Mason O’Dell earns school glory with state championship

Mason O’Dell celebrates his state title back in March at the FHSAA state wrestling tournament. (Brant Parsons/Kabra Wrestling)

BY BRANT PARSONS — Mason O’Dell wanted to be like Ethan Vergara.

The Mater Lakes Academy eighth grader remembers when Vergara returned to school after winning his first state wrestling title and it made him want the same thing.

“Ethan Vergara came back to school and everything was like ‘there goes the state champion’ and that’s what I wanted and what made me push so hard,” O’Dell said.

O’Dell had a chance to get that same attention this past March when he made the Class 1A final in the 106-pound weight class.

In the final, O’Dell faced Somerset’s Jake Austin, a wrestler who O’Dell had beaten - and lost to during the year.

Just eight seconds into the match, Austin took O’Dell down. That woke up the Mater Lakes Academy wrestler.

“He took me down first and that’s when I realized - Oh, I’m in the state finals,” O’Dell said.

His coach Brandon Neifeld wasn’t as convinced after giving up that first takedown.

“I was a little upset with him because I told him to watch the ankle pick and then we got hit by it in the first eight seconds,” Neifeld said. “I was a little shocked, but I know Mason’s game and sometimes we need to get punched in the mouth when we start wrestling.”

O’Dell did recover from that first takedown and went on to win his first state title with a 6-4 win.

“I felt like I was too young at first,” O’Dell said of winning. “It’s something people chase their whole high school career to get and I wasn’t even in high school yet so I was pretty shocked.”

O’Dell grew up in jiu-jitsu and started wrestling in sixth grade as a way to get better for his main sport.

He quickly fell in love with wrestling.

“We knew there was something special there the moment he started training with us,” Neifeld said. “And anything this kid sets his mind to he has the potential to achieve.”

And now he’s gotten the Ethan Vergara treatment at school.

“Oh yeah, everybody was looking at me,” O’Dell said.

Just like he wanted it.

STATE CHAMPION FEATURES

Kabra Wrestling is looking to feature as many state champions as we can over the next few months and tell a little story about what makes them special.

If you won a state championship and would like to be featured, please contact Kabra Wrestling to set up an interview.

2023 State Champions

3A-106: Andrew Punzalan (Cypress Bay)

3A-113: Tyler Washburn (Palmetto Ridge)

3A-120: Luis Acevedo (South Dade)

3A-126: Ethan Vugman (Bartram Trail)

3A-132: Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz)

3A-138: Elvis Solis (South Dade)

3A-145: Anderson Heap (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-152: Cooper Haase (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-160: Adrian Ochoa (Southwest Miami)

3A-170: Lawrence Rosario (South Dade)