First-year head coach Joe Russell
has officially released the schedule for the 2011-2012 George Mason wrestling
season. The schedule features conference matchups on the road against
Binghamton and Drexel, as well as matchups against Maryland and Virginia just
before the CAA and NCAA Championships.
"The early Open tournaments will let
us evaluate and prepare for the dual meet season," said Russell. "The guys
will be tested and hopefully it will help them grow so they will be ready for
the dual meet season and tournament time in March."
Mason will look to take advantage of
their seven home matches this season, beginning with American on December 10th
and ending with a February 16th match against Maryland. "It's
always good to wrestle at home, so to have that many competitions at the RAC is
going to be a big benefit to the guys," remarked Russell. "The conference
tournament is on the road this year at Binghamton which will be an exciting
time for the guys. We want them to be prepared to compete to qualify for
the NCAA Championships in St Louis. Our home matches in the middle of the
year will do a lot to help prepare our team for the conference and national
tournament."
With the beginning of the season
less than 60 days away, Russell is looking for physical improvements in the
weight room and mental preparation for the long season that is quickly
approaching.
"I want them to have a sense of
urgency to get ready for these early competitions," said Russell. "Right now
we're doing strength and conditioning in the morning. Guys are also
starting to get themselves back on the mat and get their legs underneath them
again. I see the countdown to the first match everyday on the website and
it gets me excited. I want the team to be excited and fired up for the
season to start as well."
Tickets for all wrestling meets are $5
for adults and $2 for youth (18 & under). Tickets are available for
purchase near the entrance to the RAC Gym beginning one hour prior to the start
of the meet. Groups of 15 or more can purchase discounted tickets in
advance through the Athletic Ticket Office. For information on group
sales, please call 703-993-3270 or e-mail icatix@gmu.edu.
