WRESTLING at 2016 Navy Classic

WHEN:  Saturday, Nov. 19
WHERE:  Wesley Brown Field House in Annapolis, Md.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS:  Binghamton, Brown, Bucknell, Campbell, The Citadel, Delaware Valley, George Mason, Indiana, Johns Hopkins, Kent State, Navy and Ohio
LIVE SCORING:  FloArena will provide live scoring on its web site.

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason wrestling team is back in action on Saturday when it travels to Annapolis, Md. to compete in the Navy Classic.

The Patriots will be on the mat for the second time in less than 48 hours after suffering a 35-6 loss to Indiana on Thursday at the Recreation and Athletic Complex.

"The quick turnaround will be a benefit for us," Mason head coach Joe Russell said.  "To be able to get back on the mat after Thursday night is a positive.  It's an honor to be able to compete at the Naval Academy.  There are some great schools that are going to be at this event, so our guys have a chance to make a statement for why they deserve to be in the national tournament."

Last season, Tejon Anthony took third in 141 lbs. and Matthew Voss finished fourth overall in the heavyweight division at the Navy Classic, with Mason finishing eighth overall with 60.5 total points. 

Princeton won the tournament last season with 139 points, while Navy placed fourth with 86.5 points.  The Midshipmen last won the tournament in 2011, but have claimed the team title in 19 of the previous 38 years that the Navy Classic has been held.

Mason will take on 11 teams at this year's tournament.  Binghamton, Brown, Bucknell, Campbell, The Citadel, Delaware Valley, Indiana, Johns Hopkins, Kent State, Navy and Ohio provide the competition at this year's event.

"Early on it's more individual, so each wrestler has to go through his individual bracket," Russell said of the tournament format.  "The team race happens later and gets more important in the semifinals and finals.  It's how our qualifier for the national tournament is run, it's all done through individual brackets.  This is a true test for what they're going to have to do with qualifying for nationals and to get on the podium at the national tournament."

This year's Navy Classic features seven wrestlers who are ranked in the top-16 in the nation, with at least one in six of the 10 weight classes.    

The Patriots look to rebound from their loss to Indiana and could face some of the same opponents as Thursday, with the Hoosiers also making the trip to Annapolis to compete in the tournament.

"There's a greater sense of urgency and learning going on," Russell said.  "It's business-like and I like seeing them take the initiative to try and work through the issues they had on Thursday and get better."

In the first dual of the season, Mason senior captain Sahid Kargbo (149 lbs.) and Anthony (141 lbs.) both won their matches against Indiana.

"We're going to be excited and I want our guys to focus on scoring and have a good time out there on the mat," Mason assistant coach Canaan Bethea said.  "We know that we are doing the right things and moving in the right direction.  We have the opportunity to learn from our match against Indiana and improve right away."

The preliminary rounds at the Navy Classic are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. and the finals at 5 p.m.