LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Three Franklin & Marshall wrestlers finished in the top five of their respective weight classes on Sunday at the Mat-Town Open, hosted by Lock Haven. Richard Durso led the way by capturing the championship at 141, while Robert Ruiz nabbed third at 133 and Jason Bing came away with a fourth-place showing at 125.
Durso maintained his perfect record on the year (13-0) by earning four-straight victories to run the table in his bracket. He has now picked up a first-place finish at all three tournaments he has participated in this season.
The junior 141 pounder kicked off the tournament with a pin before following with a 10-0 major decision in the second. Durso took down Colt Cotton of Bloomsburg with an 11-5 decision in the semifinals before winning the championship with a 5-2 score over Andrew Atkinson of Virginia.
Ruiz earned a win by technical fall in his opening bout before dropping down to the consolation bracket with a 7-0 loss in the second. He followed with four-straight victories, all with pins, to take home a third-place finish.
Bing opened at 125 with a pair of wins in the championship bracket, with a 2-1 and 5-3 decision before falling in the semifinals. In the consolations, he took down Josh Patrick of Rutgers but was edged out in the battle for third place by a 9-7 decision at the hands of Ronald Perry of Lock Haven.
In the 157 bracket, Andrew Murano won his opening bout with a 14-3 major decision before falling in the second round. Rob King and Ekow Eshun competed at 165 for the Diplomats and both earned victories in their opening bouts of the championship bracket.
King dropped down to the consolation bracket with a loss in the second and followed with a pin and a 4-0 decision before wrapping up the tournament with a 6-1 defeat.
At 174, Gordon Bolig went 2-2 with both of his wins coming in the consolations after bowing out of the championship bracket with a narrow 2-0 decision in his opening bout. Colin Lahiff also competed in the 174 bracket, earning a 5-2 victory in consolations.
Chuckie Kerkesner won by pin in his opening bout at 197 over Daniel Choi of Cornell. Isaiah Cromwell also wrestled in the bracket and finished the tournament with a 1-2 mark after winning a 5-3 decision in the consolations.
In the 285 bracket, Alex Henry won his opening bout with a 3-1 decision before dropping down to the consolations with a 6-4 loss in the second. He followed with a 6-2 decision and a pin before dropping a bout by pin to wrap up action.
F&M returns to Lock Haven on Sunday, Dec. 29, when the Diplomats compete at the Cradle Gear Invitational.
