WRESTLING vs. Virginia
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: St. Christopher's School | Scott Gymnasium | Richmond, Va.
LIVE RESULTS: For live results follow on Twitter @GMUWrestling
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason wrestling team returns to action on Wednesday in the Rumble on the River, facing No. 24 Virginia at 7:30 p.m. in a neutral-site dual match hosted by St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Va.
Mason (1-6, 1-1 EWL) is back on the mat for the first time in 10 days. The Patriots lost a pair of duals on Dec. 9 at the Recreation and Athletic Complex in Fairfax, falling to North Dakota State 31-7 and Maryland 38-3.
"Our guys are just finishing up final exams, to get that stress behind them, now they can focus on wrestling," Mason head coach Joe Russell said. "To be at the Rumble on the River, it's a great promotion for wrestling in the state of Virginia and we want to help. We're excited that we are part of this event."
Mason is 1-1 on the road this season, equaling its road win total from last season, when the Patriots finished 1-5 away from home.
"For the fans to be able to see college wrestling is great for that part of the state," Russell added. "For Mason and Virginia to be there, it's a celebration of wrestling with all the events going on we're honored to be a part of it."
Seniors Sahid Kargbo (10-1) and Patrick Davis (7-7) along with sophomore Tejon Anthony (8-5) each earned a victory the last time Mason was on the mat. Kargbo, Anthony and Davis have each recorded three major decisions this season.
"Getting bonus points in team duals is huge," said Russell. "It also sparks your teammates. When you're trying to score points, it's fun for the fans to watch and also exciting for your team. Securing major decisions is very important for this program."
Virginia (4-2, 0-0 ACC) enters the dual ranked 24th in the latest USAToday/NWCA coaches poll.
"It's important to learn to find a way to win," Russell said. "Even if it's in an ugly match, sometimes you have to find a way. Keeping the guys positive and looking forward and doing a little self-review to figure out what we have to do to get better. We have to go out there with the belief that we can compete and that they have put in the preparation to earn the right to win."
Freshman Matthew Raines (5-7) at 157-pounds and classmate Garrett Tingen (1-6) at 165-pouinds, along with seniors Matt Meadows (1-4) at 197-pounds and Matthew Voss (3-7) at 285-pounds each notched a win the last time Mason wrestled on the road.
"It was great to get some time off and then come back to take on a tough Virginia team," Mason assistant coach Canaan Bethea said. "It was hard losing to teams we thought we could beat, but we teach having a positive mindset. Sometimes in a tough sport, you are going to take some tough losses. Being able to keep your head up and stay focused is what's important."
Not only will the Patriots and Cavaliers look to claim in-state bragging rights, Bethea will be coaching against his younger brother, Ray, who wrestles at 165-pounds for Virginia.
"Right away when he got to Virginia and I came to Mason we looked at the schedule and saw we were going to compete against each other," Bethea said. "This is what helped us get to this level. Competing against each other and pushing each other."
Ray and Canaan are two of seven brothers who all wrestled growing up and both went on to wrestle at the University of Pennsylvania. During his time at Penn, Canaan qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2013 and 2015. Ray was the 2012 New Jersey State Champion and went on to win 48 matches during his career at Penn and was named Second-Team All-Ivy in 2014.
"A lot of siblings will be there so it will be a little bit of a family reunion," Bethea said. "I wish somehow we could both win, but obviously that's not going to happen. I'll probably just keep my mouth shut for the match and hope for the best for both wrestlers and that they give 100-percent effort. That's what this sport is all about. It's about growing as people and I hope we all have a good time."
After graduating from Penn, Canaan has continued to train at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center and still competes at the international level.
"As much as we love each other, we are going to compete hard and give our best," Bethea said. "Both teams can't win but we both hope for the best for each other and we're going to have a lot of fun."
Mason Probable Starters:
125: Fr. Trevor Mello (Gainsville, Va./Battlefield) 2-7
133: Fr. Lio Quezada (Winchester, Va./John Handley) 7-9
141: R-So. Tejon Anthony (Baltimore, Md./Western Tech) 8-5
149: R-Sr. Sahid Kargbo (Alexandria, Va./Hayfield) 10-1
157: R-Fr. Matthew Raines (Warrenton, Va./Fauquier) 5-7
165: Fr. Garrett Tingen (Mineral, Va./Fauquier) 1-6
174: R-Sr. Patrick Davis (Bridgeville, Del./N.C. State) 7-7
184: R-So. Austin Harrison (Baltimore, Md./Western Tech) 0-4
-or- Jr. Daniel Mika (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) 3-6
197: R-Sr. Matt Meadows (Medina, Ohio/Cuyohoga Valley Christian Academy) 1-4
HWT: R-So. Matthew Voss (Edgewood, WA/Puyallup) 3-7
Scouting Virginia:
The Cavaliers have won their last four dual matches, defeating Lock Haven 24-16 and Maryland 22-13 on Nov. 20 in Charlottesville, Va., recording a 22-18 win over Gardner-Webb on Dec. 2 in Boiling Springs, N.C. and posting a 34-11 victory over Chattanooga on Dec. 4 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The Cavaliers recorded three falls and two technical falls, winning five of the first six matches against Chattanooga.
Virginia dropped its first two duals of the season, falling 24-9 at Michigan on Nov. 11 and 22-10 at Central Michigan on Nov. 13.
The Cavaliers, ranked 24th overall in the latest polls, have three wrestlers ranked in the top-20 in the nation.
Freshman Jack Mueller (10-0) is ranked #11 at 125 pounds, with eight of his victories earning bonus points. He has recorded six technical falls, one pin and one major decision.
Senior George DiCamillo (7-0) is ranked #10 at 141 pounds, with three major decisions and two pins among his seven victories. Junior Andrew Atkinson is ranked #18 at 157 pounds.
Virginia holds an all-time record of 4-1 at the "Rumble on the River".
University of Virginia Probable Starters:
125: Fr. #11 Jack Mueller (Dallas, Texas/Trinity Christian Academy)
133: R-Sr. Will Mason (Virginia Beach, Va./Cape Henry Collegiate School)
141: R-Sr. #10 George DiCamillo (Highland Heights, Ohio/St. Ignatius)
149: GS Chris Yankowich (Norristown, Pa./Germantown Academy)
157: R-Jr. #18 Andrew Atkinson (Lynchburg, Va./Liberty Christian Academy)
165: GS Ray Bethea (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Central High School)
174: R-Sr. M.J. Roberson (Richmond, Va./Hermitage High School)
- or – R-Jr. Drew Hull (Gasport, N.Y./Roy-Hart High School)
184: R-So. Will Schany (Blair, Neb./Blair High School)
197: R-So. Chance McClure (Commerce, Ga./Commerce High School)
285: GS Chuck Boddy (Abingdon, Pa./Germantown Academy)
