USNA and F&M Duals

On Wednesday night, we had a home competition against the United States Naval Academy. We ended up starting the dual meet over an hour late as our scheduled official did not make it and a replacement had to be found. It was a unique situation and is one I would rather not repeat. I want to say thank you to all those who attended and stuck it out while we waited. I also want to say thank you to the USNA for assisting us with putting on an impromptu clinic for the youth wrestlers who were in attendance. I heard from more than one person that the kids loved the clinic and it made the event even better.

We ended up losing the dual 6 matches to 4. Lio Quezada won his bout by a major decision. Ibrahim Bunduka, Sahid Kargbo and Matt Voss all won by decision. Tejon Anthony and Matt Raines lost very close decisions. We gave up bonus points in the other bouts we lost.

Tejon Anthony lost a controversial match to the #13th wrestler in the nation. Tejon was leading 3-2 with 23 seconds left in the bout. At that time, the official signaled a takedown for the Navy wrestler. I immediately challenged the call. The official saw my challenge but let the action continue until there were 3 seconds left in the bout. Initially the official ruled there was no takedown at the 23 second mark. He then said there was a takedown at the 6 second mark and the wrestlers went out of bounds at the 3 second mark. It was a tough call for all involved and I was certainly disappointed. Tejon is getting better and it is being noticed as he was recognized in the coaches’ ranking and RPI later in the week.

Matt Raines lost 3-2. With less than 10 seconds to go Matt was able to secure a single leg with his opponent’s leg in the air. He was not able to finish the shot before time expired. It was a tough way to lose and it did result in a teachable moment for the team. We worked on quick finishes to single legs in practice the following day.

On Saturday, we traveled to Franklin & Marshall College. Our new Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Banville traveled with the team. It was a first for me to have a FAR travel with us. I appreciate her taking the time and interest to attend the dual.

We won the dual 7 matches to 3. It was a good team performance. I believe we finished matches by scoring the last offensive points in 9 of the 10 matches. This was good to see. I liked the effort. We also had 3 guys win by pin (sorry to those in the pin club as it was an expensive night for you). It has been awhile since we had that many pins in a dual meet. It was Austin Harrison’s first pin of his college career. Sahid Kargbo pinned his first opponent of his senior season. Matt Voss pinned his opponent in the first period. Ibrahim Bunduka won by a major decision. Tejon Anthony, Matt Raines, and Ryan Forrest all won by decision. I was also pleased by the effort of the guys who lost. They competed with toughness in the later stages of their bouts.

Thanks to Daniel Mika’s uncle we found a new go to place to eat in Lancaster. It is always fun listening to the chatter of the team after weigh ins and competition. Even though Ray Yamrus beat me badly in driving the other team van back to campus, our drive home went well due in part to full stomachs and a team victory.

This will be a busy, yet exciting, week for us as we complete our regular season. On Friday we will compete at American University at 7pm. On Sunday, our club will host a youth tournament at the RAC – the Patriot Pummel (www.patriotpummel.com) followed by our final home dual of the year against Sacred Heart University.

Our dual with Sacred Heart is scheduled to start at 2pm. We will honor our seniors at half-time. Please come support the team and our seniors – Patrick Davis, Ryan Forrest, Sahid Kargbo, Matt Meadows, Ryan Renkey, and Andrew Thomas.

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.

2016 NCAA tournament

Greg Flournoy represented George Mason University at the 2016 NCAA Championships. As he has done repeatedly in his career, he represented himself, team, program and institution well. Greg finished with a 1-2 record. In each of his matches, I was pleased with his attitude and effort. He made a couple of mistakes in each of his matches. Because the margin for error is so small at the NCAA level, he was only able to overcome the mistakes in one of his bouts.

He opened up the tournament against a familiar foe, Chad Walsh from Rider. He lost by a major decision, but the match was much closer than the score. He gave up a take down late in the first period and then gave up 6 points when holding onto his opponent’s leg late in the match trying to get a stalemate restart.

In his first wrestle back bout, Greg fell behind 6-0. He gave up a take down while aggressively going after a cradle in the first period. Later in the period he gave up a 4 point near fall. At the start of the second period, his opponent chose bottom. Greg was able to lock up a cradle and get a 4 point near fall. Knowing his opponent was good on top, Greg chose neutral in the third. The strategy paid off as Greg was able to take down his opponent and then ride him out for the 7-6 victory. I was especially pleased with his composure. Greg battled back and showed great heart to secure the win.

