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 12th
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.
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