Davidson, SIUE, VMI

This past weekend, we were able to experience 3 consecutive team dual meet wins. I was pleased the guys were able to come together as a group, wrestle for each other and see some of the fruits to the effort they put forth in their preparation and during their bouts.

On Friday we wrestled at Davidson College for the mythical Atlantic 10 Dual Meet Championship. We brought our traveling trophy with us and Rene, our great bus driver, made sure he warned us if we didn’t get to keep it, he wasn’t going to drive us back home. We won the dual 8 matches to 2. The 2 bouts we lost were disappointing because we lost both in overtime. We need to find ways to win the close overtime bouts. We train too hard not to win in overtime. The dual meet started at 184 and Austin Harrison did a great job leading the team. He scored at the end of the 1st period, where his opponent did not have the opportunity to earn an escape point. In the 2nd period he rode his opponent for the entire round. Before the meet we talked about being extra stingy on top. Austin was stingy. We also talked about winning the 3rd period which Austin did scoring an escape and another takedown. Matt Meadows, Matt Voss, Ibrahim Bunduka, Logan Harvich (his debut at 141) and Sahid Kargbo all scored bonus points for their team. It was a good team win.

After the dual at Davidson, Rene drove us to Lexington, Virginia. The next morning we started the day against a tough Southern Illinois Edwardsville team. I thought it was our best team performance thus far of the year. Our attitude and effort was great. We won the bout 6 matches to 4. Ibrahim Bunduka and Sahid Kargbo both beat returning Southern Conference Champions. Lio Quezada and Tejon Anthony had come from behind wins. Matt Raines scored a fall that had our entire bench jumping for joy. Austin Harrison sealed the victory for the team with a shutout victory. Unfortunately, Pat Davis was hurt in his bout and had to injury default.

In our final dual of the weekend, we faced VMI. The dual turned out to be a nail bitter as we split 5 matches a piece. We jumped out to a huge lead after the first four bouts (Ibrahim Bunduka won by forfeit; Lio Quezada won another come from behind bout with an impressive and ultimately a team winning pin; Tejon Anthony barely missed getting a major decision win; and Sahid Kargbo won by a technical fall). We lost the next 5 bouts and so the dual meet victory fell to the hands of Matt Voss. Fortunately, Matt Voss came thru with a pin for us to win the dual.

We made it safely back to campus and began preparations for our next competition. As an added bonus to the successful trip, a few of the guys were able to bring the trophy with them to show Eric, our teammate via Team Impact, as they visited Eric in the hospital. I hope holding the trophy was enjoyable for Eric.

I look forward to the team building on the successes and learning from the failures from the weekend. We will compete at home in the RAC on Sunday, January 15 at 2pm against Cleveland State University in an Eastern Wrestling League dual. I hope we get a home mat advantage as the team tries to extend their win streak to 4 in a row.

Post Final Exams and Lock Haven Classic

The ups and downs of being a college coach can be extreme. Your job is on public display. Often you get too much credit when things go well or when they go the other direction. I try to impart on the team knowledge I have learned and principles I hope lead them down the correct path to success. I try to give them the answers to how to be successful on the mat, in the classroom and in life.

Before a guy joins our team, I try to be upfront with the rules and expectations. I want to know they have similar goals. I need to know they will make good life decisions, give their best effort, have a great attitude and plan on getting their degree. Guys who don’t promise these things do not join the team.

Once guys are on the team, I get to see who puts actions to their promises. Sadly, I often learn what was promised is not given. I understand I need to continue to teach and all of us make mistakes, so I try to guide the guys as best I can. I hope they improve. I hope they learn. Often it is just the hope their mistakes won’t be as great as to destroy their career, negatively affect the team, negatively affect the program and quite honestly my job.

I was able to take off back to back days on Christmas Eve and Christmas. It is a rarity as a college coach to get days off. I struggle taking days off, because you really can do something every day. Nevertheless, I forced myself to put my cell phone down and concentrate on spending time with my wife and son. Don’t get me wrong, Taft and I wrestled both days, but it was just for fun and laughter.

After the rest, it was time to prepare for the second part of the season. As I started to get more information about final grades, some of the lies I had been told during the school year were now known. I struggle to understand the lie all know will be found out eventually, why it is said. By deferring the truth, often the situation only gets worse. Sadly, we had guys do poorly in the classroom. All of our guys can be successful. None of them were special admits to college. All possess the skills to earn a degree. The institution and athletic department invest heavily in academic support. If the guys want or need help, they can get it. Our failures are the ones caused by making bad decisions.

When I don’t know the truth, it is really hard to assist. We need to do a better job of developing our core. We need to protect our integrity. Saving our honor is a precious gift we can give to others and our self. Too often we fall short. At our initial team meeting I talk to the team about doing what is right. I also give them the following from Tony Dungy’s book Uncommon:

Keys for developing your core
1. Remember that what you do when no one is watching matters
2. The means matter as much as the ends, if not more
3. Hang in there. Character is revealed through adversity
4. Often we grow as much through the little things as we do through the big ones
5. Truth is critical. Being truthful is too.
6. Don’t rationalize your way around honesty
7. Don’t blow your own horn
8. Don’t be falsely modest; you have amazing gifts. Just recognize that others do too
9. You are important, but not indispensable. The same goes for others. See yourself as a significant part of the process
10. Be careful what you do with your resources, gifts, time, and talents. You’ve been entrusted with them
11. Some of the most rewarding times in life are when you have to stand alone, even if you are uncomfortable doing so
12. Life is hard. Courage is essential
13. Never give up. Never

During the recruiting process, at our initial team meeting, at our individual meetings and sprinkled in often during the semester we talk about what is required and what is expected of the guys on the team in regard to academics. We give them the road map to being successful in the class room. I am dismayed at the number of guys who choose not to heed the advice.