In his final bout, Greg was unable to stop his opponents go to move on two occasions. Greg knew it was coming (he was prepared), but was unable to counter his under hook to a single. Greg did a good job of battling back. He scored a take down in the third period to get the score to 4-5. Greg let his opponent go in an attempt to secure the tying take down, but he could not convert it.

I will certainly miss watching Greg compete in a George Mason singlet. He has great wrestling skills and wrestles a hard pace. It is fun listening to other wrestling coaches and fans comment about how they are impressed with the effort they see from the GMU 157lber. Although I should probably give Greg a little time off, I have already bugged him about continuing to compete for the Patriot Elite Wrestling Club in Freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Now that the season is over, it is time for some self-review. I will be reflecting on where we are at and what we need to do to continue moving forward. I did learn from watching the NCAA tournament and with talking to others, we are a long way off from where we need to be. I do believe we are closer, but it is going to take extraordinary effort to close the gap.

At our team strength training practice this morning (yes the guys are already training for next season); I spoke to the guys about the need to work hard at closing the gap. I spoke to them about doing it the old fashioned way by trying to outwork others and by doing the little things right. Attention to detail and being consistent will assist us in closing the gap. Without getting lucky, I can’t think of a better way of increasing our odds of success.

I also told the team a few stories of why I believe a wrestler led team would help us move faster in the right direction as opposed to a coach led team. I do believe I can give them the answers to the test of what it takes to be great in this sport, but it is still up to them to get it done. I think peers pushing peers often leads to greater success than it always coming from a coach. Our team needs to do a better job of raising the bar for each other. They know more about what is going on within the program than I do. Teammates helping teammates make the right choices in life, school and in training has unbelievable value. I saw it as an athlete myself. I had great teammates who helped push each other. I have seen it as a coach. On the NCAA Championship teams I have been part of, one of the things they had in common was the wrestlers led each other to greatness. They were able to help each other grow to greatness. If we can get a larger group of guys loving the journey to be great together, it will pay dividends. The more invested the group is the easier it is for the individuals to grow.

My charge to the team is to love the journey. Be consistent in heading down the correct path. Do it alone if need be, but try to bring others with you. We can win at George Mason. We can have guys wrestling on Saturday at the NCAA tournament. It will require guys to sacrifice day in and day out, but it can be done. I hope they are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get the job done. There certainly are no guarantees, but the odds are increased by doing things consistently the right way.

2016 EWL Tournament

We had 3 guys wrestle above their seed; 3 guys wrestle below their seed; 4 guys wrestle to their seed. With our peeking plan and where I thought the guys were at physically and mentally, I had confidence they would do better. It wasn’t that we had a bad tournament; we just needed to do a little better. As of today, we have no NCAA qualifiers. We do have a few guys who will receive some consideration for at-large bids. We will have to wait and see.

In the quarter-final round we went 4-6. Tejon Anthony, Blake Roulo, Greg Flournoy, and Matt Voss all advanced to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, we went 0-4. We need to do better job getting guys into the finals. Last season we were able to get 2 guys into the finals (as a result, both qualified for the NCAA tournament). This year our closest semifinal bout was Blake Roulo. He lost on a passivity call and thus qualify for the NCAA tournament. It was a tough loss for him and the program.

We did a good job in the consolation rounds. In the consolation quarter-finals, we went 4-1. We were lucky enough to have 3 byes and Patrick Davis pinned his opponent. In the consolation semi-finals, we wrestled real well. We went 7-2. What made the results even better is it was a higher pressure round than in past years. As coaches we voted to wrestle to the top 4 places this year as opposed to placing the top 6. There was more emotion this year for the consolation semi-finals since a win was the only way a wrestler could place. In our conference coaches meeting before the finals, it was noted the change seemed to be a positive move for the conference. It was also apparent the crowd and teams were more into the matches as they needed to win to place. In the 3rd place matches we went 2-5.

Looking as a whole, I think we had an overall better tournament this year than our previous two years in the conference. In 2014, we had 3 guys place in the top 4. In 2015, we had 5 guys place in the top 4. This year we had 7 placers in the top 4. I have lots of would’ve, could’ve, should’ve thoughts running through my mind which makes our overall results disappointing. We had several opportunities to punch tickets to the NCAA tournament. We failed to capitalize on all of them.

At 125, Ibrahim Bunduka was seeded 2nd and placed 4th. In his opening round match IB wrestled aggressive but was unable to convert any of his take down attempts. He lost the bout 3-2. He had lost to the same guy earlier in the year so we knew it would be a tough match. Nevertheless, his effort was good. He received a bye in his first consolation bout and then won 18-14 in the consolation semi-finals. His aggressiveness was great, although he did not finish the match well. He gave up a few takedowns in the 3rd period to lose his bid for a major decision. In his bout for 3rd, he lost by decision to a guy he had beaten earlier in the year. Adjusting his attacks (lowering his hand placement on his shot) and getting out from bottom are areas he must improve.

