Fairfax, Va. – George Mason wrestler DJ McGee earned a fourth-place finish at the 59^th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern University.

The redshirt freshman tied the second-best finish in program history at the prestigious tournament represented by 42 wrestling programs. It's the best finish since Donnie Deflillipis (141) earned second in the 2000 tournament. Other Patriots with top 5 finishes at the event include Johnny Curtis finishing fourth in 1991 and Greg Flourney on the podium with a fifth place finish in the 2015 tournament. Patriot wrestler Nathan Higley did not compete in this year's tournament, but finished eighth in 2022.

Seeded ninth in the 157-pound bracket, McGee won his first three matches before falling to top-seed and #4 ranked Jacori Teemer from Arizona State University in sudden victory.  He began the tournament with bonus point wins, a fall against Logan Swaw, (1:02), and a major decision against Wisconsin's Cavin Model, 10-1. He followed that with a 4-2 decision against 8-seed Alex Hornfeck from West Virginia, 4-2. 

In the wrestleback bracket, McGee earned decisions against Princeton's Rocco Camillaci, Harvard's James Harrington, and #26 Johnny Lovett from Central Michigan to earn a spot in the third-place match. Penn's Lucas Revano edged Mcgee in the third place match, 4-2. He finished with a 6-2 overall record in the event improving to 18-3 overall this season.

Graduate student Paul Pierce finished with a 4-2 record in the 174-pound class. After SUIE's Dominic Lopez edged Pierce, 5-4, in the opening match, Pierce won four straight matches, including a major decision against MAC opponent Hayden Trezek from SIEU.

MASON RESULTS
133 –   Lucian Brink (UNI) MD Brandon Wittenberg, 12-4
            Gable Porter (UVA UA) dec. Wittenberg, SV-1 8-6
 
141 –   Dominic Hargrove (GMU) fall Hunter Mason (UA), (0:42)
            Dylan Layton (Cle. St) dec. Hargrove, 6-2
            Consolation -- Christia White (Purdue) dec. Hargrove, 3-2
 
157 –   DJ McGee (Fourth Place)
            DJ McGee (GMU) fall Logan Swaw (UA) – (1:02)
            DJ McGee MD Gavin Model (UW), 10-1
            DJ McGee dec. Alex Hornfeck (WVA), 4-2
            (#1seed) Jacori Teemer (ASU) dec. McGee, SV-1, 4-1
            McGee dec. Rocco Camillaci (Princeton), 2-2
            McGee dec. James Harrington (Harvard), SV-1 4-1
            McGee dec. Johnny Lovett (CMU), 2-2
           Lucas Revano dec. McGee, 4-2
 
157 –   Loranzo Rajaonarivelo MD Emanuel Oliver (Morton Col.), 10-0
            James Harrington (Harvard) MD L. Rajaonarivelo, 11-3
            Cons- N. Sanko (UVA) dec. Rajaonarivelo, 8-3
 
157 –   Munktug Zuubayan (UNI) dec. JT Chance, 8-4
            S. Hall (Cle. St.) dec. Chance, SV-1, 6-9

174 –    Joseph Martin (NU) dec. Sean Coughlin (GMU) – 10-5
            Coughlin dec. Blake Hinrichsen (Cal Poly), 7-3
            Jared Stricker (UW-Eau Clair) fall Coughlin, (2:01)
 
174 –   Dominic Lopez (SUIE UA) dec. Paul Pierce, 5-4
            Pierce MD Hayden Trezek (SIUE), 11-1
            Pierce dec. Shay Addison (ASU), 9-5
            Pierce dec. Justin Phillips (Cal B), 3-2
            Pierce dec. Mason Reiniche (Ore. UA), SV-1 4-1
            Brody Conley (WVA) MD Pierce, 14-2
 
184 --   Malachi DuVall (GMU) MD Matt McKenna (Mich.), 12-3
            James Conway (F&M) MD DuVall, 16-4
            Niel Antrassian (Penn RTC) MD DuVall, 15-2
 
285 –  Jimmy Mullen (UVA UA) dec. Donovan Sprouse (GMU) (1:07)
            Josh Terrell (MSU) MD Sprouse, 15-3


RESULTS:  TrackWrestling

Up Next: The Patriots will compete against the Virginia Cavaliers at St. Christopher's School in Richmond on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 3 pm.