Part of being successful is just showing up. Attending class is mandatory. It is stated more than once in our team rules and Mason Way document. We do class checks to help give the guys a reason to make the walk from their bed to their class. We reward, admonish, encourage, and punish guys when it comes to getting to class. We speak about it almost daily, probably too much. Nevertheless, I have heard from several team members they did not attend all of their classes. Being successful in life, in work, in school, requires you to show up. I know by showing up, guys will significantly increase their odds of being successful. I also add, when I talk to the guys and in our keys to success, be on time, pay attention, sit in the front of the class, participate in class discussions, and getting to know the professor helps increase the odds of success. I wish more guys would listen. By showing up most guys can be successful in the class room.

Another key to being a successful student is to do what is required by the professor. The syllabus is a good road map for success. Handing in homework, on time meeting the requirements set forth, is an easy way to get a degree. Completing papers, on time meeting the requirements set forth, is an easy way to get a degree. Studying for, showing up for and finishing exams is an easy way to get a degree. It is disheartening when guys fail to do the bare minimum required by the professor. A little effort goes a long way.

Our lack of effort in the classroom has put our program and team in a dangerous place. I am frightened for the team and individuals on the team due to guys not showing up and doing what is required to be a college athlete. All of them agreed to the commitment required to be on a NCAA D1 team and to get a degree. Sadly, for some, they have given away the privileged place they were in for reasons I am confident they will look back on in disgust.

A large part of our program and my job is based upon our success in the class room. It is a tough pill to swallow as the truth slowly trickles out. My prayer for the team is they will make good life decisions so they can be successful. I hope we can string together one good decision after another, so we can sustain when the difficulties come our way and so we are better suited for success.

Even as some guys fail to meet expectations it is gratifying seeing guys rise to excellence. We have guys buying into what we are trying to teach them on and off the mat. I am convinced, if they follow the principles we are teaching, they can do great things. They have been given the answers to how to be a successful student-athlete. Belief in the System, Trust in the Program, is what is needed.

We had 15 guys compete at the Lock Haven Classic. 3 guys went unattached. I love it when guys choose to compete on their own. It lets me know they want to get better and they are actively trying to improve. It was an extra benefit they chose this tournament because we were able to watch them compete.

Kyle DiNapoli wrestled unattached and competed for the first time this year. He was not able to compete during fall semester as he was fighting illnesses. All who watched him were impressed. He has a high wrestling IQ. His future is bright.

Devin Rolon wrestled unattached. He did not make weight, so he had to bump up to heavy weight. He needs to learn how to properly prepare for weigh ins. Missing weight is unacceptable. Nevertheless, he was able to get his first college win and did so by pin.

Philip Stolfi also wrestled unattached. He finished the day in 2nd place with a 3-1 record at the 184lb weight class. All 3 of his wins were by pin. He had a come from behind pin in the semi-finals that had our team on their feet cheering. His desire to get better is noticeable by the extra things he does. I tell the guys who are red shirting it is a good plan to get at least 20 matches in Open competitions (most do not). Philip has already gotten in 15 matches this season. He is having an impressive red shirt year. I have been most impressed by his discipline. He shows up, works hard, and is consistent. Thus far, from the grades I have seen, he will most likely win our freshman team academic award as well.

We had 12 guys wrestle for the team. Overall we had a good performance. I think we got better by competing. 3 of the 12 guys competing were at 125lbs. I wanted to use the tournament as a wrestle off. I prefer to have outside competitions dictate the starting line up.

Quinton Tucker finished the day 0-2, but I was pleased with his performance from an attitude and effort level. He lost 2 very close matches. We are fortunate to have Quinton on this team as he works hard in life, in the classroom and on the mat.

Trevor Mello finished the day 1-2. He did a good job in the match he won by finding ways to score and ultimately finding a way to win. On the down side, when he lost, he lost by pin. I am confident he will continue to get better as he is willing to put in the work. He impressed the academic counseling staff during the semester by the effort he put in during study hall. He was seen in the building more than most and took advantage of the resources offered even when it was not required. He has a good handle on what needs to be done to be successful.

Ibrahim Bunduka made his debut for the season a great one. He finished the day 3-0. He wrestled with enthusiasm. He loves to compete and it showed. He spent most of his matches trying to find ways to score. When you are thinking about scoring points you are thinking about the right things.

We had two guys compete at 133 – Logan Harvich and Lio Quezada. Both had a tough day. I know both are capable of much more. Their struggles were a combination of technical and mental mistakes.

Logan Harvich finished the day 0-2. It was easy to see from the sideline he was thinking bad thoughts when he competed. He was worried about what the other guy was doing. Fear ruled as opposed to belief. Logan can wrestle a hard pace. He needs to use his pace to his advantage. He knows good technique and how to execute it. During competition he needs to put it to use.

Lio Quezada finished the day 1-2. He works too hard to not see the rewards on the mat. For a true freshman in the starting lineup, it is a daunting task. It can be hard on your confidence and hard physically. Lio is banged up, but needs to know he can do great things. He needs to keep learning high percentage techniques and strategies. He lost positions and points this weekend due to making incorrect decisions. As he wrestles more college matches, he will have the ability to overcome his current mistakes. Belief in himself and the program will help him gain ground on his competition.

Tejon Anthony was our lone entrant at 141. He finished the day in 2nd place with a 3-1 record. I enjoy watching Tejon compete in part due to his demeanor. He does a great job of staying in the moment and competing with a sense of calm and confidence. He was another guy who won a match with a pin. It was fun to see guys helping raise money for the program by pinning their opponents.

Sahid Kargbo won the 149lb weight class in a dominate manner. He decided to work on riding his opponents during the event. Ride he did. He scored a riding time point in all 5 matches he wrestled. In 3 of the 5 matches, he shut out his opponents. He outscored his opponents 46-4 giving up only points via escape. His growth as a wrestler is fun to watch. He keeps adding to his skill set. Sahid is leading his team well. He is providing a positive example of what to do on and off the mat.

Matt Raines finished 1-2 at 157. I know he was disappointed with his results, but his effort was positive to see. He did a good job of pushing the pace in his matches. As a result of the effort he is willing to put in during competition, he will see greater rewards down the road. Basic defense and the ability to finish his shots will make him a more dangerous wrestler.