At 133, Vince Rodriguez was seeded 2nd and finished 4th. Vince lost to the same guy in the opening round and in the 3rd place match. I think Vince as well as I overlooked his opponent from Cleveland State. I was confident Vince was going to win the tournament. We should have been more focused on finding a way to win one match at a time as opposed to qualifying for the NCAA tournament. It was a tough day for me personally, not seeing Vince do what I believe he was capable of doing. I wanted him to finish well at the EWL tournament.

At 141, #4 seed Tejon Anthony won his opening bout to make the semi-finals. He lost his next two matches, so he did not place. He lost to the eventual champion in a closer bout than he had against him earlier in the year. In the consolation semi-finals he lost to the eventual 3rd place wrestler. Tejon had a good freshman year. The experience should help him. He needs to get better on bottom. He knows that now and will have 12 months to solve the problem.

At 149, #5 seed Blake Roulo beat the #4 seed in the opening round. In the semi-finals he lost 2-1 to the eventual outstanding wrestler of the tournament. He came back strong with a major decision win in the consolation semi-finals. In his bout for 3rd, he gave up too many points early in the bout and then threw everything at his opponent he had ever thought of trying in a match but he couldn’t close the gap. Blake will receive consideration for an at-large spot at the NCAA tournament because he was one place away from an automatic bid.

At 157, Greg Flournoy was seeded 3rd and placed 3rd. He opened with a major decision win, but lost to the eventual champion in the semi-finals. Greg then won his next two matches to place 3rd. He was able to wrestle for a true second place bout and thus qualify for the NCAA tournament, but he was unable to win the match. We will now have to wait and see if he receives an at-large bid. He is in a good place to get one because of several factors: he qualified the spot for the conference because he was a gold standard wrestler before the conference tournament; I believe he will still be gold standard when the new rankings and RPI are determined today; He has over 70% wins; he was one place out from qualifying; he has beaten 5 guys already in the NCAA field and he has arguments over some of the other guys up for consideration. On the negative side, some crazy things happened this weekend at other qualifying tournaments. There are some good wrestlers looking from the outside trying to get into the tournament. I know Greg deserves a bid and that he will do well at the NCAA tournament. My hope is the committee agrees. It will be a long couple of days waiting to see if Greg will get his opportunity.

At 165, Patrick Davis was unseeded. He lost a close bout to the #3 seed in the opening bout and in the 3rd place bout. On a positive note he won two consolation bouts to finish 4th. He opened with a first period pin and then in his consolation semi-final bout he was able to beat the #4 seed 3-0. He had lost to the same opponent 2x during the year. Patrick is close to doing real well. He needs to spend the next 12 months building his body into a machine and getting better on bottom.

At 174, Ryan Forrest was unseeded and placed 3rd. Ryan lost a close bout to the #2 seed in the quarter-finals. He then had a bye, followed by a win by pin over the #4 seed. He was able to avenge his opening round loss with a 5-3 win to place 3rd. Ryan had a frustrating year with lots of physical issues. I was pleased he was able to put together a good tournament to finish the season with a more positive feeling. Now Ryan will have time to heal and figure out what is going on physically.

At 184, unseeded Luke Ludke lost his opening bout to the #2 seed. Luke wrestled him much better than he did earlier in the season. Luke received a bye and then lost his consolation semi-final bout to the #4 seed. I was pleased to see the progress Luke made this year. He made a huge jump in weight classes to become the starter for the program. As a result, he was able to compete more. He did a good job of learning this year. He became a much better college wrestler as a result.

At 197, unseeded Cameron Houston lost his opening bout to the #3 seed. He then lost to the eventual 4th placer. 197 was a tough weight class this year in the EWL. It was a difficult season for Cameron. My hope is he is able to learn and writes a great story to his college wrestling career.

At Heavyweight, Matt Voss was seeded 4th and he placed 4th. Matt had a bye in the opening round. He then lost by a decision in the semi-finals. He won his bout in the consolation semi-finals, but then lost his bout for third. I love the pace Matt Voss wrestles. He needs to spend the next 12 months getting better in positions and holding good position. He needs better basic defense and a greater ability to ride his opponents.

This week is our spring break at George Mason University. I told the guys to stay close to campus in case we receive good news on Wednesday. My hope is all of us take this week to do some self-review. We need to make sure we continually work to improve ourselves and our program.

