Dec. 31, 2003

EVANSTON, Ill. - George Mason sent senior wrestlers Rob Becker, Adrian Austin and Sean Early to the 41st annual Midlands Championships, held Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 29-30, at the Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern University. The prestigious event featured many of the top collegiate and amateur wrestlers in the nation.

A native of Mickleton, NJ and Clearview Regional High School, Becker, who is ranked ninth by Amateur Wrestling News and 12th by InterMat at 141 pounds, officially entered his first Midlands Championship tournament as the No. 6 seed, after being ranked ninth in the unofficial pre-tournament listings. He won his first two matches by decision to advance to the quarterfinals, where he fell to third-seeded Cliff Moore of West Virginia, 7-3. He would drop his opening round consolation bout, 5-0, to the No. 10 seed Andy Simmons of Michigan State. Becker's record moves to 15-4 on the season.

Austin, wrestling at 149 and officially seeded eighth at the event, also won his first round of 32 match by decision, but fell in his round of 16 bout by a narrow 6-5 margin to the No. 9 seed, Josh Wooten of Northern Illinois. The Colonial Heights, VA native and graduate of Matoaca High School, who is ranked 15th by InterMat and 19th by Amateur Wrestling News, moved on the consolation bracket, where he won two more matches before dropping an 8-0 major decision to Penn State's Matt Storniolo, who was seeded 10th. Austin improves his overall mark to 16-6 on the season.

Sean Early, who hails from Virginia Beach, VA and Kempsville High School, fell in his opening match at 165 pounds to the No. 10 seed from Hofstra, Ralph Everett, by a 10-2 major decision. Early won his opening consolation bout 5-1, but dropped his next match, 8-3.

George Mason continues its tournament schedule Saturday, Jan. 3, at the Millersville Invitational in Millersville, PA. The Patriots enter their dual match season Friday, Jan. 16, when they host Virginia Military Institute at the John Linn Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.