We did not enter anyone at 165 or 174. I would have preferred a full line up, but for the things I could control, I decided to sit a few guys because I felt it was best for them. Ultimately, I hope it is best for the team.

Andrew Thomas represented the team at 184. He finished the day 0-2. I believe his performance was negatively affected due to letting his weight get to high over break. Andrew spent several hours working out leading up until the final moments before skin check in an attempt to lose the required weight. I was impressed he was able to make the weight, but he should not have made it so hard on his body over the last few days. Losing weight slowly over a long period of time is a better option for success.

Matt Meadows competed for the team at 197. He finished a disappointing 0-2. No doubt he has done a better job of getting his weight down to compete. No doubt he is a much better wrestler than he has been showing during competition. Even though he lost his first bout, I was pleased to see him use better defense and also show skill in riding his opponent. In his second bout, I was frustrated watching him compete because I could see his confidence level was too low and his willingness to expend extra effort seemed lacking. It looked like he did not believe he could win using basic skills and position. It looked like he thought he could only win by doing higher risk, lower percentage technique. By not believing in his abilities and trying to do the flashier techniques, he diminished his chances to succeed. My hope is he can learn from the past, but not dwell on it. He needs to have a better mind set when he competes. I would like to see him wrestle with excitement, aggressiveness and grit. Fully commit to a shot as opposed to trying to trick an opponent. Driving shots and finishes instead of trying to trick an opponent. Basic defense and square his hips instead of trying a dangerous defensive technique…Matt can and should finish his senior season well. If he continues to prepare properly and is willing to give his best effort during competition, he will reap the rewards.

Justin Hite had me pumping my fist when I saw him win his first college match by a pin. It was good to see him have a positive result. It will help him stay motivated and to believe in the process. He has made significant improvement on the mat and in the class room. It is good to see.

Matt Voss made some positive strides. He wrestled a great pace and found ways to score points. He scored about 50 points in the 6 matches he wrestled. He definitely had people stop and watch him compete as a result. He finished the day 5-1 to finish in 3rd place. One of his wins was by a pin. He helped raise our pin total for the day to 8. I was pleased to see him wrestle with confidence.

Overall it was a good day of competition and improvement. The good and the bad of this time of the year is we will now be competing every week for the next 6 weeks. The guys will need to do all they can do to stay focused, excited, and healthy. Some of this will require proper preparation, good mental skills and some luck. January and February can be difficult months for a college wrestler. We need to make sure we embrace the challenge and see it as a positive. If we continue to improve during January and February we will be dangerous come EWL and NCAA tournament time.

Rumble on the River

One of the books I require the team to read is “Uncommon” by Tony Dungy. I think the book offers great advice for young men. It is a time in life when many of our guys are learning to make adult decisions. There are lots of potential pit falls in life. It can be difficult to do the right thing. I am often amazed at this time of the year when guys have to own up to some of the bad decisions made. Often, as humans, we try to hide our mistakes. We often convince ourselves no one will find out or rationalize ourselves into believing what we are doing is acceptable. With final exams just ending, the truths about the efforts made in the classroom are being revealed. My hope, for those who have not done what is required, is they will learn from the mistakes made and not repeat them in the future. I hope they have not made mistakes they won’t be able to overcome. One of the great things with being a coach is seeing guys make the needed changes to be successful in the classroom. This week I have met with guys on the team who have made positive changes. They have learned to show up to class on time, pay attention, and actively participate. They have learned to turn in assignments on time while meeting the requirements of the professor. Some have even seen the benefits of sitting in the front of the classroom, meeting with professors and working in study groups. Some have learned study hall and tutoring can be beneficial when they take advantage of the resources offered. It is a joy to see them succeeding.

For me, final exam time is stressful. I remember the effort it took when I was a student. I know as a head coach, my job performance is based upon the results of my athletes in the classroom. It is a time of the year, I hope the guys have prepared for and perform well when the chips are down. Sadly, some will learn the hard way, but I also celebrate those who have finished the semester well.

During exam week, we had no required practice. Nevertheless, I was pleased by the turn out at optional workouts. The guys worked hard. I believe their effort in their preparation was rewarded last night when we wrestled the University of Virginia at the Rumble at the River event in Richmond, VA. We lost 7 matches to 3, but our attitude and effort was at a much higher level than the last time we stepped on the mat to compete.

After the dual, I asked the guys what was different. We need to capture the effort level and be consistent with it throughout the season. We did some self-review and left the locker room a better team.

Consistency is a key to success. We need to be consistent in our training. We need to consistently make good decisions on and off the mat. We need to be consistent in the effort we put forth in competition.

The day before we wrestled UVA we finally were able to be together as a group. After our tough outing on December 9, I tried to not burden the team with working on mental skills due to final exams. I decided to wait until we were together as a group and the stress of final exams was behind them. I think I made the right decision. It gave me time to consult with others, do some self-review and try to do some learning on my own. Last weekend, I was on the road recruiting. I spent several hours in airports, on planes and sitting in a hotel room by myself. I was able to put the time to good use. I decided to read Coyte Cooper’s new book, “Make Your Mark.” Coyte’s words made me think, challenged me and also affirmed that I am doing many right things while leading this team. Some of the examples he used in the book are things I have shared with my team on many occasions. When we met as a team, I made sure to remind the team of the concepts, expectations, and road map to success contained within our team document the “Mason Way.” I also shared some of the insights offered by Coyte in “Make Your Mark.” My hope was to make sure the guys were on the correct path. Some were not, and I needed to try and steer them. We need to be on the right path headed in the right direction as a team. I had planned on having a 30 minute team meeting before practice. I was embarrassed when I looked at my clock and realized I had spoken for over an hour to the team. I guess I had more things to express to them than I had thought.

Guys are now headed home for a few days to be with family. After a semester of school and half of a college wrestling season, it is a good time for them to take a quick breath and spend time with their loved ones. The fun part of the season will be here soon enough. I can’t wait.