First Week of February

February can be a tough month for college wrestlers. The season is almost over; the matches seem to have a greater impact on what will happen in March, the body and mind can be worn down. We have made this February even tougher for our team as we are competing at least twice per week. My hope is the extra training we did this fall has helped build up their minds and bodies. I also hope they look forward to the multiple competitions. They have the opportunity to show off all of the hard work they have put in during their preparation phase. They have the opportunity to compete as opposed to practice. They have the opportunity to help their bid to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. It is a tough month, but one where they can make some big gains as people and wrestlers.

This past week we competed on Sunday at Rider University. On Wednesday we were on the road again competing at the United States Naval Academy. We lost 6 matches to 4. I felt going to the Naval Academy was a good day for our program. The value system of the Academy is similar to the value system of our program. Lots of the principles taught in our MasonWay are the same as taught at the USNA. Part of the MasonWay document is things I have directly taken from the Head Coach of the Naval Academy. I also liked the way the Naval Academy wrestlers carried themselves on the mat. We need to emulate their style more in our wrestling. They showed great hustle and belief in their system. It was a good learning experience for our team. By using hustle and belief, I felt a few matches went the way of our competition. We can and need to improve in this area. All 4 of the matches we won were by bonus points. Tejon Anthony, Greg Flournoy, and Ibrahim Bunduka all won by major decisions. IB’s win was impressive. He had lost by a technical fall to the same opponent in November. In a little over 2 months, there was a 24 point difference between their first bout and the second. It was an impressive turn around. I was also impressed with Matt Voss getting a victory by fall. When he caught his opponent on his back, I did not think he was in a position to finish. I was wrong. Matt was focused and determined to secure the pin.

On Saturday we hosted Bloomsburg University. The last time we wrestled them at the RAC, they shut us out. We did much better this time. We won 7 of the 8 matches contested. We also received 2 forfeits. Bloomsburg is having a down year, but I am confident they will be back in the mix very soon. Sometimes to build program, you need to be patient to get the right foundation. I believe their coach is looking at long term growth over short term success. He did not like forfeiting, but also believed it best to build for the future. We appreciate Bloomsburg coming to our campus to compete with us.

Earlier in the week, Bloomsburg had planned on forfeiting to us at 141. I had Tejon Anthony train differently as a result. Shortly before weigh ins we were informed Bloomsburg had decided not to forfeit the match but instead would contest the bout with one of their wrestlers moving up in weight class. As soon as I learned of the change, I let Tejon know. Tejon was certainly tested mentally and physically as a result of the last minute change. He handled the adversity well. He was focused and scored lots of points individually and for his team. It was good to see him rise to the occasion yet again.

We did receive forfeits at 125 and 149. As soon as weigh ins were over and we knew they would not compete, Ibrahim Bunduka and Blake Roulo both did a hard training session. Both said they wished they had wrestled instead. As a coach I was pleased to see them push themselves so hard and to see them wanting to compete.

Greg Flournoy and Vince Rodriguez both won tough matches. I was very pleased to see them raise their level in the 3rd period. It seemed that both knew what they needed to do to win the 3rd period and the match. Both being 5th year seniors and 4 year starters, I could see their experience shine in the tough part of the bout. They had been in similar situations in the past and knew how to handle the mental and physical implications.

Cameron Houston lost his bout at 197. As a true freshman, who we had planned on red shirting, Cameron has been thrown to the fire. He has struggled. My hope is he continues to learn. Sometimes we learn what not to do. It is a hard way to learn, but it can lead to success in the long run. If Cameron continues to learn and believes in himself, he has a huge upside. He can grow by leaps and bounds from competing as a true freshman.

Patrick Davis pinned his opponent in the first period. He was aggressive on top and was able to complete a cross-face cradle for the pin. I liked his aggressiveness. Matt Voss scored 2 takedowns to secure the win in his bout. He is doing a good job and continues to learn and improve. Luke Ludke showed great hustle toward the end of his bout. He had some good scrambles and showed extra effort in the 3rd period. I believe this helped him score the defensive takedown in overtime. His attitude and effort were positives for him. Daniel Mika won his first match of the year as he filled in for Ryan Forrest. He was able to secure an offensive takedown and get back points. I was happy he was able to find a way to win.

While we were competing at home, three of our wrestlers competed at the Messiah Open. Ryan Renkey, competing at 133 for the first time this season, finished the day in 5th place with a 3-2 record. Sahid Kargbo finished the day with a 4-0 record and the championship at 149lbs. Both of these guys will be seniors next year. Our future looks bright due in part to these soon to be seniors.

