Wadsworth's Jon List to wrestle at George Mason

Jon List knew what he had in George Mason assistant wrestling coach Mike DePalma. What he found out about head coach Frank Beasley put him over the top. As a result, the 195-pounder and incoming Wadsworth senior will continue his academic and athletic career with the Patriots, choosing them over the likes of Cleveland State and Lake Erie. DePalma, who heavily recruited List, wrestled at Kent State and trained under Olympic bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev at Ohio State's regional training center. Beasley showed List exactly what George Mason was about by sending six individuals to nationals over the last two seasons, though the coronavirus knocked out the 2020 tournament this spring. In 2018-19, Beasley guided the Patriots to their best season in 11 years. George Mason was third at the Eastern Wrestling League Championships. When Beasley was at North Carolina State, he was a big part of the Wolfpack's No. 2 national ranking. He also was the personal coach for world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski. "I didn't really know much about (Beasley) at first, but once I had a Zoom call with him, he kind of grew on me," List said. "He definitely knows what he's doing and is only trying to make the program better. "I'm really just excited to get there. I'm a bigger guy and he coached Gwiazdowski, so he'll be able to coach me." George Mason is planning on using List at 197 pounds, where he could jump in and start right away in 2021-22. List is a two-time All-Gazette selection, three-time state qualifier and state placer as a sophomore. Last season he won the Mentor Division I District and Wadsworth Sectional in an injury-plagued season where he finished 17-3. Those injuries included LCL and meniscus tears last summer and emergency surgery in December to remove a foot of his intestine. He did not get the opportunity to wrestle at state due to the coronavirus. "Today made it all worth it, having to sit out last year and doing bike workouts instead of wrestling," List said. "Staying positive helped." List is 82-21 in high school and enters the 2020-21 season as a solid favorite to place high at the state tournament. While he doesn't have competition at 197 right now, he knows George Mason isn't done recruiting. "I'm looking forward to it because it'll show that I'm ready to step in and compete there," List said. "I like the competition because it keeps me getting better. I'm not going to settle if someone is there competing for that spot. It makes me push to get better." List closed the 2019-20 season in style when he upset Brecksville's Ben Vanadia 6-4 in overtime at the Mentor District. Vanadia was ranked 12th nationally at the time. It's that never-quit mentality that he'll take to Fairfax, Va., next fall. "I think I'll add that Ohio attitude," said List, who has a 3.5 grade-point average and plans to major in business. "I'll give them a different look. Me and Daniel Segura (of Dublin Scioto) are the only Ohio kids there. I'm going to bring some hard-nosed Ohio wrestling to Virginia." Contact Brad Bournival at bournival929@gmail.com.