NDSU and UMD

Friday night was a tough night for me as a coach. I did not handle our performance well. I was distraught and angry. I hope my anger was not a character flaw, rather I hope it was a byproduct of the performance and the emotions of trying to get better. We lost both duals which I certainly can handle. It was the way we lost and our reactions to it that have been consuming my thoughts. It is my job to fix it. It is my job to make sure it is not repeated.

We wrestled a total of 20 matches. 12 different wrestlers competed. All lost. Of the 20 matches contested we only won 3. We were pinned in 5 of the 20 matches. We gave up bonus points in 8 of the 20 matches. We lost 3 of the 4 overtime matches in our dual against Maryland. We gave up considerable more ridding time than we earned. These are painful statistics in yet not as important as our actual performance. Sometimes you can’t control the win or loss. Sometimes a team is just better. My struggle was with our attitude and effort. Too many times we conceded when things got tough. Too many times we put our head down instead of trying to score points. Too many times when we made a mistake or the match wasn’t going as we had planned, we conceded instead of bullying our way back into the fray. We need to go forward, be aggressive, try to dominate and have fun. Instead we gave ground, conceded, and were discouraged.

After the dual, I struggled with how to respond. I tried to bite my tongue and evaluate before speaking. Often talking while heated feels right and feels good as a coach, nevertheless, I do believe it is often better to wait. My anger did not subside as I pondered. Rather the more I observed the team after the dual, the more I fumed. My desire to see these guys succeed is extreme. My desire to see the program grow is what I am consumed with doing. My hope is for the team to care for each other and the program greater than they do for themselves. I want a team who are all in to the Mason Way; all in to the process. Our program – wrestlers, coaches, support staff, administrators, alumni, boosters – need to be headed in the right direction. I need to help steer the ship in the direction of greatness. Friday night we were off course.

I left the RAC quicker than normal. I went home hoping to rest a few hours before making a 6 hour drive to be at the quarter-finals of a high school tournament in Ohio the following morning. My mind was racing and sleep did not come. Finally I gave up trying. I checked wrestling results and stories online, prepared for the trip and hit the road a little after 2am. Fortunately, when I hit snow covered roads in Pennsylvania and found a non-stop Christmas music station, I began to be more focused on other things. It helped slow my roll. I ended up taking a brief nap at a travel plaza in Pennsylvania as I waited for sun rise and salt trucks so my path to Ohio was safer. I made it on-time to the tournament.

It is no fun going recruiting after a performance like we had just had. It is somewhat embarrassing. Nevertheless, I think it is good to do. It forces me to own up to my short comings. It makes me vulnerable. I was also able to discuss the situation, and get advice from colleagues as to how best to move the team and program forward. I guess I had a therapy session in the stands with some of the numerous coaches evaluating at the tournament. I even asked advice from one of the coaches whose team had just beat us badly on the mat and more importantly beat us badly in the mental part of the game. My anger had turned to how to fix mistakes I had seen. Coaching is not an exact science. There is an art to leading. I am confident I can lead this team. I am hopeful I can help the wrestlers and program grow. When we meet as a staff, I am confident we will put together a good action plan.

Last night the athletic department put on a special event for endowed scholarship donors and the student-athlete recipients. It was an impressive group. I enjoyed hearing the athletes introduce themselves to those present. Wrestling currently has 3 endowed scholarships – Frogale Famly Wrestling Endowed Scholarship (recipient Matt Voss), Patriot Elite Wrestling Club Endowed Scholarship (recipient Ryan Renkey) and Dan and Patty Wotring Endowed Scholarship (recipient Matt Raines). The wrestlers also had the opportunity to spend some time chatting with Mason President Cabrera.

We also received word of another substantial pledged gift to our wrestling room renovation project. I am excited about the progress of the campaign. The renovations will certainly help with our training, recruiting, and overall strength and pride of the Mason program. Let’s keep the momentum going and get the project completed.

This is a tough week for student-athletes. Final exams can be overwhelming. Even those that have properly prepared still need to perform on exams and finish their courses well. We will have no required practices until exams are done. We will still offer training opportunities for those who choose to attend. Guys can make gains even during exams. It can be done. Our next competition will be on December 21 in a dual against the University of Virginia. Although UVA is technically the host school we will wrestle at a neutral site – St Christopher School in Richmond as part of their Rumble on the River event.

EWL Duals – Bloomsburg and Lock Haven + Upcoming Home Duals

We have split practices due to the size of our training facility. Although it makes thing a little tougher, it works. As coaches we meet on Monday mornings to do after action analysis of the prior week and plan for the coming week. I think this time together helps us do a better job of leading the team. Nevertheless, we need to be able to read the athletes and change plans as needed. Last week, we made our practice plans and had full intention on implementing them. At our first practice we followed the plan and I believe the group benefited from what we had them do. The second group came in and I started practice as I had done with the first group. I had them spend 15 minutes working on things they felt they needed after analyzing their performance at the Grapple at the Garden. Coaches went around helping as well as the wrestlers helping each other. After a few minutes I stood back to watch what was going on in the room. It was inspiring. Knowledge was flowing. The focus was as if they were wearing blinders and only saw the goal in front of them. The desire to learn and improve was palpable. After they had gone longer than I planned I said to Mark Weader, “I think I am going to scratch our training plan and just let them keep doing what they are doing.” He responded in a manner where I knew he agreed something special was happening in the room. I spent over an hour helping where I thought I could and mostly watching and feeling inspired by what I was witnessing. Finally someone made eye contact with me and I could see he was curious how much time he had left in the 15 minutes of free time to work. I stopped the group and told them, with a cracking voice full of emotion, we had made a huge leap forward as a program on November 29, 2016. As the head coach of a program, it was special to see. There was elite knowledge being shared in our wrestling room. There were athletes eager to learn and pass on knowledge to others. It was truly a championship driven wrestling room. It was a special day, a break thru day. Our preparation was near perfect.

We spent the weekend on the road at Bloomsburg and Lock Haven. I was pleased with the effort the guys put forth in their competition. They hustled and tried to score points.

