Nov. 18, 2004
FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason University's wrestling team begins its 2004-05 season on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Navy Classic on the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The Patriots will be one of nine teams competing at the all-day event, which features individual tournament style matches in each weight class.
From WrestlingReport.com (by Allan Brown and Ivan Pagan):
"This season's Classic will feature the following nine teams: Campbell, Duquesne, George Mason, McDaniel, Navy, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia. The team race could be between host Navy and the WVU Mountaineers. Look for the Virginia Tech Hokies, the Rutgers' Scarlet Knights, and the North Carolina State Wolf Pack, also to be in the hunt for the crown.
"The George Mason Patriots, Duquesne Dukes, and the Campbell College Camels have young, high-potential squads. Eight of the nine entrants are NCAA Division I programs. McDaniel College, however, competes in Division III. McDaniel's team adds huge local interest coming from Westminster, MD, and having many former Maryland high school wrestlers in their program."
"Our team is extremely young, but loaded with potential," expressed head coach Brian Shaffer, who enters his 10th year with the Patriots with a 61-53 record and his 13th overall as a head coach (87-73-1). "If our wrestlers develop as expected, we may surprise a few teams by the end of the year."
George Mason is projected to finish seventh in the Colonial Athletic Association race, and four individuals are among the top six wrestlers in their respective weight classes after voting conducted by the 11 CAA head coaches in October.
The Patriots are looking to rebound from a sub-par 4-9 dual-meet record last season, including a 3-5 mark in the CAA, and an improved fourth-place showing at the CAA Championships. In the 13-year history of CAA wrestling, George Mason has won five conference championships (1992, 1995-97, 2001) and produced 42 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).
