FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason redshirt sophomore DJ McGee was selected as the East Wrestler of the Week, announced by the Mid-American Conference.

McGee placed second in the 157 pound weight class at the 60th version of the prestigious Ken Kraft Midlands Championships that featured 37 men's programs. McGee won four straight matches defeating wrestlers from Michigan State, Stanford, Harvard (nationally ranked Harrington), and Lehigh before facing familiar foe Johnny Lovett from Central Michigan. Lovett posted a 3-2 tie-breaker 2 victory against McGee in the championship match. 

The redshirt sophomore became only the second George Mason Patriot to compete in the championship final. Donnie DeFilippis (141) finished second in the 2000 Midlands Championships.

It's the third time McGee has been selected for the award, winning the weekly award twice last season.

It's the second conference award this season by a Mason wrestler. Logan Messer won the weekly honor (12/10).

Next up for the Patriots is the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jan. 10-11.

MAC Co-West Division Wrestlers of the Week
Blake West, Northern Illinois, Redshirt-Junior, 125 lbs.

West went 4-1 and defeated a pair of ranked opponents as he took second place at the 60th Midlands Championships. West opened his appearance at the two-day tournament with a bye in the 125-pound bracket, West defeated Patrick Adams of Northwestern in a 10-2 major decision. West posted a 6-3 decision over Ben Monn of George Mason before defeating No. 29 Princeton's Ethan Rivera in a 7-1 decision. West defeated No. 17 Max Gallagher of Penn in a 6-3 decision in the semifinals to reach the championship bout. West, who is ranked No. 26 in Intermat, faced off against No. 18 Dean Peterson of Rutgers in the championship, falling 8-7 to take runner-up honors.

Johnny Lovett, Central Michigan, graduate Student, 157 lbs.

Central Michigan's Johnny Lovett went 4-0 to win the 157-pound division at the prestigious Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern, in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Lovett, a graduate student who is ranked 19th nationally by FloWrestling and 21st by InterMat, posted a 3-2 tie-breaker 2 victory over George Mason's D.J. McGee in the championship match. McGee is ranked 25th by InterMat, 28th by FloWrestling and was second in the MAC preseason rankings. Lovett was ranked third in the MAC preseason rankings. Lovett, who is 11-3 on the season, opened the tournament with back-to-back major decision victories and then defeated Dylan Evans of Pitt, 5-2, in the semifinals.