Going into our dual with Bloomsburg, on paper it appeared to be a close dual. In our pre-match talk, I wanted to make sure the guys knew every team point would matter. I also wanted them to be thankful for the opportunity they had to compete. I asked them to compete for not only themselves but for their teammates who did not have the opportunity. Their teammates go through the same training, but can only show their hard work by showing how they have prepared the starters. The dual meet ended with 5 matches won for each team. We won the dual on bonus points. Matt Voss started the dual and won with a 3rd period pin. Our next two wrestlers lost, Quinton Tucker and Lio Quezada. I was pleased both fought to save team points. Lio wrestled on one leg due to an injury but still tried to fight for his team. Tejon Anthony and Sahid Kargbo were able to win their matches and get us back in the lead. Matt Raines lost by a decision and after 6 matches the team score was tied. We knew going into the match, Garrett Tingen was going to be in a crucial bout for the team. Garrett not only won, he pinned his opponent. His win was a big lift for our team. Patrick Davis and Daniel Mika both lost by decision. They were frustrated by their performance and hopefully learned some valuable lessons due to the competition. Once again, going into the last bout of the dual, the team score was tied. Matt Meadows had the weight of the dual on his shoulders. He was able to step up for the team and won by a pin. It was an exciting way to end the dual. 3 pins in the dual was the difference in the team score.

We had little time to rest, as we competed the following day at Lock Haven. I like to schedule a few back to back competitions so it mimics the NCAA tournament. I want the guys being comfortable with the uncomfortable situation of making weight and competing on back to back days. I felt the guys responded well. They wrestled a good pace against Lock Haven. It was good to see the effort they were willing to put out in the competition circle. Trevor Mello led off in the dual. Despite losing his match, he sent the right message to our opponents. He hustled for 7 minutes. Due to Lio’s injury, we had Quinton Tucker wrestle up a weight class against Lock Haven. He lost a close bout 7-6. He scored all 6 of his points in the third period. Tejon Anthony fell behind by quite a bit in the 1st period, but stayed even with his opponent the remainder of the bout. Although he lost, I think he learned and got better as a result. Sahid Kargbo worked hard to earn a major decision for his team. I believe he scored 3 takedowns in the third period alone. Matt Raines worked hard to ride his opponent in the 3rd period. As a result of his effort, he earned the victory. Garrett Tingen lost his match but certainly made many attempts to score points. Patrick Davis found a higher gear and made progress in his mental battles during competition. I could see it in his face, when he was competing and afterward, he had made a break through with his mindset. We lost the three remaining bouts, but I was pleased with the effort all three chose to compete with against Lock Haven. Daniel Mika and Matt Voss gave up too many points trying to score points for their team. I was pleased they were willing to take risks and push the pace. Next time out, I hope they are able to hold better position while trying to attack. Matt Meadows is still working to get his weight under control and getting used to being back in competition. The back to back weigh ins took their toll on him. Nevertheless, his effort and attitude were great this past week. As he continues to control the things within his control he will reap the rewards.

We will compete at home this Friday night December 9 in dual meets against North Dakota State and Maryland. I am glad we do not have to travel as this is a stressful week for the wrestlers. They have lots of assignments, papers and tests this week. The following week will be final exams. I am hopeful they attack their school work as they have been attacking their opponents.

I hope we have a large crowd at the RAC on Friday. North Dakota State will wrestle Maryland at 4pm. We will wrestle North Dakota State 10 minutes after their dual ends with Maryland (hopefully we will start our dual around 530pm). We will dual Maryland 10 minutes after our dual with NDSU ends (hopefully we will start our dual around 7pm).

Typically we have good fan support when we wrestle Maryland as our two schools are close to each other geographically. This year we have also added a new element to the rivalry by wrestling for a belt. The four local D1 schools (American, Maryland, Navy and us) will wrestle each other for a belt called the Battle of the Beltway. I am excited for the new tradition. The dual meet should also feature a great bout for college wrestling fans as two undefeated wrestlers Sahid Kargbo and Alfred Banister will most likely square off against each other. Banister is currently ranked between 8th and 13th in national wrestling polls. Both wrestlers are 9-0 on the season.

I am also excited to welcome NDSU to campus. The head coach of NDSU is Roger Kish. I was one of his college coaches, so it will be fun to see him again. I was also able to serve Roger’s coach at the Junior Pan American Championships in Venezuela while he was in college. He made me look good winning both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman titles. Another guy I coached in college serves as an assistant coach at NDSU – Matt Nagel. One of my most cherished memories as a college coach is when Matt Nagel became an All-American. I don’t know if he meant to do it or if I just got in his way as I was going to congratulate him, but he leaped in my arms and let me carry him off the competition circle. It is a very special memory for me and also something that still gives me motivation as a coach. Virginia fans will also know one of the other assistant coaches at NDSU. Jarrod Garnett was an All-American for Virginia Tech. Currently, NDSU has 3 ranked wrestlers in their starting line-up. Friday should be a great day for college wrestling and George Mason wrestling.

Grapple 2016

We spent Thanksgiving weekend living in style. For the first time, we were able to travel on the new Mason Bus. We took pride in representing our University riding in the Mason bus up and down I95. I was able to show the coaches a fine place to eat in downtown Newark and Dan Wotring introduced us to a great burger place in Manhattan. These two places will be my go to joints in the future.

13 Mason wrestlers were given the opportunity to compete in the worlds most famous arena. Long after their days on the mat are done, my hope is they will have a good story to tell their grandchildren. I hope it was a meaningful experience for them representing George Mason University at Madison Square Garden.

In 5 years of attending the Grapple at the Garden, we are now 0-9 as a team. I am disheartened. Trying to find a formula to win has proved difficult. We have let too many situations slip through our fingers. We lost 7 matches to 3 against Buffalo and 6 matches to 4 against Hofstra.

