The History of the George Mason University Wrestling Program
The George Mason Patriots represent George Mason University (GMU) in intercollegiate athletics, located in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots transitioned from NAIA and NCAA Division II status to NCAA Division I, starting with men's basketball in the 1978-1979 season. Within a few years, all other sports were elevated to Division I status. George Mason reached its current level of 20 varsity sports with the addition of women's lacrosse (1993-1994), women's rowing (1997-1998), and men's and women's swimming & diving (1999-2000). The George Mason Patriots swimming and diving program represents George Mason in the aquatics sports of swimming and diving. In addition, George Mason has fielded a varsity club football team since 1993 that competes intercollegiately. Their opponents range from other club teams to NCAA Division I FCS programs.
A Program on the Rise
While many of the school’s athletic programs have had historical seasons, the men's basketball program remains the flagship sport at the university. The men’s basketball team has played at the Patriot Center since 1985 after playing prior seasons in the PE Building on the west side of the Fairfax Campus. The men’s basketball team has made the NCAA tournament six times (1989, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2008, and 2011) and the NIT tournament five times (1986, 2002, 2004, 2009 and 2025). The Patriot basketball team is most famous for its 2006 NCAA run to the Final Four. The program’s largest rivals include conference foes George Washington and Virginia Commonwealth. The best-known player in Patriots history is George Evans, a Gulf War veteran who played from 1997 to 2001 and was a CAA player of year three consecutive seasons. He shares the CAA record with NBA legend David Robinson for winning the award three straight times.
Men's Soccer Excellence
Men's soccer was one of the first varsity sports to be offered when the then George Mason College began its athletic program in the late 1960s. Since then, it has become one of the most successful programs among the 22 NCAA Division I sports currently offered. In the 39-year history of George Mason soccer, the program has a record of 377-264-76 for a winning percentage of .579. including 14 in a row from 1980 to 1993, and they have finished a season nationally ranked nine times (1981, '82, '84, '85, '87, '88, '90, '92 and '96) in the last 24 years. At George Mason Stadium, the team's 5,000-seat home field which opened for the 1982 season, the Patriots have a record of 140-61-26 (.674 winning percentage). The men's team has reached the NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship eight times (1985, '86, '87, '89, '90, '96, 2006 and 2008).
Women's Soccer Dominance
Women's soccer has been perhaps the most successful program at George Mason University. The Patriots have reached the NCAA Division 1 Women's Soccer Championship twelve times and the College Cup four times (1983, '85, '86, '93), in 1983 they reached the final but would lose 4-0 to North Carolina.[2] Under Coach Hank Leung, the Patriots would again reach the final in the 1985 tournament, on Nov. 24, in front of a record-crowd of 4,500 people at George Mason Stadium and millions on national television on an ESPN broadcast, No. 3 George Mason would beat No.
Wrestling Achievements
In his second appearance at the national tournament, DJ McGee finished top 16 in the country with a 2-2 record, besting his 1-2 record in the 2024 championship. He defeated familiar foe Johnny Lovett from Central Michigan, 7-2. Lovett got on the board first with an escape to begin the third period of the consolation second-round match. A fury of action happened in the final seconds of the match as McGee scored a near fall to defeat Lovett, 7-2, the largest winning margin in the all-time series with Lovett. McGee is now 4-1 all-time against the MAC opponent. DuVall won his first match at an NCAA Championship with a major decision in wrestlebacks against West Virginia's Denis Robin (13-0). In the consolation round, Chase Saldate from Michigan State edged DuVall, 8-4, to end the junior's quest at the NCAA Championship.
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