We will compete at home again this coming Saturday. We host Franklin and Marshall College at 1pm and then we host Bucknell University at 3pm. Our team will be tested. We will see several nationally ranked competitors. February is a tough month, but with the right attitude and effort it can be a great month.

On Valentine’s Day, we will be on the road at the University of Maryland. We will compete at their Beauty and the Beast event. Our 2pm dual will take place alongside the University of Maryland Women Gymnastics competition against Rutgers University. It should be a fun environment for our guys to compete in and it should help our preparation for the NCAA tournament.

Pre-Season Update

We are four weeks into our fall training cycle. The guys are doing a great job. I have certainly been pleased with the attitude and effort. As with any team there are ups and downs, but the guys have maintained a steady course of moving forward. I like what I see.

In approximately 5 weeks we will see where we are at as we start our regular season earlier than normal. Some of our perceived starters from last spring will be unavailable early in the year, so we will need other guys to step up and represent the program in a positive light. I am excited for the guys to earn the right to wear a Mason singlet.

For the first time in my coaching career I was forced to make roster cuts. When I arrived at GMU, we did not have a roster limit. As such, the roster grew significantly. This year I have been limited as to the number of guys we can keep on our team.

I fretted, fought, and debated the roster limit for quite some time. I lost many hours of sleep over it. Cutting people from the team is not something I wanted to do. It certainly does not fit well with my personality and beliefs. Nevertheless, I was able to get the roster where it was supposed to be on the date it was supposed to be done. I was stretched as a coach and a person.

I do think it helped me grow. In exit interviews with seniors, I was told more than once I was too lenient on team members. I was too forgiving. By having to cut guys, I was forced to be stricter. I believe in accountability, so I believe I tried to show athletes when they fell short, but now I am forced to cut them from being on the team more than I had done in the past. I believe in second chances. I believe sometimes keeping a guy on the team will help them more in the long run. Nevertheless, there are times when cutting them from the team may be best for them and for the team.

I spoke to fellow coaches who have to trim their rosters. I did receive some good advice. I was told by one coach, when you have limited roster spots often time guys will make the decision for you. Although I don’t understand the psychology or sociology of the matter, it did prove true with our team. Some guys chose to step away from the team as opposed to being cut or seeing someone else get cut. I found it curious how it manifested itself. For the guys I did have to cut, I was fortunate there were clear differences between whom I kept on the team and who I did not. It certainly wasn’t easy for me, but I believe I was fair with all concerned. Having a firm plan for the team going into the tryout period and clearly defined team expectations for current team members made the decision easier. Team expectations make the decision more objective than subjective.

Having to earn a spot on the team, made the guys feel a greater since of accomplishment. It was fun telling the guys they were on the team. I saw some great reactions. I think it helped us to have a more focused start to the preseason.

We also held the Paul Maltagliati Memorial Golf Tournament earlier in the month. The Patriot Elite Wrestling Club board did a great job preparing for and running the event. We had a record number of golfers. I am excited the event continues to grow. It is a great tribute to Paul and it helps fund our travel for the spring Freestyle and Greco-Roman season.

I have spent more time on the road this fall than usual for work and for family. Tommy Owen and Tom Carr have done well running the team. Being at GMU for a few years together, we all have a better understanding of what needs to get done to keep things moving forward. I appreciate their effort and leadership.

I am going to be traveling more next month. On the first day of official practice, October 10, I am blessed to be a clinician at the Indiana State Wrestling Association Fall Coaches Clinic. The following day, I am excited to support my brother Dan Russell at the premier of his TV Show – Battleground: Tougher than Hell. To learn more about his show you can go to http://www.battleground.tv. It looks like he is going to have quite an event.

I will also be on the road recruiting, at our fall coaches meeting for the Eastern Wrestling League, and I will attend Wrestlers in Business Network event welcoming new Naval Academy Head Coach Joel Sharratt to the area (http://www.wrestlersinbusiness.org/chapters/washingtondc/).

Toward the end of the month, my brother is going to return the favor and come help me with a Coaches Clinic at George Mason University on October 24. For more information about the Coaches Clinic you can go to http://www.gmuwrestling.com. On October 25, Dan will also run a wrestling clinic for me before we have our team wrestle-offs (http://gmuwrestling.com/mason-wrestling-to-host-fall-clinics-for-athletes-and-coaches/). The clinic is geared toward high school and youth wrestlers. For those who can’t attend the clinic but want to watch the wrestle-offs, please feel free.

October will be a busy month as we prepare for the fun to start. November will be here sooner than we think. We will start our campaign for the NCAA Tournament in St Louis on November 2.

