Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb wrestling team in essence will be the "Road Dogs" in 2013-14, as the Runnin' Bulldog grapplers will have 21 competitions, rather it be open invitational tournaments or dual matches, on the road leading up the 2014 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships on March 8th, announced second-year head coach Daniel Elliott.

Gardner-Webb, who has only three home bouts this season in Paul Porter Arena, will once again compete as an associate member in the Southern Conference.

"We are going to see some different schools during this year's schedule. We will do some traveling early on with a very young team, but we feel getting to see these opponents will be vital for us as we go throughout the year," Coach Elliott commented. "We will see teams out of the big conferences - ACC, MAC, Big 12, EIWA, EWL and the Western Wrestling Conference, as well as our usual Southern Conference opponents. We will be put to the test early on to see how we measure up and it will be good to see what we need to work on to improve for the end of the year tournaments. The guys are chomping at the bits to start strong and we hope to have a great season on the mat."

The 2013-14 season will kick-off for the Runnin' Bulldog wrestlers at the Virginia Quad Meet on November 2nd, as GWU will do battle in dual match action against West Virginia (10 a.m.) of the Big 12, versus the nationally ranked Virginia Cavaliers (12 p.m.) of the ACC and against NCAA Division II's Anderson College of South Carolina (2 p.m.).

After competing at nationally recognized open invitational tournaments in the Hokie Open (Nov. 10) and the Eastern Michigan Open (Nov. 16), Gardner-Webb will take part in the EMU Duals on November 16th in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

At the EMU Duals the Runnin' Bulldog grapplers are slated to face off with Kent State (10 a.m.), Eastern Michigan (11:30 a.m.), Michigan State (1 p.m.) and Utah Valley State (2:30 p.m.) in dual match competition.

The "road dogs" will remain on the road to take on N.C. State in dual match action on November 23 at 3 p.m. in Raleigh, N.C., while a handful of wrestlers will travel to Pembroke, N.C. to compete at the UNC Pembroke Open on November 23rd as well.

The month of December will begin with back-to-back Southern Conference road duals at VMI (Dec. 4, 7 p.m.) in Lexington, Va. and at Chattanooga (Dec. 16, 7 p.m.) in Chattanooga, Tenn. before the Runnin' Bulldogs will again send a number of wrestlers to the Brute Invitational in Lock Haven, Pa. over the Christmas Break on December 29th.

After yet another road match at George Mason on January 5th at 7 p.m. in Washington, D.C., the Runnin' Bulldogs will host its first home dual of the season versus conference foe Appalachian State on January 13th at 7 p.m. in Paul Porter Arena.

GWU will return to the road for a conference dual match at Davidson on January 15th at 7 p.m., before heading back to Washington, D.C. to do battle against both Columbia (10 a.m.) and American (12 p.m.) at American University on January 19th.

Two of the next three bouts for GWU will then come at home, as the Runnin' Bulldogs will host Campbell on January 23rd at 7 p.m., then return to the road to take on Duke in Durham, N.C. on February 4th at 7 p.m., before returning home for another Southern Conference home dual versus The Citadel on February 7th at 7 p.m.

Gardner-Webb will then round out its 2013-14 regular season slate with a neutral site match versus SIUE on February 19th at 5 p.m. in Buies Creek, N.C. before competing in a tri-match versus Cleveland State (12 p.m.) and Ohio (1:30 p.m.) in Athens, Ohio on February 23rd.

The 2014 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships will be held this year on March 8th at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., while the 2014 NCAA Division I National Championships will be held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from March 20-22nd.

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