Nov. 20, 2004

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - George Mason University's wrestling team began its 2004-05 season Saturday at the Navy Classic on the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The Patriots finished in sixth place with 69.5 points, while Navy won the meet with 202.5 points. Junior Joel Caruso (Collingswood, N.J.) made the finals in the heavyweight division as he fell to Navy's Tanner Garrett, 6-2. Sophomore David Emison (Stafford, Va.) placed third at 133 pounds.

Unseeded Caruso, who hadn't wrestled collegiately since 1996, showed little signs of rust as he persevered through four grueling matches leading up to his second place finish. He topped Navy's Ed Pendergast, 7-6, in the first round and bested Rutgers' John Slevin, 6-3, in the quarterfinals. Caruso posted his biggest win in the semifinals, edging top-seed and seventh-ranked (InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association) Mike Faust, 3-2. The battle with Faust took a lot out of Caruso, whose run ended in the finals with the loss to Tanner, who is rated 18th nationally by Amateur Wrestling News.

Emison, who was the No. 4 seed at 133, posted a 16-0 first round major decision over Andrew Carby, but was pinned (2:20) by N.C. State's Jeff Breese in his quarterfinal match. Reenergized in the consolation bracket, Emison logged four consecutive victories en route to his third-place showing, including a 19-4 technical fall win in a rematch against Breese in the consolation final.

Also placing at the meet was Mason junior captain Brian Smith (Haymarket, Va.), who finished sixth at 149 pounds with a record of 2-3, and No. 4 seed senior captain Nick Webster (Towanda, Pa.), who was also sixth at 174, going 1-3. Freshman Randy Oates (Owings, Md.) recorded a medical forfeit win at 165 to earn fifth place (3-2).

In other Patriot action, freshman Joe Coughlin (Horsham, Pa.) competed at 125 with a 1-2 mark, while sophomore Robert Henry (Dumfries, Va.) totaled a 1-2 record at 149. Sophomore Mitch Webster (Towanda, Pa.) and freshman Tyler Tisdell (Sewell, N.J.) each saw action at 157 pounds, finishing 1-2 and 2-2, respectively. Mason freshman Matt Moyer (Elizabethtown, Pa.) registered a 2-2 record at 165 and sophomore Jim Martin (Forty Fort, Pa.) went 0-2 at 184 pounds. Freshman Mike Eastman (Jefferson, N.J.) notched a 1-2 mark at 197 pounds.

George Mason next heads to Las Vegas, Nev. Dec. 3-4 for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.

FINALS
125 - Garrett Cummings (NCSU) def. Justin Staylor, 13-11 (sv)
133 - Sam Gray (Navy) def. #16 David Hoffman (Va. Tech), 4-2
141 - Nate Gulosh (Navy) def. #5 Brandon Lauer (WVU), 9-5
149 - John Cox (Navy) def. Chris Deluca (NCSU), 9-6
157 - #10 Matt Lebe (WVU) def. Greg Zannetti (Rutgers), 10-8
165 - #15 Chris Stith (Va. Tech) def. #19 Zac Fryling (WVU), 3-2
174 - #7 Andy Roy (Rutgers) def. Kevin Gabrielson (NCSU), MD 8-0
184 - Chris Ressa (Rutgers) def. Steve Borja (Va. Tech), 12-7
197 - Thayer Paxton (Navy) def. Andrew Adams (Navy), Fall 6:30
HWT - Tanner Garrett (Navy) def. Joel Caruso (Mason), 6-2

TEAM SCORES (Agate): (1) Navy, 202.5; (2) Va. Tech, 152; (3) N.C. State, 126; (4) Rutgers, 122.5; (5) West Virginia, 90.5; (6) George Mason, 69.5; (7) Duquesne, 30.5; (8) Campbell, 1