Jr World Team Trials

Although we had 6 guys qualified for the final Junior World Team trials, we only had 2 guys compete. Sahid Kargbo and Ibrahim Bunduka were courageous enough to get in a car with me and drive 14 hours to Madison, WI. Dale Oliver, who is going to coach the Junior World Team this summer, joined in the fun. Both wrestlers represented our program well.

Sahid competed in the Freestyle tournament. He finished 2-2. His 2 wins were over opponents who had beaten him at the FILA JR Nationals in Las Vegas. I was pleased to see his progress.

Ibrahim was an eyelash away from making the Greco-Roman team. The finals are a best of 3 format. He upset the #1 seed defending national champion in the first match 4-3. In the second bout he lost 3-2. 2 of the points his opponent received were given after a video review protest. Originally the call went Ibrahim’s way. In the rubber match, Ibrahim came up short. He was extremely disappointed. His disappointment showed me how important it was to him. I was sad he did not reach his goal, but proud of his effort and desire to win.

I was blessed to receive a coaching award over the weekend as well. Because of the efforts of many others, I was given the award. Thank you for making it possible. I have attached an interview I gave upon receiving the award. In it, I thank a few. Please know I owe a thank you to many more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HauRSXi3-7A

We had an interesting trip home, which included a few failed attempts at getting ice cream, a tour of downtown Chicago at 1am, and a cool dip at Buttermilk Falls, PA as part of a cold water challenge. Fortunately, we made it home safely.

On Monday, I was able to attend the Patriot Club Alumni Golf outing. It was a great event on a beautiful day. Sadly, the baseball team won the award for the most participating alumni. The recent A10 Champs are on a roll. We are going to have to stop their momentum and beat them in the Alumni Giving Challenge. Currently, baseball is in the lead. I have copied and pasted the current standings and ways in which you can donate: http://www.gomason.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205073218&DB_OEM_ID=25200
It was announced on Monday that our new Athletic Director will be Brad Edwards. I would love for him to see us win the Alumni Athlete Giving Challenge. It would certainly be a good first impression for our program.

University Nationals

I was pleased 19 wrestlers chose to compete in the University National Championships this weekend in Akron, Ohio. I believe training and competing in off-season competitions does help with development. We had 5 wrestlers place in the Greco-Roman portion of the tournament in their respective weight classes: Jake Kettler- 2nd, Sahid Kargbo- 4th, Ibrahim Bunduka- 6th, Nik Weiser- 7th and Zach Martinez- 7th. We had 2 wrestlers place in the Freestyle portion of the tournament in their respective weight classes: Sahid Kargbo 6th, and Matt Meadows 8th. My hope is the guys learned from the competitions. Although they are not the same style as collegiate wrestling, I believe there is enough cross over to help a wrestler improve in collegiate wrestling. We definitely have lots of work to do, but the competition was a step forward. Jake Kettler wrestled as well as I have seen him. Vince Rodriguez had some good wins and even in his losses he showed he can compete with the best. Matt Meadows showed his offensive prowess and had a gutsy win in his placing match. Sahid Kargbo placed in both styles which shows his toughness. I believe he wrestled 15 matches over the three days of competition. Several other guys won matches and competed over multiple days.

We traveled to the competition in 2 vans. We stayed in a cheap motel. Each night after weigh ins or competition, we were treated like super stars by the Meadows family. Each night they fed the team and invited wrestler’s parents to join them as well. It was a great time of fellowship for our team and families. Our team grew closer as a result of the trip.

We will have 2 wrestlers compete this weekend at the Junior World Team Trials. Sahid Kargbo will compete in the Freestyle Trials and Ibrahim Bunduka will compete in the Greco-Roman competition. We had 4 other guys qualify for the final trials, but due to injuries and prior commitments only 2 will make the trip to Madison, WI with me. I think the fear of sitting in a car with me for 14 hours to Madison and 14 hours back to Fairfax, served as a deterrent.

On June 2, the Patriot Club will host the 27th Annual Patriot Club Alumni Athlete Golf outing. If we have the most Alumni participate in the golf outing, the Patriot Club will give us 10% of the proceeds. I encourage you to attend, network, have fun and help make some money for wrestling. For more information go to: http://www.gomason.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205073209&DB_OEM_ID=25200

The Patriot Club is also in the middle of an Alumni-Athlete giving Challenge. We need to win the challenge. For more information go to: http://www.gomason.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205073218&DB_OEM_ID=25200
I sent a long letter to Alums about the challenge, but can use your help in getting them to give.

