Oct. 23, 2003
FAIRFAX, VA ... The George Mason wrestling team is ranked fifth and seven individuals are among the top six wrestlers in their respective weight classes in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason rankings. The team and individual rankings were announced after voting by the 11 CAA head coaches.
George Mason received 20 points in the voting to trail two-time defending CAA champion Hofstra (47), Rider (35), Drexel (29) and Boston University (27) in the team rankings. Binghamton was sixth with 19 points and was followed by Sacred Heart (17), Old Dominion (10), James Madison (4), Wagner (1) and Campbell (1).
The seven Patriots ranked among the top six in the individual weight classes tied Boston University for the fourth-most for any CAA team. Only Rider (all 10 projected starters are ranked), Hofstra (nine) and Drexel (eight) had more wrestlers selected in the preseason rankings.
Seniors Rob Becker and Adrian Austin lead the George Mason individuals as they are ranked No. 1 at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively. Senior Sean Early and juniors Aaron Suranofsky and P.J. Ross are ranked fifth at 165, 125 and 174, respectively, while junior Nick Webster (184) and freshman Harry Zander (197) are each ranked sixth.
"Being ranked fifth in the conference in the preseason shows the respect the other coaches have for our program, especially after we've had two disappointing years," said head coach Brian Shaffer, who begins his ninth season at the helm of the Patriots. "We expect each of the wrestlers to maintain their ranking and improve upon it as the season progresses."
Becker, who is ranked ninth in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News and The Wrestling Mall.com and 17th by InterMat at 149 pounds, placed third at the CAA Championships at 149 last season as he posted a 31-8 overall record and earned his second straight trip to the NCAA Championships. Austin is ranked 17th nationally at 157 by The Wrestling Mall.com despite missing last season after breaking his hand. He also is a two-time NCAA qualifier and has twice placed second at the CAA Championships at 149, posting a record of 24-12 in 2001-02.
Early and Suranofsky also have NCAA Championships experience, Early in 2001 after winning the CAA title at 157 and Suranofsky last year after finishing second at 125 at the CAA Championships. Early will settle in at 165 after going 16-13 last year at 157, while Suranofsky was 17-10 last season.
Ross and Webster have shown flashes of potential despite struggling with injuries the past two seasons. Ross was 11-8 last year at 174, while Webster was 13-15 at 184. Zander, who is still competing for the starting position at 197 with fellow freshman Jim Martin, brings solid experience after qualifying for the New Jersey state championships as a senior at Gateway Regional High School last winter.
The Patriots are looking to rebound from a sub-par 2-12 dual-meet record last season, including a 2-6 mark in the CAA and a seventh-place finish at the CAA Championships. In the 12-year history of CAA wrestling, George Mason has won five conference championships (1992, 1995-97, 2001) and produced 40 NCAA qualifiers, including All-Americans in John Curtis (eighth at 190 pounds in 1992, seventh in 1993) and Matt Finacchio (eighth at 126 in 1995).
