LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall's wrestling team wrapped up a busy Sunday, sending a split squad to compete at the Stroudsburg Open, while also opening its dual meet season with a 36-6 loss to Army on the road.
Against their Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) foe Army, the Diplomats began the match strong when Alex Henry picked up a 4-1 decision at 285 to hand F&M an early 3-0 lead.
The Black Knights quickly tied up the contest when Dan Martoccio fell by a narrow 5-2 score at 125. The Diplomats responded when Patrick Quinlan landed a dominant 10-3 decision to pull F&M ahead at 6-3, however it was all Army after that point as the Black Nights followed with eight straight wins for the 30-point victory.
125: Sean Badua (A) dec. Dan Martoccio, 5-2
133: Patrick Quinlan (F) dec. Christian Doyle, 10-3
141: Logan Everett (A) dec. Robert Ruiz, 12-7
149: Andrew Mendel (A) maj. dec. Brandon Giovanetti, 11-1
157: Russell Parsons (A) dec. Rob King, 5-2
165: Chandler Smith (A) pinned Andrew Francos (2:45)
174: Brian Harvey (A) tech. fall Gordon Bolig, 17-2
184: Austin Wilding (A) pinned Adam Schroeder (4:55)
197: Stephen Snyder (A) pinned Antonio Pelusi (5:40)
285: Alex Henry (F) dec. Mason Kumashiro, 4-1
At the East Stroudburg Open, Scott Stevens and Richard Durso (wrestling unattached) both reached the quarterfinals of their respective brackets but fell just short of the semifinals.
Competing at 133, Stevens opened with a 3-0 decision over Binghamton's Robert Pearson and followed with a 3-1 win against Rutgers' Jalen Ramos. Durso was dominant in the early going, earning three straight major victories at 10-0, 15-0 and 9-1.
Sam Butler came away with a 13-5 major decision in his opening bout, while adding a pin in consolations to go 2-2 on the day. Jason Bing also competed in the 141 bracket, earning a decisive 19-4 major in consolations.
In the 149 championship bracket, Michael Marano was impressive with a pair of decisions at 7-2 and 4-1. Marano added a 7-0 decision in consolations to end his day at 3-2. Ekow Eshun picked up a win in the 165 championship bracket, downing Daniel Holland of Life University by a dominant 22-7 score, but was pinned in the following round.
Charles Kerkesner and Isaiah Cromwell both competed at 285, with each earning a victory in the championship bracket. Kerkesner registered a 4-1 decision in his opening bout, while Cromwell recorded a 6-3 decision of his own in the senior grappler's opening match.
The Diplomats return to action on Sunday, traveling to Sacred Heart for an EIWA dual meet, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