EWL Tournament

We finished the season in a disappointing fashion. We actually did a little better than predicted based on our regular season. Nevertheless, we fell short of getting anyone qualified for the NCAA tournament. I was hopeful we could get some guys to the national tournament and that they would perform well at the NCAA tournament. Overall, we were 10-18 at the conference tournament. We finished in last place as a team. The EWL is a tougher conference and we will have to improve to be more competitive. We can and must get better. A short synopsis of my thoughts on each wrestlers EWL tournament:

125 True Freshman Bill Prochniewski – Bill lost by tech fall to the #1 seed in the first round of the tournament. He had similar results when he wrestled the same guy at Midlands and in our dual against Rider. The 4th seeded wrestler was upset in the first round so Bill drew him in the wrestle-back. Bill wrestled well. He had a lead and put his opponent on his back in the second period. He ended up losing 7-4. Starting as a true freshman can be difficult. Bill probably lost more this year than he had his whole high school career. It is a big jump to D1 wrestling. My hope is Bill now has a better understanding of what it will take to be successful in college. He can now formulate and implement a plan to succeed. My fear is the lack of success will be hard for him to overcome. I have seen it break both ways for young starters. Some guys get used to losing and don’t make the transition. Others have used the tough freshman year to motivate them to heights they may never have reached. I hope Bill rises due to starting as a true freshman.

133 Red-Shirt Sophomore Vince Rodriguez – Vince lost a 3-2 decision in the first round to the 4th seed. He wrestled a better match against the guy than he had at our dual meet against Rider in January. Vince had trouble getting to his offense. In Vince’s second match he was upset by an unseeded wrestler. The turning point in the bout was not being able to get off bottom and giving up some near fall points. Once again Vince struggled getting his offense going. Vince had some good wins this year but also several unexpected losses. Personally, I just enjoyed seeing him compete again, but am also frustrated by his lack of success. Vince is a much better wrestler than he showed this season. My hope is he will continue to improve and get back to the wrestler he is capable of being. Missing last season and being sidelined some during this season hurt his progress. I am confident Vince will be a force in his junior and senior seasons.

141 True Sophomore Sahid Kargbo – Sahid was seeded 3rd and finished 3rd. In the quarter-final round Sahid wrestled tight. He did not attack like he should. He needed a come from behind throw to win the match 8-6. In the semi-final round, Sahid scored the first takedown, but gave up 2 escapes and a takedown. Going into the third period Sahid was behind 4-3. Sahid chose down and was unable to get away. He ended up losing 5-3 due to riding time being awarded to his opponent. In the consolation rounds, Sahid wrestled a much more aggressive and dominating style. He took more risk. Sahid was rewarded by getting a major decision over the Bloomsburg wrestler and a major over the same opponent he beat in the first round. Sahid had a good season. He was worthy and capable of doing well at the National tournament. We are all bummed he will not be able to compete next week. If Sahid continues to improve like he has been his first two years of college, he will be tough to beat.

149 Red-Shirt Senior Shohei Takagi – Shohei had a tough draw. Both guys he wrestled at the EWL tournament had handily beaten him during the season. Shohei wrestled both of them much better this time around but was still unable to beat either of them. As a senior, I was happy Shohei was able to represent the team at the conference tournament. My hope is we can keep Shohei competing for the club program as he has some promise as a Greco-Roman wrestler. We will see. I can now start recruiting him.

157 Red-Shirt Sophomore Greg Flournoy – Greg was seeded 4th and finished 3rd. Greg easily won his first bout, but lost to the number one seed in the semi-final round. I believe Greg was one or two breaks away from winning his semi-final bout, but the breaks did not go his direction. In the consolation rounds Greg wrestled a great pace and was able to win both matches. His final match was quite exciting and the crowd was on the edge of their seats. I did notice that at the end of the bout the Lock Haven and George Mason benches were all on our feet cheering the combatants. Greg is a very skilled wrestler who I now believe knows he is capable of doing something special as a George Mason wrestler.

165 Red-Shirt Freshman Ryan Forrest – Ryan had a tough first season as a college wrestler. He struggled with belief and health issues. He was also in a tough battle for the starting spot that lasted until the regular season had ended. I was pleased to see him wrestle with a desire to win at the EWL tournament. Ryan does take risks in his matches. Although I like the attitude, I would like to see him take some more calculated risks. He lost to the number two and four seeded wrestlers. He also beat the third seeded wrestler. I felt his effort was much better in the three matches he wrestled at the conference tournament. Ryan finished in fifth place. I hope the lessons learned this season spur Ryan on during the off season. He has the physical ability to gain lots of ground this spring and summer.

