Inside F&M Wrestling Week 8: Mike Rogers Interview
LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall's wrestling team continues its season on Saturday by hosting Shippensburg and Shorter for the Diplomat Duals at the Mayser Center, before wrapping up the weekend by competing at the Millersville Open on Sunday.
To watch this week's interview with head coach Mike Rogers, click here.
Looking Ahead
Saturday, Jan. 17 – Diplomat Duals
F&M vs. Shippensburg – 10:00 a.m.
Video (HD) | Live Results
Shippensburg vs. Shorter – 12:00 p.m.
Video (HD)
F&M vs. Shorter – 2:00 p.m.
Video (HD) | Live Results
Sunday, Jan. 18 – Millersville Open – All Day
A Look at the Diplomat Duals
F&M welcomes a pair of DII squads to Lancaster on Saturday for a day of duals at Mayser. Shippensburg hails from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and enters action with a 1-5 overall record on the year. The Raiders hold a 4-3 record against the Diplomats, dating back to the first meeting in 1992. These squads faced off in last year's Mid-Penn Duals on Sat. 18, with F&M coming away with a dominant 34-9 victory.
Shippensburg's roster includes a pair of NCAA qualifiers in 141-pounder Cameron Throckmorton (2013) and 197-pounder Jalel Paige (2014).
Shorter is relatively new to the fold, with its program coming into existence in 2009, but has quickly become a Division II powerhouse and currently sit at No. 9 in the nation with a No. 1 regional ranking. The Georgia based institution is 7-4 on the year, including wins in three straight contests. F&M last faced Shorter in the championship round of the 2014 Mid-Penn Duals, taking down the Hawks by a narrow 22-19 score.
Projected Lineups
A Look at the Millersville Open
The "Shorty" Hitchcock Memorial Tournament hosted by Millersville University is set for Sunday and will include 300 wrestlers in the non-team scoring, double-elimination event. For more information, visit the tournament homepage by clicking here.
At last year's 11th annual classic, Brandon Giovanetti wrestled at 149 for the Diplomats. Giovanetti dropped down to the consolations after a loss in his opening bout but responded with a 12-6 decision over Mattheos Lozier of Virginia Tech. before being edged out by a 9-5 decision in the second round.
Ekow Eshun was pinned in his opening bout at 165 but came back in the consolation bracket with a thrilling 11-9 decision in sudden victory over Penn.'s Jun Yoo.
Last Time Out
Robert Ruiz captured third at 141, while Patrick Quinlan (133) and Rob King (157) each registered a fourth-place showing to pace F&M at the third annual and newly-minted David H. Lehman F&M Open on Saturday, Jan. 3 in Lancaster. No team score was recorded at the tournament.
The complete final bracket can be found here.
Ruiz landed the second top-three finish of his career at the open, previously taking second at 133 in 2013. The senior grappler opened the tournament with a pair of wins before falling by a 9-6 decision in the semifinals to Lock Haven's Matt Bryer. Ruiz battled back in consolations, advancing to the third-place title match with an 8-2 decision, a medical forfeit and a pin at 1:07. He capped off his day with his second straight fall, taking down Lock Haven's Bobby Rehm at the end of the first period.
Following a narrow 9-6 loss in his opening bout, Quinlan caught fire with four consecutive wins in the consolation bracket, including a 26-9 tech fall victory and a 21-9 major, before having to settle for fourth after a 14-4 defeat in the battle for bronze.
Competing at 157, King earned a pair of wins in the championship bracket, including a thrilling 9-7 tally in sudden victory before falling into consolations. King rattled off five straight wins to earn a spot in the third-place match, but came up short by a 13-5 mark against Millersville's Shane Ruhnke.