Individually, Tejon Anthony and Sahid Kargbo went 2-0 on the day. I was pleased with Tejon’s poise and effort. Tejon scored the only bonus point of either team in our dual with Hofstra. Sahid beat a returning national qualifier with an overtime takedown. It is a win that will help his growth as a wrestler and will also help pave a path to the NCAA tournament. I think he was able to see some of his weaknesses today, so now it’s time to fix them. Daniel Mika wrestled up a weight class and won an important match for the team against Hofstra. Mika finished the day 1-0.

The Matts (Voss and Raines) finished the day 1-1. Both did not make the necessary adjustments during the bouts they lost. Adjusting to an opponent’s strengths is important to getting their hands raised. In the bouts they won, both were able to put points on the board. It was good to see them find ways to score.

Trevor Mello was 0-1. He started well in his bout scoring the first takedown and riding his opponent. Later in the bout he got out of position and was pinned. The 9 point swing in expected team score put us in a hole early in our bout with Buffalo. Quinton Tucker wrestled for us at 125 in the next dual. He lost by decision. I was pleased with his effort in the 3rd period, but he was in too big a hole to come out with the win. Austin Harrison was 0-1 on the day. He was pinned by his opponent from Buffalo. His lack of belief hurt his performance. Positive self talk and thought are crucial to success. If Austin starts to trust his preparation more during competition, he will see better results. Austin puts in the necessary work. Andrew Thomas wrestled up a weight class for the team in our dual with Buffalo. He lost by technical fall, but gave good effort for his team. Matt Meadows wrestled for us in the 2nd dual at 197. It was his first bout in over a year and a half. I was happy for him to have another opportunity to compete. He lost in overtime. He certainly had the ability to win the match and dual for his team, but fell short. His energy level was too low due to not sticking to his weight loss plan. Tough lesson to learn for him and the team. Nevertheless, Matt can still write a great story to his college career if he is willing to make the needed changes.

Lio Quezada, Garrett Tingen and Patrick Davis all went 0-2 on the day. Lio lost by fall, which is something he needs to change. It has happened too many times during his first month of college competition. He competed better in his 2nd match. He lost by a decision but finished on top in the 3rd. Lio’s future is bright due in part to his desire to get better and by living a good lifestyle. Garrett lost his bouts by decision. In both matches, he made costly mistakes at costly times. Garrett’s free spirit when he wrestles is going to make him fun to watch. As Garrett gets more practice and matches under his belt at the college level, he will be a force. Patrick Davis had a disappointing day. He is much better than the results showed. In his second bout, he was dominant for the vast majority of the bout. For some reason he seemed to panic and get frustrated at the end of the match. He earned the right to the lead and needed to close the door instead of stressing about being in late tough situations. It was a costly loss for the team in our dual against Hofstra.

Our performance needs to get better in order to be more competitive at D1 wrestling. Our attitude needs to be one of confidence, belief, and resolve. We need to enjoy the tough situations in training and competition. Love the process, journey and fight. The tough situations need to bring gratification rather than fear. Our effort must be the best we can give. Sometimes we hold back. Fear of failure, fatigue, and doubt can be tough to beat, but we certainly can crush them. We need to go forward, make the decision to stand our ground no matter what obstacle is in our path. Say no to the things that destroy our dreams. Say yes to the things that increase our opportunities to success.

I was strengthened by watching and listening to our team before, during and after the competition. They were pulling for each other and are coming together as a unit. The more they become like a family, the more they can help each other reach their goals. Our adventure in the Big Apple was painful at times, but it certainly can help produce positive outcomes down the road.

Our path does not grow easier. We need to have a sense of urgency. We open our EWL dual meet season Saturday at Bloomsburg and Sunday at Lock Haven. Our performance must improve. I have confidence this group of guys will raise the level of their performance.

Indiana and Navy Classic

We had our home opener and first competition of the year on Thursday Night against Indiana University. I was thankful so many people came out to support the team on a school night and at the same time as the Olympic Wrestling Victory tour was taking place in DC. I was afraid we would miss out on having fans in the stands, I was thankfully incorrect.

We lost 8 matches to 2 and gave up bonus points in 5 of the matches we lost. No doubt we are better than we performed. I believe it showed when we wrestled some of the same guys 2 days later at the Navy Classic.

At 125 and 133 we lost via first period falls. It was the first time either guy had put on the Mason singlet. I think both were not ready for the intensity of a college dual. Both learned from the experience, as was evident from their performance 2 days later. At 141, Tejon Anthony did a good job of finding a way to win in overtime. Ironically, he drew the same opponent in the first round of the Navy Classic. He won again, but did so in a more dominant fashion the second time around. Sahid Kargbo had an impressive win at 149. We lost by a major decision at 157 and 197. I believe both guys had trouble making adjustments during their matches. It is important, to give yourself a chance at winning, to make adjustments during bouts. If a guy is beating you in a certain position, defend it differently or avoid the position later in the bout. At 184, we lost by a second period fall to a highly ranked wrestler. At 165, 174 and Heavyweight we lost by decision. We need to find a way of winning the close matches in order to win duals. We did not score any bonus points and gave up too many – every team point matters. My hats off to the 4 guys who made their D1 college debuts on Thursday night – Quinton Tucker, Lio Quezada, Matt Raines and Garrett Tingen – less than 1% of high school wrestlers go on to wrestle at the D1 level. These 4 were able to live a dream most high school wrestlers have.

We had 18 wrestlers compete this weekend. For me, this is an exciting thing to see. Often time, competition helps you improve. 4 wrestlers chose to wrestle unattached at the Star City Open. Tahla Farooq and Philip Stolfi both finished 2-2 on the day and both placed 4th. Ibrahim Bunduka and Creed Lumpp both won the tournament. IB was 4-0 finishing with one fall, 2 tech falls and 1 major decision. Creed was 5-0 finishing with 3 falls and 2 major decisions. Winning a college open is never easy, but Creed and IB both look to have been dominant in the 9 matches they won on Saturday.

