Sports Stars is an honor given out by the Idaho Press seasonally to recognize the top athletes in each sport. We continue our release of the winners for the winter sports with the Boys Wrestling Athlete of the Year.
Jason Mara’s senior season at Meridian ended in historic fashion.
At the IHSAA state wrestling tournament in February, Mara won his fourth state title in a row, defeating Post Falls’ Damion Hamilton in the 152-pound bracket. Not only did he win individually, the Warriors won a fourth-straight team title, the first time a school has done so in 5A history.
For his performance this season, Mara was named the Idaho Press 2023-24 Boys Wrestling Sports Stars Athlete of the Year.
It’s hard to have a more perfect high school wrestling career. Four years, four individual titles and four tea, state titles. There’s nothing Mara hasn’t accomplished on the mat.
“To win it with myself and 28 other guys on our team is sick,” Mara said. “Everybody, even though they’ve lost or went out of the tournament, still get really excited about winning as a team. It makes everything more fun.”
He became the 11th wrestler in 5A history to win four-straight individual titles. Right when he jumped into Idaho competition midway through his freshman year, moving from California, he became the gold standard in the sport.
“I always thought that was my goal, to be a four-time state champ,” Mara said. “It’s all I wanted growing up. Coming from how rare it was in California, moving out here, it was still my goal. It was something I always thought of in my head. I knew it was going to achieve with all the work I’ve put in.”
Mara finished the season with a 44-1 record, but it didn’t come without adversity. He battled pneumonia over winter break and was bedridden for weeks and missed out on the Rollie Lane Invite.
He returned to the mat at the Tiger Grizz Invite in Idaho Falls in late January. That’s where he suffered his only defeat of the season in the championship match of the 152-pound bracket. It was a moment that pushed Mara on to finish the season how he intended.
“I was super gassed out in that match,” Mara said. “It definitely hit my lungs, the pneumonia. After that, it fired a flame under me and I continued to work hard and get ready for state.”
The increased focus carried him through winning the District III and state titles. Mara’s wrestling style has remained the same throughout his career, allowing him to perfect his craft.
“I’ve always wrestled the same,” Mara said. “I perfect what I do and try to get really good at the few things I do on the mat. Sometimes I make mistakes on the mat but usually it works out. Moving into college wrestling, it’s going to be a whole different animal. I’ll have to change some things up going into that. I intend on trying to wrestle my same style.”
Not only has he excelled on the mat, but in the classroom as well as he prepares for his future. He’ll be returning to his home state next fall to continue his academic and wrestling career at Stanford. Mara hadn’t given much thought about attending Stanford, but had a connection with the team that sparked his interest.
“I want to move back to California because I miss what I consider home,” Mara said. “It’s a beautiful campus. Good wrestling program, placed 16th at nationals this year. My sophomore year, my buddy Tye who I grew up with, committed there. His dad got me an in, put my name in there for them.”
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