WRESTLING at 2017 Navy Classic
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 18 | 10 a.m.
WHERE: Wesley Brown Field House | Annapolis, Md.
COVERAGE: Live scoring (FloWrestling) | Follow
@GMUWrestling on Twitter
PROJECTED SESSION TIMES: 10 a.m. preliminary rounds/2:30 p.m. semifinals/5 p.m. finals
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason wrestling team is back in action on Saturday, competing in the 40th annual Navy Classic beginning at 10 a.m. at Wesley Brown Field House in Annapolis, Md.
The Patriots will battle 16 teams for the Navy Classic championship. American, Brown, Bucknell, Campbell, The Citadel, Columbia, Delaware Valley, Hofstra, Indiana, Kent State, Ohio, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Princeton and Purdue will compete at this year's tournament.
"I think we'll see a good mix of competition there," Mason head coach
Frank Beasley said. "I'm excited to see where our guys are at across the board and some of the guys who haven't seen a lot of time yet getting matches in. I hope to see just about everybody and use it to help determine our lineup moving forward."
Mason finished ninth overall at the Navy Classic last season with 66.5 points. The Patriots had 10 different wrestlers combine to win 26 matches during the tournament.
Indiana won the tournament championship with a team score of 155.5, host Navy finished second (114.5) and Kent State was third (113.5). The Midshipmen have claimed the team title in 19 of the previous 39 years that the Navy Classic has been held, last winning the championship in 2011.
Mason junior
Tejon Anthony is one of 29 returning place-winners from last year's Navy Classic. He finished sixth at 141 pounds. Senior
Ibrahim Bunduka is seeded seventh at 125 pounds for this year's tournament.
Last year,
Sahid Kargbo won all four of his matches to claim the individual championship at 149 pounds.
Lio Quezada came back from a 9-5 deficit for a 10-9 decision in the round of 16 and then won three matches in the consolation round to take fifth at 133 pounds,
Matthew Raines picked up a 14-2 major decision in the round of 16 at 157 pounds and
Matthew Voss advanced to the quarterfinals at 285 pounds.
"Because of a few injuries, it's going to be a little tougher to do that because we don't have that many extra guys going," Beasley said. "Still, I want to see them out there fighting and competing. We have a lot of guys in our lineup that don't have a lot of college wrestling experience. They need to get experience in college matches and they need to be put in some adverse situations to learn to develop."
The preliminary rounds are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., semifinals at 2:30 p.m. and the finals are slated for 5 p.m.
