Diplomats Nip Wildcats at Home 20-16

No longer will F&M wrestling be checked off as “an easy win” on the schedules of its opponents. No longer will the Diplomats settle for being able to count their wins on one hand.

For the first time in several years, F&M wrestling is off to a winning start. As Davidson prepared for the start of the match, many of the wrestlers were smiling, joking around with one another. A surprising number of Wildcat fans made the trip to Lancaster, but both they and their wrestlers left the building with their tails between their legs, bearing somber and defeated expressions.

In what Assistant Coach Matt Greenberg described as “a total team effort,” the Diplomats squeaked by Davidson 20-16, riding out an early five-bout win streak.

Sophomore Robert Ruiz took care of business at 133-pounds, capturing a major decision over Davdison’s Anthony Elias, putting F&M ahead 4-3. Nationally ranked Richard Durso dominated at the 141-pound spot, recording the only pin of the night, and supplementing an additional six points to F&M’s total.  Andrew Murano and Rob King picked up decision victories at 149 and 165-pounds, respectively, while senior Eric Norgard secured a crucial major decision victory over Nathaniel Powers.

The win snaps a four match losing streak in the series against the Wildcats but more importantly, marks the first time this season the team has wrestled top-to-bottom as a full squad.

“We were greedy and unselfish at the same time,” said Greenberg. “Guys earned bonus points where they were available and held them from bonus points when they [Davidson] were expecting them. We asked a lot of our entire team Friday. Guys did not know where or when they were going to wrestle, but they were still ready when called upon to perform. We had some injuries and even those guys stepped up big.”

 Under the tutelage of Coaches Rogers and Greenberg, F&M has never beat Davidson until now, and the Wildcats were certainly bewildered after seeing a 4-9 team transform itself into a 4-2 team in just two short years.

“We didn’t see them last year but I would have to say we were looking forward to wrestling them again and knew this year was as good a time as any for us to step up and show them things are different in Lancaster nowadays,” Greenberg said.

And show them they did. Coach Greenberg credits much of Friday’s win to Coach Mike Rogers’ strategizing and preparing to face the Wildcats.

“Coach Rogers is the best coach I have ever seen when it comes to match preparation,” Greenberg said. “We sat down and came up with different strategies depending on all the different scenarios match-by-match as to who would wrestle and what we needed from them. A lot of the credit off the mats goes to Rogers and his preparation.”

F&M will hit the mats again next weekend, as the team makes the short trip to Millersville University for the Mid Penn Duals, beginning Saturday Jan. 19, and concluding on Sunday.

Lahiff in Action

Colin Lahiff locked in combat with Gettysburg's Manny Markantone at 165-pounds. Lahiff pulled through with the sudden victory for F&M in the win on Wednesday, Jan. 9.

Diplomats Cruise Past Gettysburg, Improve to 3-2

In the decades long rivalry between Franklin & Marshall and Gettysburg Colleges, the Diplomats reminded the Bullets what it means to be a Division I program, punishing the visiting rivals 43-8 in the Mayser Center Wednesday evening.

F&M assumed a commanding 31-0 lead after six matches, with 18 of those points coming as a result of three Gettysburg forfeits. Freshman Aaron Moldoff fired up F&M with a quick pin to open at 125-pounds. Back-to-back forfeits at the 133 and 141-pound classes left sophomores Robert Ruiz and Richard Durso on the sidelines, giving F&M an additional 12 points.

Junior Andrew Murano stepped in at 149-pounds, contributing to the Diplomat attack with a major decision victory, while freshman Chuckie Kerkesner recorded a pin late in the heavyweight match to wrap up the night. Sophomore Isaiah Cromwell overcame a 5-1 deficit with a pin over Gettysburg’s Marshall Puls in 4:45 at 197-pounds, and Colin Lahiff pulled through with a sudden victory in a nail biter at 165. 

F&M’s suffered just two losses on the night, holding its opponent to under 10 points for the second time this season.

Assistant Coach Matt Greenberg was satisfied with the overall performance, but will be looking to make adjustments before Friday’s match against Davidson College.

“We’re trying to find guys who want to step up, who can handle the pressure and who want to take the role of a leader and we’ll keep putting guys out there until we can find the best possible line up,” Greenberg said. I was pleased with the win; I always think we can do better. Some of our guys didn’t necessarily take them [their opponents] out of the match as quickly as I would have liked. I think there were some good things, I’d like to see a little bit more; but that’s coaching—you always want to see more”

In the past couple years, F&M has come a long way, amending its schedule from predominantly Division III competition, to this year’s primarily D-I agenda.

“When I first got here, we had an entire Division III schedule. Three, four years ago we had four forfeits and we were in that position, so it kind of shows you how quickly you can turn things around. You’re never too good for anybody, you’re never above it.”  

When the Diplomats face Davidson on Friday, the team can’t afford to make any mistakes, and Coach Greenberg is counting on near flawless performances in every weight class.

“We’ve got to make some adjustments,” Greenberg said. “Some guys, they’re not going to have the opportunity to fix those mistakes and make up for some of those points that they gave away so we’re going to have to clean some things up. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing and see the improvement.”

Murano, who carries the weight of being the lone 149-pounder on the team will be counted on for another strong performance.

The junior considers the win against Gettysburg to be a testament to F&M’s Division I status.

“It just shows that we belong at the Division I level and we know that,” Murano said. “We’re all Division I wrestlers, we’re all tough, we’re all pulling out wins and this is a programs that’s on the rise.”