We had 14 wrestlers represent the team at the Navy Classic. We had hoped to have even more enter the event, but injuries kept them from the competition. Overall, I was pleased with the team’s performance. I want our team to be known for wrestling an aggressive and dominating style while having fun doing so. Thus, give their best effort and have the right attitude. I think we sent the right message on Saturday.
125
Trevor Mello made his college debut and was able to finish the day 1-2. He has chosen to forgo his red shirt year to help his team. I have been impressed by his work ethic. He will get better, due in part to his tenacity.
Quinton Tucker finished the day 2-2. He did a good job of turning things around after his loss on Thursday. It was clear he was trying to learn and get better. I enjoyed the enthusiasm he showed during the day.
133
Logan Harvich finished the day with a 3-3 record and placed 6th. It was a good start for his college career. My hope is he learns from the experience. He needs to put together a more consistent 7 minute fight. He got in jams when he didn’t stay focused on the task at hand. Logan has the physical talent and skills to be a successful college wrestler. I am excited about his future.
Lio Quezada finished the day 4-2 and placed 5th. His first few months of college wrestling have been impressive. His work ethic stands out from the pack, which bodes well for him gaining ground quickly. On Thursday night, he was overwhelmed by his opponent from Indiana. He was taken down, turned a few times and pinned in the first period. The match was not close. Afterward we talked and I was hopeful he would get another opportunity to face the Indiana wrestler again. I knew he could do better. Lio earned the right to wrestle him again by winning his opening bout in an impressive comeback fashion. This time Lio was able to stay in the match early on and almost pulled off the victory. He lost 9-8 to the same guy who was ahead of him 10-0 before pinning him on Thursday. Lio also added to the pin pool by pinning one of his opponents.
141
Tejon Anthony opened the day with the same opponent he beat in overtime on Thursday. This time he scored early and won 5-2. Tejon finished 6th with a 3-3 record on the day. His wins were impressive and his losses were frustrating. Tejon is good and close to turning the corner to great. Because of his demeanor, ability to learn and desire, it is not a matter of if he can become great, rather how fast he can get there.
157
Matt Raines finished the day with a 1-2 record. I know he is frustrated as he has said as much. He is adjusting to a 2 weight class jump which is difficult to do. My hope is he can stay confident as he works through the needed adjustments in being a 157lber. Holding better position against the bigger and stronger opponents is a must. I am confident Matt will see better results down the road.
165
We did not enter anyone at this weight class, which was disappointing. We are fighting the injury bug. Nevertheless, we gave up the opportunity to score team points at this weight class. Ironically, we finished the tournament ½ of a point behind The Citadel. One more win or bonus point would have put us ahead of them.
174
Patrick Davis finished the day with a 5-2 record. I was pleased to see him take lots of shots and finish them at a high percentage. On Thursday night he did not score any take downs. He did not make many attempts. On Saturday he wrestled the same opponent and scored multiple takedowns. I would still like to see Pat by more aggressive on bottom and top. When he works hard in these positions he has success. He struggles on top and bottom when he doesn’t continually work to improve his position. My hope is this 5th year senior stays healthy and does everything right (including the little things) over the next 4 months. If he does so, he will finish well at the NCAA tournament.
184
Austin Harrison finished the day 0-2. There is no doubt Austin has improved. He has spent lots of time learning the craft, he has done the extra workouts, and he has improved his speed, conditioning, strength, technique and mat awareness. He will continue to improve if he is able to stay on track with the tough part of D1 wrestling – belief. Being a D1 wrestler, even for the blue chip wrestler, is a daunting task. Trusting the system – belief in the program is a must. At the end of the day, there are no guarantees. Most D1 wrestlers will fall short of standing on the podium in March. It is a fact, a tough reality. The ones that do make it to the podium are the select few. One of the things All-Americans have in common is the belief they can get there in the end. I need Austin to believe in the system and to continue working toward his goal with the belief he can get the job done.
Daniel Mika finished the day 2-2. In the matches he lost, he did not give himself enough opportunities to win. I was pleased to see when he took risks he had the ability to score points, even as he is making his decent to the 165lb weight class. Daniel has the skills to score points on 184lbers. When he got on his opponents legs he showed power and skill in his finishes. It was good to see.
197
Andrew Thomas wrestled up a weight class for us on Thursday and Saturday as Matt Meadows is out with an injury. He did not win any of his matches, but I was pleased to see him compete for all 7 minutes in his bouts. He has come a long way as a wrestler. I enjoyed watching him compete.
HWT
Matt Voss, Gary Miltenberger and Justin Hite all wrestled for us at this weight class. They finished the day with a 1-6 record. These 3 are better than they showed on Saturday. I was disappointed by the results. They have a good training situation and do a good job in the room. I was perplexed by what I saw in the competition circle. My challenge to them is to make each other as good as they can possibly be. We should be doing better at this weight class. Voss and Miltenberger were able to spend a year with a 2x NCAA Qualifier as their training partner. They were also coached for 2 years by a hands on highly respected heavy weight coach who Hite worked with for one year. They have club guys who have spent time training with them since they arrived on campus. They now have a coach who can push them in live goes as well. I am sure they are frustrated by the weekend, more so than I, but I need them to show the fruits of their labor in competition. They can get the job done for themselves and for the team.
149
Sahid Kargbo became the first champ I have coached at the Navy Classic. He is Mason’s first champ since Cayle Byers won the tournament in 2010. His growth has been fun to watch. He continues to get better. 3 of his wins on the day were with bonus points including his tech fall win in the finals. Maybe his most impressive win of the day, came in a match he was behind in for nearly 6 minutes. He gave up a takedown and was ridden in the first period. Although he did not escape, he worked hard on bottom. Afterward he said he knew if he kept trying it would help him later in the match. His attitude was correct. Even though he did not score, he was making his opponent work. He was able to score 3 takedowns in the third period and added another one in overtime to win. It was good to see him overcome the adversity of being behind late in the match. It was a great gut check win. His belief in his ability has grown. This will serve him well as he will need to overcome more adversity down the road. It is early in the season, so it is important to learn as much as one can. It is important not to get too excited or down. Nevertheless, this weekend was a positive step forward for Sahid as he looks to do something special in his senior season.

