American's Raymond Lopez has been named EIWA Wrestler of the Week following a 4-0 run and 133lb Championship at the Annual Navy Classic

Lopez came from behind to earn his first win of the day over a familiar opponent, Navy's Brendan Ferretti.  He trailed 6-2 in the second period before notching a takedown to close the gap to 6-5. In the third period, Lopez scored an escape and added one more takedown to seal the 9-7 victory.

Following a 15-6 major decision victory over Binghamton's Dillon Arrick in the quarterfinals, Lopez faced Nebraska's no. 5 ranked and returning All-American, Jacob VanDee in the semifinals. In a action packed match, Lopez found himself behind Van Dee 9-5. With just 25 seconds remaining in the third period, Lopez put Van Dee to his back and scored an impressive pin over the All-American.

In the finals, Lopez faced an even more familiar opponent, his teammate, 2024 NCAA qualifier Maxamilian Leete. It was a tight bout between the two Eagles, where they were tied 1-1 in the third period. With just over one minute left in the bout, Lopez scored a go ahead takedown and was leading 4-1 when, Leete suffered an injury and was forced to default. Lopez claimed the win over his teammate and the 133lb. championship!

American Head Coach Jason Borelli has high praise for Lopez saying, "Ray works extremely hard and is consistent from day-to-day, therefore, his results are not surprising to those who are around him on a daily basis.  He wrestles with a hard pace for a long time and he has big moves in his arsenal which makes him tough to beat because you can never count him out. It's like having Steph Curry on the court and being down by 3… if there is time remaining on the clock you have a chance from anywhere."