One might think an athlete gaining weight would be a bad thing, but in the case of Josh Wooton, things are starting to fall into place.

Last year, during Wooton’s freshman season, he competed at the 141-pound weight class and went on to the NCAA Championships while being ranked as high as 15th in the nation.

This year, he moved up to 149 pounds and is still ranked in the top 20, but he has found one problem.

“They’re a lot stronger,” Wooton said. “They’re heavy because I am kind of light for the weight class. I only need to cut two or three pounds at the most. The only other thing that I have noticed is that they are all really strong.”

He has found one thing he can use to his advantage though: his quickness.

Wooton said the 149-pounders aren’t as quick as the 141-pounders, but he did mention that they do like to grab and hold more.

To combat that, Wooton said he likes to get their feet moving so he can set up his shots and get a takedown.

“At 141, the guys were quicker and it took a lot more to get shots off,” Wooton said. “This year, if I get them moving, they’re bigger and a little slower so I can get in with my shots better.”

With Wooton making it all the way to the NCAA Championships as a freshman in the 141-pound weight class, some may think he would be a lock to return there for years to come.

Wooton said the reason for the shift in weight classes was a combination of things.

The first reason was to fill the void left by the graduated Oliver Vazquez. The second part was to make room for redshirt freshman Andy Hiatt.

Wooton called Hiatt a “really tough wrestler and deserved a shot to make a name for himself.”

The move has paid off for both wrestlers, as Wooton holds a 16-7 record while Hiatt owns a 17-7 mark.

Wooton said the change wasn’t all that difficult, but it did take a while to adjust.

NIU coach Dave Grant thinks going up in weight class is good for Wooton and others because they can concentrate on their wrestling instead of thinking about cutting their weight.

“I think that it’s a good thing,” Grant said. “You stay healthier and you compete harder. I think that when you’re in good shape and have a lot of energy, you score a lot of points.”

Despite moving up in weight classes and facing stronger opponents, Wooton still has the confidence he did last year.

“That guy I just beat from Ohio was ranked second in the MAC and I beat him by six or seven points,” Wooton said. “So I should have no problem with winning [the 149-pound weight class at the MAC Championships].”

The championship will be held March 7 in Athens, Ohio, where Wooton will wrestle in front of his home-state crowd.