Jan. 21, 2003

FAIRFAX, VA ... George Mason University junior Rob Becker has been selected as the co-Wrestler of the Week by the Colonial Athletic Association. The award, which Becker shares with Drexel University's Chris Jones, is for competition from Jan. 14-20.

The CAA honor is the first this season and the second in his career for Becker. He was recognized as the CAA Wrestler of the Week in early March last season.

A native of Mickleton, NJ, and a 2000 graduate of Clearview Regional High School, Becker is ranked 19th in the nation at 149 pounds by InterMat in its Jan. 21 weekly poll for collegiate wrestling. It marks the second consecutive week he has been nationally ranked, and he also is ranked second in the CAA behind Hofstra University's Jon Masa (ranked 10th nationally by InterMat and by Amateur Wrestling News).

Becker improved to 19-4 this season as he extended his winning streak to eight matches by winning each of his four matches last week. He defeated Virginia Military Institute's Jason Kontopedes, 8-5, in a dual meet Friday before he captured the championship at 149 at the Virginia Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships Sunday.

Third at the VIWC tournament last season, Becker won each of his three matches en route to his first Virginia state championship. He won by fall against James Madison's Aaron Swift in 1:46, scored a 12-2 major decision over the Apprentice School's Ron Vecchione and won a 5-3 decision over Kontopedes to claim the title.

Becker has placed in each of the four tournaments George Mason has competed in this season, finishing second at the Beast of the East College Invitational, fourth at the East Stroudsburg Open and seventh at the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational. He advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time last March after placing second at 141 pounds at the CAA Championships, and he won one of his three matches at the national tournament.

Among his 19 victories this season, Becker has four falls, one by technical fall and seven by major decision. Three of his four losses have come against wrestlers currently nationally ranked, including twice against Boise State's Collin Robertson (currently ranked eighth by InterMat, seventh by AWN) at the Las Vegas Invitational and once against Ohio's Jake Percival (fourth in both polls) in the finals at the Beast of the East College Invitational. For his Patriot career, Becker has a record of 71-24 with eight falls.

"Rob's been wrestling very well and his hard work is paying off," said Patriot head coach Brian Shaffer. "We're looking forward to his match Friday against Jon Masa, which will give him a chance to show his abilities against another nationally ranked wrestler."

George Mason (1-4 overall, 1-1 CAA) returns to action Wednesday as it visits Maryland at 7:30 p.m. The Patriots then return to Fairfax for their first home dual meets of the year as they host the CAA Duals (which will include all 11 Colonial Athletic Association schools) Friday and Saturday at the Fieldhouse. Mason will face Sacred Heart Friday at 6 p.m. and nationally ranked Hofstra at 8 p.m., then on Saturday, the Patriots meet Wagner at 11 a.m., Rider at 1 p.m. and Boston University at 3 p.m.