NCAA Division II 197-weight class secured by top wrestler
Jacob Waste, senior criminal justice major and wrestler at California Baptist University, is having a successful 2016-2017 season after being named the No. 1-ranked athlete in the nation at the NCAA Division II level for the 197-weight class. Waste has also been named an All-American athlete for the past two seasons.
Waste has wrestled for 18 years and said he enjoys learning new things about the sport every day.
“It’s exciting to me,” Waste said. “It’s my goal every time I step on the mat, whether it’s practice or competition, to give everything that I have.”
As the highest ranked wrestler in his class, Waste said he is enjoying the sport more than ever.
“The rankings, wins and losses don’t matter a lot to me. Having fun and putting everything on the mat that I can is what I look forward to,” Waste said.
With a curriculur and social schedule as busy as his wrestling schedule, Waste said he makes it a point to keep a solid and structured routine.
“I believe that routines are imperative to success with your training,” Waste said.
His schedule consists of training twice a day on Mondays and Wednesdays, which includes lifting and running. He then heads to class and ends his days with practice at 3 p.m.
“My lifting is 100 percent geared toward wrestling,” Waste said. “When we run, it’s usually about two miles and it’s as fast as you can run the whole time.”
Waste relates his top achievements to the top-notch training he receives during practices.
“We warm up with some stance and gymnastics movements,” Waste said. “Once we warm up, we get a good stretch in and start drilling our techniques and finish by going live and follow it up with conditioning.”
Although practices are already strenuous, Waste said he enjoys going the extra mile to prepare for his matches.
“I usually stay after and do extra work, whether it be more conditioning or some sort of drilling,” Waste said.
Just like his discipline in training, Waste said he tries to maintain a healthy and disciplined nutrition plan.
“I drink a gallon of water a day, which helps me feel full and keeps my body hydrated through all the workouts,” Waste said. “As for the meals, I try to keep a high-calorie count (by) supplementing that with high-protein and high-carb meals.”
To new CBU athletes, Waste said he suggests training beyond your body’s limits. His motivating factor in improving is discovering what the body can do when pushed further than the average athlete.
“There’s a level of grit that comes with being a champion,” Waste said. “When things get hard, grit down and get the job done as hard as you can. You’ll be amazed with the results that follow.”
After graduating, Waste said he has few options for himself but is only focused on his current situations.
“As of right now, I’m focused on getting my degree and wrestling,” Waste said. “Once that’s done, I will start the next chapter in my life.
Waste is currently focused on finishing his degree at CBU and although he looks forward to his current options he is not rushing into anything.
Waste and the team will be at San Fransisco state Jan. 27.
