EV Cain, Woodcreek alumna Lauren Mason makes USA Wrestling National Team

Lauren Mason recently finished her final wrestling season at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and on June 8 defeated Alisha Hawk 5-4 in a 55-kilogram freestyle match to secure a spot on the 2022-23 USA Wrestling National Team. Mason is a Woodcreek High School 2016 alumna, but she got her start at EV Cain Middle School in Auburn. "I recognized it was something I could do this year and it's super exciting to meet this goal," Mason said. Mason has been wrestling since sixth grade. In seventh grade, she placed second in the 95-pound class at the California Middle School Girls Wrestling State Championships. At Woodcreek, she was a four-time Sac-Joaquin Section champion and the 2014 state champion at 111 pounds. Mason was a three-sport athlete, also competing in cross country and track and field. "I was very supported in the wrestling world, and I wanted to be the best," Mason said. "Had great coaches at Woodcreek and then amazing coaches at camps. I didn't win state my junior or senior year, but looking back, it has made me a better wrestler." Mason placed second in her junior and senior years and was fourth in her freshman year. She was the third female in the area at the time to win four straight section titles. Another was McKenzie Bacich-Beyer at Bear Creek High School in Stockton, also graduating in 2016. Bacich-Beyer and Mason still talk. "I first met Lauren at Middle School State in the finals when we were in seventh grade and pretty much after that, we were friends and cheered each other on through our wrestling careers," Bacich-Beyer said. "I'm so proud of Lauren, and I knew she was always capable of accomplishing these things so it's pretty cool to watch and cheer her as she competes on the national and world stage." Going into college, Mason had a difficult decision to make, as she had multiple offers to run track and cross country. She stuck with wrestling and visited a few schools. Simon Fraser turned out to be the best fit, but this meant traveling to Canada. "I was scared to go to school in another country, but all of the girls were super great in helping first years adjust and we did team bonding to make us more secure and happy," Mason said. "I remember my first few months, I got my butt whooped every day and it was hard but also awesome because these girls were world team members and national champions and that was where I wanted to be. I was able to stay up and get better, which built my confidence." Mason finished third in 2019 and 2020 at the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association National Championships. For the remainder of 2020 and 2021, Mason returned home to Auburn to finish her final year of schooling online with Simon Fraser with the intention to return for her final athletic season. During this time, Mason trained with Sara McMann of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and others at Precision Jiu Jitsu Academy in Citrus Heights. "I came back to my roots and perfected my craft to get better," Mason said. "Thankfully, we had resources and places to practice. People commented that I kind of re-fell in love with the sport, which was super exciting. I also worked out at MatTime in Penryn, and that time jump started a new phase of progression." Mason has family in Utah and decided to move there in 2021. She talked to the coaches at Brunson Utah Valley Regional Training Center and wrestled full time while working full time with a tech company. After talking to her coaches at the training center, Mason decided to finish her final season at Simon Fraser in January. Mason performed well and finished third at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships in March. With a spot on the USA National Team, Mason now plans to go on European tours to get camps and tournaments under her belt this summer. She recently started a business doing social media marketing and web design for small businesses. During her free time, Mason loves hanging out with family, going on hikes and anything with swimming or boating. She also enjoys bike rides, reading, painting and photography, but a majority of her time is spent training and working. Mason has advice for other athletes who are looking to compete at the next level: "I would first ask, did you learn something new and did you have fun? If yes to both questions, you had a successful practice or camp. If we only focus on wins and losses, it'll be disappointing. Enjoy the whole process. Also, we have a lot of people that support and love us, so recognize and thank them and surround yourself with good people."