BROOMFIELD — Mason Watt has reinvented himself.
The Broomfield senior, already a success on the wrestling mat — and the results at the state tournament bear that out — needed to change.
And not just for himself, but for those around him, including his Eagles teammates.
At his heaviest, Watt weighed in at 325 pounds and for the previous two wrestling seasons was routinely cutting weight just to make weight at 285 pounds.
No more.
“I didn’t like being that big,” he said. “I started losing the weight after wrestling season last year and I just sort of kept on going. Some of it was for wrestling, but mostly for myself.”
The changes are noticeable and on the mat, Watt — who is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 5A at 220 pounds by Tim Yount’s On The Mat rankings — said he feels faster and “that almost everything (on the mat) is just a little easier.”
This past weekend Watt and the rest of the No. 8-ranked Eagles headed to Nebraska and the Midwest Duals on the campus of Nebraska-Kearney.
Watt and teammate Drew Worthley were both named to the all-tournament team and last year’s state runner-up Darren Green joined those two in going a perfect five-for-five.
Watt’s journey, which has seen him shed well over 100 pounds, has been simple.
“I didn’t take any supplements or anything, I just ate right and worked out a lot,” said Watt, who will be at Centaurus this weekend for the Top of the Rockies. “I was in the gym everyday working out.”
But more than the physical rewards that have come, so to have the mental benefits.
“Me and my dad didn’t have the best relationship, but since I have been working out, I was home a lot more than I used to be,” he said. “So this has definitely helped.”
And not just at home. Broomfield coach Pat DeCamillis has noticed and named him one of his team captains — an idea that would have been inconceivable the last few seasons.
“It has just been a complete attitude transformation as well. It wasn’t just physical and I mean, he is just a different kid,” DeCamillis said. “He’s receptive to coaching … and in the past, he was a young kid that thought he knew everything and wasn’t receptive to anything that was different than what he thought he should do.
“He’s just been a joy to coach this year.”
Watt, who would like nothing more than to bring home not just an individual championship but more a team title, will have the target squarely on his back this weekend at Centaurus in what should be a very strong 220-pound weight class. He is likely to cross paths with Class 5A top five guys Doug Mills (Pomona) and Will Ponder (Monarch) as well as 4A studs Dante Garcia (Pueblo County) and Dominic Robles (Pueblo East).
Jon Yunt: yuntj@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/JonEYunt
