ! @CKAwrestling pic.twitter.com/H9VV1WCXQM
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) March 19, 2023
A win over Kerkvliet on Jan. 20 made Parris the nation's top-rated heavyweight. At the time of the match, Parris was ranked No. 2 in the InterMat rankings while Kerkvliet held the top spot.
Parris became the first Michigan heavyweight champion since Kirk Trost in 1986 and the third overall with David Porter who won twice in 1966 and 1968.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lawrenceburg's Mason Parris wins NCAA heavyweight wrestling title
