Student-Athlete Spotlight: Zach Mason, Men’s Soccer – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 5, 2015
Zach Mason is a senior and two-time captain on the men’s soccer team. The native of Galena, Ohio, Mason has a constant presence at midfield, starting in all 59 games the last three years. He was named to the 2012 Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and he was one of two players to start in every game his sophomore season. As a junior, he guided the Buckeyes back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. He advanced the Buckeyes past in-state rival Akron in the NCAA first round after converting his penalty kick in the final round of the 15-round penalty shootout. In all, Mason has posted 42 shots with 10 on goal and four assists. This past week, Mason was announced as a candidate for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award, designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring.
Student Life
- What is the best time of year on campus? Spring
- What is your preferred mode of transportation to class? CABS buses
Have you switched your major? If so, how many times and why and if not, how did you know your major was “the one”? Once, from pre-med to business to maintain better balance with sports and academics. I knew business was the one after my first semester of business courses. - What has been your favorite or most interesting class at OSU? Intro to Finance
- If you had to give an incoming student advice, what would it be? Prepare to put time in to studying, it’s the only choice you have if you want to get the best grades that you can.
Pop Culture
- What social media do you prefer the most? Twitter
- Which do you watch more: Netflix or TV? TV
- Would you rather read the book or watch the movie? The movie
- What song can you not help but sing-a-long to? Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon
- What was the last movie that you saw in theaters? Inside Out with my little sister.
Sports
- When is your favorite time of your sport’s season? Tournament time!
- Which team do you most look forward to competing against? Akron
- Do you have any pre-game/match superstitions or rituals? Just a quick prayer and taping my left wrist.
- What is your favorite part about your sport? I appreciate the tactical complexity of soccer. It’s essentially a chess match mixed with physical skill.
- What is your favorite athletic memory? Scoring the final PK to beat Akron in last season’s NCAA tournament
Miscellaneous
- When you are not at practice, what could someone find you doing? Watching soccer or hanging with my girlfriend or buddies.
- Do you have a hidden talent? I can associate any actor with at least one or two movies or shows they’ve been in… I know it’s weird.
- If you could play another sport other than yours, what would it be? Basketball – I love the sport and played in high school, I’m just somewhat vertically challenged.
- If you won the lottery, what would you do? Donate a lot, invest a lot, and spend some on my family and myself.
- What do you most look forward to doing during the summer? I love being able to train without having classes as well….Just playing as much soccer as I can.
- If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? Teleportation – Would save a lot of time wasted on traveling.
- Do you have an interesting nickname? Zeke (pronounced Zeek). My parents have called me this since I can remember and I always here my mom yelling “C’mon Zekie!” during my games.
- If you could switch places with anyone on your team for a day, who would you choose? Danny Jensen just to understand what goes through his head on a daily basis
- What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Tons of great advice from my grandparents, but my Grandpa Mason had a nice talk with me once telling me to just go for my dreams – it was a really inspirational talk.
- If you could witness any event of the past, present, or future, what would it be? I’d love to witness our team lifting the national championship this upcoming season.
- Would you be the first O, H, I or last O in a picture? H
- What is your favorite part about being a Buckeye? The community of it all. I love how close I can be to so many people just because we’re all Buckeyes, it’s pretty cool.