We travel to New York this coming weekend. It will put a damper on Thanksgiving gluttony, but it will be much more fun competing in Madison Square Garden on Sunday, November 27. We will wrestle Buffalo University at 1030am and Hofstra University at 1230pm. If you want to attend the event, we still have tickets available in the Mason section. Feel free to contact me by email if you are interested in buying tickets. My email is jrusse13@gmu.edu.

Simulation Matches

We had the guys make weight and wrestle matches this week to be better prepared for our home opener on Thursday. My hope is guys learned from the experience. The hope was they made it as real as possible. Thus, they worked on match preparation and match strategy. The first time down to weight can be difficult. I wanted them to have a weigh in under their belt before actual competition. I believe we got better by doing the simulation matches.

Assistant Coach Canaan Bethea was able to compete this past week at the Bill Farrell International Open. I believe he can use the knowledge he gained at the competition to help our team get better. It is a win/win.

Our fan gear order website shut down a few days ago. I do not know the final order numbers, but was pleased people had the opportunity to purchase Mason Wrestling gear. It will be great seeing people sporting Mason Wrestling gear.

I hope many of you will be able to attend our home opener on Thursday, November 17, 7pm at the RAC. We will host Indiana University. I believe Indiana has 2 wrestlers ranked in the top 20 led by returning All-American Nate Jackson. We will certainly be tested. We will have several new faces in the lineup. I am excited for the team to get the opportunity to compete at home. Some other incentives to get you to the RAC: home duals are free of charge this season; our team will take risks when they compete to make the matches more exciting; Mason event staff knows how to put on a great event; the new wrestling posters are out and you can get them for free if you are early enough to the RAC on Thursday. Although I have many more reasons for you to attend our home opener, I will assume you already got the point – Thursday, November 17 at 7pm the RAC is the place to be.

Politics, Injuries, Southeast Open, Simulations, and Gear

You have people you have problems. A friend said this to me many years ago and I believe it is often the case. World politics played a role in denying Matt Voss the opportunity to compete at the University World Championships last week. I felt bad for him and the other athletes who were denied the opportunity to compete. The championships were held in Turkey. Due to current issues going on, USA Wrestling determined it was too risky to send the USA team. I was pleased USA Wrestling worked hard to make sure the athletes were safe and when USA Wrestling determined the safety of the athletes could not be guaranteed to an acceptable level, USA Wrestling made the difficult decision not to attend. My hope for Matt is he will continue to grow as a wrestler and he will have other opportunities down the road to represent the USA in international competitions. Sadly, this is not the first and most likely not the last time this will happen.

In 2002, I was set to go to Tehran, Iran to watch Tim Hartung compete at the Freestyle World Championships. I was one of Tim’s coaches in college and had enjoyed watching his growth as a wrestler. He had made the top stage in our sport. Due to credible threats, the USA team did not compete in the tournament. It was sad to see Tim denied the opportunity. I have spoken with many of the wrestlers denied the opportunity to compete at the 1980 Olympics. Even today, you can hear pain when they speak about it. I can only imagine the disappointment. I was fortunate as a wrestler to qualify for a few youth world championships. One year when I was trying to make the USA team, the World Championships were to be held in Baghdad, Iraq. Due to the Iran-Iraq War the tournament site was moved. Fortunately, I was still able to compete and did not miss out on the opportunity. You have people you have problems.

We have had some injuries this fall. Injuries do happen. It is part of life. As a coach it is frustrating to see the athletes have to endure the pain and disappointment of injuries. Sometimes life is not fair. Life is hard. My hope is the injured individuals will be able to overcome the setbacks. For some their wrestling career may be over. My hope is the lessons learned by participating in wrestling will serve them well in life. My hope is they will look back on their time as a D1 athlete at George Mason University as a positive experience.

I was pleased 6 guys decided to compete unattached this weekend at the Southeast Open. Competition often helps your learning curve. Most likely the competition will benefit them down the road. Trevor Mello went 1-2 and recorded the first fall of the year for the team. Connor Joyce and Justin Hite went 0-2. Philip Stolfi and Matt Raines finished 2-2. Lio Quezada went 3-2 on the day. It is a good time to do some self-review, learn and improve. I am happy these guys chose to test themselves and confident they will use the experience to get better.

We plan on having everyone on the team make weight this Saturday. We will also wrestle matches. If you want to watch the guys do simulation matches Saturday, we would love to have you. We will start at 11am Saturday, November 12 in the Filed House.

I am excited we can offer fan gear for sale this fall. If you are interested in purchasing George Mason Wrestling gear, you can do so until midnight November 10. The site will close down after that date. The website can be found at http://bit.ly/2ecVL5s

First Week Update

The team did well during the first week of official practice. I was pleased to see positive results from their pre-season training. We put them through a difficult week of training and they responded in a positive manner.

Friday we hosted a coach’s clinic. The clinic began with coaches watching our team practice. I liked the knowledge and effort the team showed in their training. Canaan Bethea, Mark Weader and Kevin Steinhaus all did a good job with their presentations and also took time to answer questions. I was bummed by the low turnout, but hopeful those who attended found their time well spent.

On Saturday, we hosted a wrestling clinic. Kevin Steinhaus ran the clinic and was assisted by our entire team. I enjoyed watching the clinic and the interaction between our team and those who attended the event. After the clinic, the team participated in a public practice. I was excited with the turn out. George Mason University invited Alums and Families to campus for the weekend. Having a public practice, fit well with the other events on campus. It was a good day for our program.

We will have about a month to train before we compete. Our first official competition will be on November 17 as we host Indiana University at the RAC. We will compete at the Navy Classic on November 19. On Sunday, November 27 we will compete at the Grapple at the Garden. We will wrestle Buffalo and Hofstra. For those that want to join us at Madison Square Garden in New York City, you can buy tickets in the Mason section via our ticket office. Contact the George Mason Ticket office at 703/993-3270 or icatix@gmu.edu.