Despite the win, Murano was utterly disappointed with the trio of forfeits, and his teammates’ inability to compete.

“For me, it’s frustrating, but for them [teammates who won by forfeit] it’s extremely frustrating. A lot of people would be happy just getting the win, but we’re not happy. We want to go out there and we want to wrestle and show what we can do. It’s nice to have six points on the board in all three weight classes, but at the same time, I’d like to get six points in all three of those weight classes with our guys wrestling.”

Murano is expectantly awaiting Friday’s match, where no forfeits are likely to be seen.

“It’s tough to get your weight down mid-week, and we may have been a little sluggish today, but come Friday we’re taking on Davidson so we should have no problem with that—I think we’re going to win as a team.”

For Murano, competing against Division III Gettysburg served as a reinforcement reminding him why he chose Division I F&M, rather than a D-III program.

“We’re small fish in a big pond, and we just want to show that the small fish can really do well at this level,” Murano said. “That’s what we’re out here to prove and we don’t want it any other way.”

While the Diplomats face myriad challenges this season, the improvements the team has made are immeasurable. F&M currently holds a 3-2 record, contrasted with last year’s 0-5 start, and the team will look to improve to 4-2, at 7:30 p.m. Friday here in Lancaster.  

Diplomats Kick Off New Year with Inaugural F&M Open

With the New Year comes a new tradition for F&M wrestling—the F&M Open. On Saturday, Jan. 5, the Diplomats hosted the inaugural F&M Open, welcoming a total of 270 wrestlers from 25 schools.

F&M held its own in the highly competitive field, which featured numerous nationally ranked competitors, including wrestlers from several top 25 teams (Maryland, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers).

The day was highlighted by impressive performances from sophomores Robert Ruiz and Richard Durso, who wrestled their way to the finals of the 133 and 141-pound weight classes, respectively. Durso, who was dealt his third loss of the season on Saturday, has found his way into the individual national rankings, holding down the no. 22 spot in Division I with a 22-3 season record thus far. After making an appearance as an NCAA national qualifier last year, Durso is looking to achieve all-American status, and has certainly asserted himself as a national caliber competitor. On a team with just three upperclassmen, the pressure to perform and lead lies in the hands of every returning wrestler.

“The pressure of wrestling at a high level isn’t really much of a factor on performance,” Durso said. “You have to use your nerves to your advantage and not let them psych you out. It’s important to keep your mind focused on your goal, or as Coach Rogers calls it, ‘tunnel vision’.”

Though Durso remained focused during Saturday’s matches, he fell shy of yet another first-place tournament finish this season, after being edged by Hofstra’s Jamel Hudson 7-6. Still, he deemed the first-ever F&M Open a “huge success,” and understands the benefit of having a high profile meet not only for reputability, but also for recruiting purposes.

“I thought the F&M Open was a huge success and will help get our name out there, which is important for recruiting and further growing our program,” Durso said.

Assistant Coach Matt Greenberg was equally as satisfied with the turnout and results of the tournament, and is excitedly anticipating the continuation of this Open in years to come, making it a marked event for recruits to attend.

"The gym was filled with fans, so having a marquee event in F&M's wrestling portfolio is key to building the program and will help us when we're recruiting top wrestlers."

As the team approaches the halfway point of the season, both wrestlers and coaches alike are anticipating the apex of the season—the EIWA Championship.

Last year, the Diplomats managed to oust Sacred Heart and Bucknell, registering a 12^th place finish in the 14-team conference. With an improved squad and a hunger to climb the ranks, the team has high hopes for breaking into the top-10, and is confident that the only place for this team to go is up.

“We’ve been continuing to work hard since the completion of last season, and it shows with the success and improvement of every wrestler on the team,” Durso said. “With our great coaching staff and hard work ethic, everything will fall into place. As long as the team continues to improve like we have in the past couple years, then I believe that this program is headed in the right direction and has the potential to become a big threat in Division I wrestling.”

F&M has a long and difficult road ahead this season, but the sky is the limit for this young team. Saturday’s tournament proved this team’s capability and passion to compete, and this was exemplified by the results, which included five Diplomats who registered top eight finishes in their weight classes against some of the best teams and wrestlers in the nation.  

The Dips are looking to finish the last week of winter break with a bang as the team concludes with a pair of home matches against Gettysburg and Davidson, beginning Wednesday Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. 

More Than Just Teammates

Though today wasn't the first wrestling match I've ever attended, it was certainly the largest. For the first time in my life, I actually understood what was going on. Needless to say, I was impressed by the performances I witnessed. But I was more impressed with the wrestlers, and the familial relationships that every team seemed to possess. In the contemporary age of sports, so many athletes seem to have forgotten the meaning of the word "team," and are overcome with a all-consuming desire to win. It's quite clear that for F&M, such is not the case. Despite several coinciding matches, not one F&M wrestler competed without support from one of the coaches, and a handful of teammates and parents. Whether it was competing for first place, or eighth place in the consolation bracket, each and every member of the F&M team was reinforced by his counterparts, and that's something that to me, is a remarkable achievement. Despite its Division I status and competitiveness, this team's level-headedness exemplifies the perfect balance, and is a paragon for Division I athletics.

Here is a link to the article recap from today's tournament: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/800027_2-Diplomats-reach-final-in-F-M-Open.html

A more detailed article with additional quotations will be released shortly...Stay posted!