Tuesday, December 11, 2012

An Impressive Feat

As Franklin & Marshall College's ONLY Division I program, the wrestling team is deviates from the other varsity sports programs on campus.

But the expectation of the wrestlers themselves, academically speaking, is quite the same. 

The F&M wrestlers are not only committed to top-tier academics, but also to the highest level of collegiate wrestling. 

Furthermore, F&M begins every season at a disadvantage. I'm referring of course to the school's inability to award athletic scholarships. 

As a humble spectator and sports writer, it's frankly quite an amazing feat that F&M wins at all. The facilities, the budget, the recognition--it's all less than that of other schools, yet these boys are putting in just as much, if not a bit more hard work than those on other teams. 

It's tough enough to be a varsity athlete at F&M, but to do what any single wrestler on the Dips' squad does, it takes heart; it takes determination, pertinacity and a whole lot of patience. 

This past weekend, F&M went 1-2. It was a hard fought trio of matches, and if anyone was thinking of getting down on themselves, bear in mind that proportionally, F&M is the mightiest of any school we face, and that in due time, the results will ensue all the hard work you've all invested. 

Just for your amusement though...

Student Undergraduate Enrollment:

Franklin & Marshall College - 2,363
Sacred Heart University - 4,173
Brown University - 6,118
Boston University - 15,977

F&M held its own against these three larger, and more well-funded schools, and there is no denying the Dips are on the straight-and-narrow this year, progressing in huge leaps towards the team's goal of capturing the E.I.W.A. Championship. 

I think one thing is certain though. If F&M wrestling were to join the rest of the college's varsity teams in the Centennial Conference, a championship trophy would be sitting in the office of Coaches Rogers & Greenberg at the end of the year. 

Pretty impressive if you ask me. 

Friday, December 7, 2012

For Stevens, a Long Way Come, a Long Road Ahead


He never thought he would overcome this—he just wanted to give it all up; wrestling, school, lacrosse.

But he didn’t. For Scott Stevens, his greatest fear and most terrifying obstacle has also served as his most effective source of motivation.

During his sophomore year of high school, Stevens faced the biggest challenge of his life. Juggling academics and varsity athletics while living away from home was proving to be too much for the young wrestler to handle. The burden was beginning to consume him.

“Everything seemed like it was crashing down,” Stevens said. “I was homesick and I wanted to leave.”

After a series of visits from his parents, Stevens managed to get back on his feet. But he never would have imagined the place he would find himself in, just three years after his 10th grade crisis.

Today, Stevens recollects the troubling events that nearly got the best of him, and is proudly (and successfully) balancing his academics in conjunction with Division I wrestling.   

The difficult experiences he endured as an underclassman at the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, have largely shaped who he is today.

Stevens possesses a unique ability to comfortably adjust to any situation, pushing forward and enabling a tunnel vision focused directly on his goal.

Now in college, Stevens is finding himself in a similar situation to what he experienced in 10th grade, but has the skills and experience required to overcome this difficult transition.

Since his arrival at Franklin & Marshall, Stevens has made good use of this skill, and thanks his preparatory school experiences for giving him this practical tool.

His seasonal record thus far stands at a below-average 3-6, but Stevens is grateful for his opportunity to be competing at the Division I level, and is unfazed by the statistics.

“I know eventually I’ll get it, I just have to keep doing what I’m doing and will see the outcome,” he said. “I know that I can overcome the adversity, and I focus on what’s important instead of dwelling on the little things.”

As a high school junior, Stevens began to entertain the prospect of wrestling in college. Soon, he formulated his vision, and once he started, there was no turning back.

“During the junior season, everything from then on I worked towards was to wrestle in college,” Stevens said. “There were points in the season I thought to myself how can I wrestle in college if I’m losing to certain kids.”


Nevertheless, Stevens managed to find his way onto the team here at F&M, and has been enjoying and savoring every moment of it.

“I love the team,” Stevens said. “It’s a lot different from my teams in the past because everyone on the team wants to be there and wants to do well and keep pushing forward. It kind of makes it easier when they have the same mindset.”

For the F&M freshman, the sport he once wanted to bid farewell too has been his faithful companion and one of his greatest joys. Perhaps that’s why Stevens has held on to it so dearly, and discontinued his participation in other sports.  

