2017 NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WHEN: Thursday, March 16 | Session I: 12 p.m. (ESPNU)
Session II: 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, March 17 | Session I: 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Session II: 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, March 18 | Session I: 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Session II: 8 p.m. (ESPN)
WHERE: Scottrade Center | St. Louis, Mo.
DAILY SCHEDULE | BRACKETS | BROADCAST INFORMATION | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
ST. LOUIS, MO. – The George Mason wrestling team will send two student-athletes to the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, with senior
Sahid Kargbo and junior
Ibrahim Bunduka, both national qualifiers, on the mat competing for national titles beginning Thursday, March 16 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
Kargbo, a native of Alexandria, Va., finished the season with a record of 29-3 and earned bonus points in 15 of his 31 bouts. He recorded 12 major decisions, two technical falls and one fall during the season.
Bunduka, from Alexandria, Va., had a 22-5 record during the season, with six of his wins by major decision and three by technical fall.
"I'm excited for Sahid and Ibrahim," Mason head coach
Joe Russell said. "They've put in the time and done the work. We watched a lot of sunrises together. It's special to see them go to the NCAA Championships to compete. We've been training all year for this event, so they will be ready to go on Thursday."
Both wrestlers were named the Eastern Wrestling League's Wrestler of the Week during the season.
Kargbo finished second at 149 pounds at the Eastern Wrestling League Championships at Nelson Field House in Bloomsburg, Pa. to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
"I'm going to go back to the point of the process and buying into the system," Kargbo said. "Coach Russell has coached multiple national championship teams, national champions and All-Americans. He knows exactly what he's doing. The reason why I came to George Mason is because I saw that he was going to be the coach."
Both Kargbo and Bunduka have thrived in tournament settings throughout the season.
Kargbo went 5-0, including three major decisions to win the Lock haven Classic on Dec. 29, 2016. He didn't allow a point against him over his first three matches in the tournament.
Kargbo opened the day with a 9-0 major decision over Darren Ostradner (VMI) in the round of 32 and defeated Will Verallis (Old Dominion) by 6-0 decision in the round of 16. He then followed with back-to-back major decisions, defeating Nicholas Maher (Franklin & Marshall) 10-0 in the quarterfinals and beat Pat Duggan (Lock Haven) 12-2 in the semifinals.
Kargbo also won all four of his matches to claim the title at 149 pounds at the Navy Classic in November.
"This is what they have been working for and to see it is certainly exciting," Mason assistant coach
Mark Weader said. "In terms of preparation, it's the same. It's still wrestling and they have more work to do and goals to meet in the national tournament. It's a bigger stage and they are going to feel a little extra adrenaline and need to be prepared for that."
With the spotlight on 87th NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis beginning Thursday for the opening matches, the Mason coaching staff is confident that Kargbo and Bunduka won't feel any extra pressure.
"I don't think they will and we try to keep the same routine," said Weader of the preparation leading up to the championships. "The same mentality of going out and scoring points and having fun. The results will take care of themselves. They've wrestled at big tournaments before. Sahid has won in Greco-Roman, freestyle at the national level and Ibrahim enjoys the big match and gets excited."
Kargbo will look to draw from his experience this weekend when he faces one of the best wrestlers in the nation at 149 pounds in his first match.
"The biggest thing for me especially when it comes to competing at major events like the NCAA tournament is I like to stay loose," said Kargbo. "I'm still focused, but I want to have a good attitude about it. If I start trying to focus too much on who I'm wrestling then I'll start tightening up. It's my last competition for George Mason, so I want to have as much fun as possible and go out and do what I need to do to get myself on the podium. I know it's possible and I know I will do it."
Kargbo will take on Missouri senior Lavion Mayes, who enters the NCAA Championships as the third seed at 149 pounds and has earned All-America honors each of the last two seasons.
Kargbo isn't taking the opportunity for granted.
"It's not coming in saying I'm going to do this today and I'm going to get this tomorrow," Kragbo said of his journey to the NCAA Championships. "It's coming in and I'm going to do this for five years in a row to get to this point. I think my career has been a pretty good show of doing the right thing day-in and day-out and making it to the national tournament my senior year, which has been a goal of mine for quite some time now."
Bunduka, who began wrestling mid-season this year, finished the EWL Championships with two wins at 125 pounds to punch his ticket to the nationals.
"Coach Russell told me to do the right things and that's what I did," Bunduka said. "Coming back I was focused and ready to go because in my mind I didn't want to give this up again. Every match I wrestled hard and did what I was supposed to do."
The approach and the work paid off for the Mason junior, who took the top spot on the podium at the Lock Haven Classic. He won all three of his matches to claim the title at 125 pounds in his season debut.
He opened the tournament with a 10-5 decision over Audey Ashkar (Binghamton) in the quarterfinals, posted a 5-2 decision over Dalton Henderson (VMI) in the semifinals and was aggressive in a dominant 8-2 decision over Sam Badua (Army West Point) to win the tournament title.
At the NCAA Championships, Bunduka will be facing a familiar foe when he takes on Edinboro sophomore Sean Russell (32-6), who is seeded seventh and has two prior victories this season over Bunduka.
"I have the same thought process," said Bunduka of facing an EWL opponent at the NCAA Championships. "Last time it was close and this time, I already know what he's going to do. I've been training and getting ready for it. I'm going to go out there and wrestle as hard as I can and get into a position where I know what I am going to do."
Even though the two wrestlers will be facing each other for the third time this season, Bunduka doesn't plan to change his style.
"I'm going to go out there and get the first takedown," Bunduka said of the matchup. "In a tournament, whoever gets the first takedown ends up winning. If I get that first takedown and build up some riding time, if he gets an escape I'm going to take him down again."
When asked if he was going to give his wrestlers any advice before they stepped in the circle at the NCAA Championships, the coach was quick to respond, never taking his eyes off of his two grapplers.
"I'm giving it to them right now," Russell said as he and his two wrestlers stood in the Mason wrestling room. "Everybody is zero and zero, there are tons of upsets at this tournament. It will happen. From the first whistle to the last whistle, there will be some crazy stuff that happens and you be the guys to get it done. Be the guy. Go out there and enjoy the moment and take advantage of it. Do what you've been doing and something special is going to happen."
Russell has assisted in coaching three NCAA championship teams, 11 individual national champions, 31 individual conference champions and 84 All-America honorees. But when looking ahead to the 2017 National Championships, the coach directed the spotlight on the two who will step on the mat.
"It's about them and I'm excited for them to have the opportunity," Russell said. "I've seen a lot of guys go there, unseeded like these guys and walk away as All-Americans. I've seen guys with losing records win national titles and become All-Americans. Sahid and Ibrahim have great records, so they are definitely capable of getting there. I want them to enjoy the environment, have good memories and enjoy the experience. If they are just out there reacting and wrestling as hard as they can, that's when good things will happen. I know they'll do something special."
The 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships begin on Thursday, March 16 at 12 p.m. at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
