‘As the program continues to do better, I am extremely proud to have been a WVU wrestler’: Mason Reflects on Career, Impact of Tim Flynn on Current Program
July 15, 2026 09:03 AM | Wrestling
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Like many college wrestling programs, West Virginia University wrestling can look back throughout its history and see wrestlers who made a difference due to their success on and off the mat. Mike Mason is one of those wrestlers.
Mason was a four-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships (1995-98) and earned All-America honors twice. His highest finish at the national tournament came in 1998 when he placed third at 150 pounds.
Mason also served as team captain for three years and concluded his career with 100 victories. He remains the only WVU wrestler to win at least 35 matches in a season twice during his career. Over the course of his final two seasons, he went 74-11.
Even when asked about his success as a competitor, Mason talks about the people he got to wrestle with as what he's most proud of from his time in Morgantown.
"What I am most proud of is that I got to be around such good people in the program and to be around such good teammates and coaches," Mason said. "Now that I am an old guy and have a son who wrestles, I have taken the lessons I got out of wrestling and given those lessons to him. The lessons I got from wrestling are lessons that have made me successful in life."
Mason stepped into the spotlight for the Mountaineers on the national stage, and he knows what it takes to be a student-athlete representing a program at the highest level. Today, Ty Watters has become the standard bearer for West Virginia, becoming a two-time All-American last season. Watters' success and the way he carries himself as a representative of WVU is what makes Mason believe the program is destined for sustained success.
"I have been around Ty Watters quite a bit these last couple years," Mason said. "Watching him when he teaches clinics, how he handles himself and how he handles the press and I think with coach Tim Flynn's guidance and his parents' guidance, Ty has become the kind of young athlete that all of us parents want our kids to emulate. Because of that, because the kids are doing well and are good people, I think they have all of the support of the state behind them."
During the 1990s, the Mountaineers were in a bit of a drought when it came to All-Americans at the NCAA Championships. Mason's All-America run in 1997 was the program's first since 1994. He started a trend that would continue for West Virginia with an All-American in 10 of 11 seasons through 2007.
This run included three individual national championships by Greg Jones (2002, 2004-05).
Under coach Tim Flynn, West Virginia has produced eight All-Americans. With Watters placing sixth last season, West Virginia has had an All-American at seven consecutive NCAA Championships for the first time in program history.
"I think he has brought in a standard of success that he carried with him from his previous coaching jobs into this one," Mason said about Flynn. "He has coached national champions in the past, and I think he will coach national champions in the future. He has been a phenomenal leader, not only for the kids, but also for the coaching staff in the way he has acquired some of the best assistant coaches in the country to help him.
"I think he has a great vision for where he wants the program to go. One of the best things I find about his coaching style is that he is focused on making these young athletes great people."
With that success has come tremendous support from WVU fans and wrestling alumni who were quick to welcome Flynn when he was hired in 2018, offering any support they could early on.
"Of all things that you're trying to get the alumni's approval, success will bring people back more than anything else," Mason said. "I think that is what he has brought to the program. As the program continues to do better, I am extremely proud to have been a WVU wrestler. When the team is doing better, I think everyone else comes out of the woodwork and it just makes everyone prouder."
Mason's pride is from his time with the program but also being a West Virginian. Being from Williamstown highlights his background and emphasizes the love he has for the wrestling program, the University and the state.
"I've always had a lot of pride in being from West Virginia," Mason said. "We had great support when I was there, and I feel like the support has grown exponentially over the past several years. It's fun to watch the local team do well."
Mason was a four-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships (1995-98) and earned All-America honors twice. His highest finish at the national tournament came in 1998 when he placed third at 150 pounds.
Mason also served as team captain for three years and concluded his career with 100 victories. He remains the only WVU wrestler to win at least 35 matches in a season twice during his career. Over the course of his final two seasons, he went 74-11.
Even when asked about his success as a competitor, Mason talks about the people he got to wrestle with as what he's most proud of from his time in Morgantown.
"What I am most proud of is that I got to be around such good people in the program and to be around such good teammates and coaches," Mason said. "Now that I am an old guy and have a son who wrestles, I have taken the lessons I got out of wrestling and given those lessons to him. The lessons I got from wrestling are lessons that have made me successful in life."
Mason stepped into the spotlight for the Mountaineers on the national stage, and he knows what it takes to be a student-athlete representing a program at the highest level. Today, Ty Watters has become the standard bearer for West Virginia, becoming a two-time All-American last season. Watters' success and the way he carries himself as a representative of WVU is what makes Mason believe the program is destined for sustained success.
"I have been around Ty Watters quite a bit these last couple years," Mason said. "Watching him when he teaches clinics, how he handles himself and how he handles the press and I think with coach Tim Flynn's guidance and his parents' guidance, Ty has become the kind of young athlete that all of us parents want our kids to emulate. Because of that, because the kids are doing well and are good people, I think they have all of the support of the state behind them."
During the 1990s, the Mountaineers were in a bit of a drought when it came to All-Americans at the NCAA Championships. Mason's All-America run in 1997 was the program's first since 1994. He started a trend that would continue for West Virginia with an All-American in 10 of 11 seasons through 2007.
This run included three individual national championships by Greg Jones (2002, 2004-05).
Under coach Tim Flynn, West Virginia has produced eight All-Americans. With Watters placing sixth last season, West Virginia has had an All-American at seven consecutive NCAA Championships for the first time in program history.
"I think he has brought in a standard of success that he carried with him from his previous coaching jobs into this one," Mason said about Flynn. "He has coached national champions in the past, and I think he will coach national champions in the future. He has been a phenomenal leader, not only for the kids, but also for the coaching staff in the way he has acquired some of the best assistant coaches in the country to help him.
"I think he has a great vision for where he wants the program to go. One of the best things I find about his coaching style is that he is focused on making these young athletes great people."
"Of all things that you're trying to get the alumni's approval, success will bring people back more than anything else," Mason said. "I think that is what he has brought to the program. As the program continues to do better, I am extremely proud to have been a WVU wrestler. When the team is doing better, I think everyone else comes out of the woodwork and it just makes everyone prouder."
Mason's pride is from his time with the program but also being a West Virginian. Being from Williamstown highlights his background and emphasizes the love he has for the wrestling program, the University and the state.
"I've always had a lot of pride in being from West Virginia," Mason said. "We had great support when I was there, and I feel like the support has grown exponentially over the past several years. It's fun to watch the local team do well."
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