“It’s definitely a lot different than any other sport, and that’s what I like about it” Stevens said. “You don’t have to be the fastest, you don’t have to be the strongest; it’s how hard you work, how self-reliant you are.”

With the motivation to work hard, and the coaches and teammates to guide him towards success, Stevens begins a new chapter of his wrestling career, this time with fervor and passion, and a dream of heading to the NCAA National Championship.    

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Crowd Propels F&M to Victory in Season's First Dual Match


In its first dual match of the 2012-13 season, the F&M wrestling team appeased a raucous home crowd with a 20-16 victory over Virginia Military Institute (V.M.I.).

After losing to V.M.I. over the last three seasons, including a loss by a margin of just one point last year, F&M had its revenge on the Keydets, propelled by a strong showing from a troop of underclassmen.

In the first match of his collegiate career, freshman Aaron Moldoff pinned his opponent in the 125-pound weight class, giving the Diplomats the 6-0 lead. Fellow freshman Rob King also had an impressive showing, capturing an F&M victory in the 157-pound slot with a major decision over VMI’s Edward Gottwald.

Sophomore Robert Ruiz emerged victorious at 133, followed by a pivotal 10-2 major decision; compliments of Richard Durso. Junior Andrew Murano came through with a win for F&M at 149, giving the Diplomats a commanding 16-0 lead.  

F&M assistant coach Matt Greenberg was pleased with the team’s performance, and is expecting big things this year from all of his wrestlers.

Going into the match, Greenberg and head coach Mike Rogers were optimistic, until starting 184-pounder Paul Alessandrini was sidelined with an injury, leaving an apparent vacancy in the Diplomats’ starting line.  

“We came back and really wanted to stick it to them,” Greenberg said. “We knew it was going to come down to performing out there when we had to. For us right now, beating guys who had previously beaten us is a good thing—it shows that we’re improving, and that as coaches we’re doing the right things on the mat as far as getting guys ready to compete.”

Greenberg was particularly pleased with the performances of the freshman, specifically the two victors Aaron Moldoff and Rob King.

“We knew every point was going to be critical, and he [King] stepped it up big time and got a major decision for us, which in dual meets can be the difference between winning and losing it.”

As V.M.I. paid a visit to Lancaster, the Diplomats performed in front of what Greenberg declares the most attended match in four years.

In addition to working on improving the skills of the wrestlers, Greenberg has invested a great deal into promulgating the excitement that accompanies Franklin & Marshall’s only NCAA Division I athletics program.

“It was an amazing sight,” said Greeenberg. “I’ve never seen the gym that full in four years, and I think that really helped, and as coaches it helps us know that we’re doing a good job in putting something out there that people want to see.”

Murano was also grateful for the packed bleachers, and was thrilled for the opportunity to perform in front of family, students, teachers, and administrators. The junior attributes a great deal of credit to the fans, and believes that F&M’s potential is limitless.

 “Everyone showed that they could fight, and we really showed the crowd that F&M wrestling is no joke,” Murano said. “Never before have I seen such a strong showing, and it really gives us momentum as a team. I hope we can expect a large showing like that for every home dual meet.”

As Murano and the rest of the team look forward to what the rest of the season holds in store, one thing is unmistakable—F&M wrestling has come a long way from where it was a few years ago, and this positive trend the team has demonstrated comes as a result of improved coaching and recruiting methods.

“This was the first time as a team that we have beaten V.M.I. in my time here at F&M, which really gives me hard proof that we are making major strides as a program under the tutelage of Coach Rogers.”

Though early in the season, expectations are already running high for the team. Coach Greenberg has reverted to a reliable and simplistic approach, which he hopes will guide the team in a steady upward trend to its apex at the E.I.W.A Championships.

“We’re going to put the best 10 guys out on the mat,” Greenberg said. “One of the things we have this year that we haven’t had in past years is depth. They [the team] just need to do what they know how to do, and fix the mistakes we’ve made in the past. “That’s all we’re really looking for; to improve every time we step on the mat and not make mistakes we’ve made before. These are just tests along the way—the final exam is at E.I.W.A.’s.

F&M has a trio of road matches this weekend beginning with Brown University on Saturday Dec. 8, followed by Boston University and concluding on Sunday with Sacred Heart.