174 True Freshman Zach Martinez – Zach wrestled a strategically sound match against the number one seeded wrestler to start the tournament. I know Zach along with his team believed he could upset the number one seed. We had been talking to him about it even before we knew his draw. In the waning seconds of the bout Zach nearly scored the winning takedown. Nevertheless, he was unable to convert and his opponent did. I know the loss was devastating to him and the team. Zach did not do a good job of regrouping and wrestled poorly in his only wrestle-back bout. It is important Zach learns how to compete with greater resolve after a loss. He was capable of coming back for third, but he did not give himself the opportunity. The pain of a loss only grows when you do not rebound well. Zach needs to show more fortitude when fighting back from disappointment. I am excited about Zach’s future. Like Bill, my hope is Zach has a greater understanding of what he needs to do to be successful. He is no longer a freshman and should have gained more knowledge from being a starter as a true freshman.

184 Junior Ryan Hembury – Ryan was another one of our guys that drew a number one seed in the opening round. Unfortunately, Ryan sustained an injury early in the bout and he was unable to continue in the tournament. We are waiting to hear the extent of the injury, but it does appear that he will be sidelined for quite a while. I felt Ryan made some competitive progress this fall. He had a better understanding of college wrestling and was able to be more competitive. Toward the end of the season, he started to struggle again but I believe there were extenuating circumstances that held him back. My hope is Ryan can put it all together and have a great senior season.

197 Sophomore Matt Meadows – Matt was the number 4 seed and he finished 4th. He lost to the Number one and two seeds, while he beat two opponents. Matt impressed me with his ability to ride his opponents this weekend. He was able to ride all four of his opponents for quite a while. Being able to ride can change the course of a bout. Guys are more afraid to take a risk for the fear of getting away. I was pleased to see the improvement Matt made from his freshman season as a technical wrestler. He holds better position and is able to get his opponent out of position. Now my hope is he will continue to improve technically, become more physical and believe in his capabilities. He can be a dangerous wrestler.

HWT Red-Shirt Junior Jake Kettler – Jake was our fourth wrestler to draw a number one seed in the opening round. Jake wrestled well but was unable to score on the number one seed. After receiving a bye, Jake lost to the number 3 seed. Jake started the bout very well, but finished the bout poorly. I believe if he was able to stay competitive mentally for seven minutes he had a good shot at winning the match. Instead, he became discouraged and put his head down. He knew it. I knew it. I was pleased to see him come back and wrestle aggressively in his final bout to finish 5th. Jake had a discouraging season. He trains too hard to have the disappointing results during the season. Jake is diligent and will work hard to finish his senior year on a high note.

We traveled by bus to Cleveland. We arrived late Thursday night for the Saturday competition. I think the extra night to acclimate helped the guys prepare to compete.

Before we left for Cleveland, Sadie made treats for each wrestler along with a good luck poster to get them ready for our first EWL tournament. The starters were able to walk on to the bus with their new training shoes they received before the tournament. When we arrived at the hotel the Meadow’s family had huge treat bags ready for the guys along with a Cleveland Rocks signs and balloons. The host school, Cleveland State University, ran a first class event. The gifts the athletes received from Cleveland State University are something I know they will cherish. We had a significant fan section that the guys could hear while competing. I was happy some of the non-starters attended as well. I know the guys appreciated the extra perks and support for being in the EWL tournament.

We need to continue to evaluate and move forward. It is now time for candid self-review as individuals and as an entity. My initial thoughts are although not having a qualifier is a significant setback and it scares me, I firmly believe we are headed in a positive direction. We are making progress. We need to believe in the system; trust the program. My hope is we will get more of us headed in a positive direction which will help us become a stronger program on and off the mat.

Mayland Dual

The regular season is over. Now the fun part of the season is upon us. I am excited to watch the guys compete at the EWL Championships on March 8. We will need to wrestle well to get guys qualified for the NCAA tournament. I am also excited to watch the non-starters compete on Sunday, March 2 at the National Collegiate Open.

We lost our final dual of the season to Maryland. I was pleased with our attitude and effort, but disappointed in some of the outcomes. Since we can’t always control the wins or losses, it was good seeing guys control the things they could. We had our largest crowd of the year. I know this helped our team’s energy level. Thanks to all who attended the dual.

We did not compete over the weekend and the starters will not compete next week. We will use this time to improve. We can still get stronger, better technically and in better condition. We will also use this time to rest mentally and physically. The college wrestling season is a grind. Until someone has gone thru a season, it is hard to understand the toll it takes on you physically and mentally. Fortunately, our guys have a pretty good handle on things, so we are prepared to finish well. I am excited.