LANCASTER, Pa. – A trio of dual meet competitors, including two Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) members, are set to embark on Lancaster this weekend for contests in Mayser on Saturday and Sunday.
F&M heads into the weekend with a 3-8, 0-4 EIWA mark, with its last victory coming against Davidson (32-6) on Saturday, Jan. 9.
Friday, Jan. 22 – Brown | Mayser Center | 4:00 PM
Live Results | Video (HD)
Friday, Jan. 22 – Harvard | Mayser Center | 5:30 PM
Live Results | Video (HD)
Sunday, Jan. 24 – Shippensburg | Mayser Center | 12:00 PM
Live Results | Video (HD)
A Look at Brown: The Bears stand at 1-5, 1-2 EIWA on the year, not including their matchup at noon this upcoming Saturday against Bucknell. The lone win on the year for Brown came against Sacred Heart in a narrow 22-17 victory on Sunday, Jan. 17.
The all-time series belongs to the Bears at 20-2, dating back to the 1964 season. These program's last squared off Dec. 8, 2012 in Boston with F&M taking four bouts but coming up short by a 24-12 score.
A Look at Harvard: The Crimson currently hold a 2-2, 0-1 EIWA record, not including their upcoming meeting with Bucknell on Saturday evening. Harvard has faced a brutal schedule so far with both of its losses coming against ranked teams, including a 37-3 defeat from No. 4 N.C. State on Jan. 9 and a 31-14 setback against No. 16 Cornell on Jan. 15.
Todd Preston (141) is the Crimson's lone top-20 ranked wrestler. The all-time series between the pair of school's in knotted at 12-12, with the first meeting occurring in 1959. They last faced off on Jan. 7, 2012 at the Mayser Center with Harvard coming away victorious by a 29-12 score.
A Look at Shippensburg: The Raiders, a Division II program, head into Sunday's competition with an 8-5 mark, including three straight wins over Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponents. Shippensburg ranks fifth in its region as a team, while five of its wrestlers are ranked in the top-five individual rankings for the region.
The Diplomats hold a 5-3 edge in the series history, including a 25-12 win on Jan. 17 of last season in Masyer, where F&M captured six of the 10 bouts.
Matchup to Watch: Sunday afternoon's dual against Harvard expects to feature a matchup of two of the top 141-pounders in the country when No. 15 Rick Durso of F&M battles No. 7 Todd Preston for the first time. The 2014 EIWA Champion and NCAA Qualifier, Preston enters action with a 20-3 record. Durso stands at 26-8 on the season and is 11-2 in the conference. He has won five straight and has taken down his last two ranked opponents.
Late Time Out: The Diplomats fell to No. 8 Lehigh by a 40-6 score in Mayser, while also sending wrestlers out to compete at the Shorty Hitchcock Classic, hosted by Millersville on Saturday.
Against Lehigh, F&M held a remarkable 6-5 edge heading into 149 after a thrilling 4-1 decision from Scott Stevens (133) in the tiebreaker and key 2-1 decision from Durso over No. 18 Randy Cruz at 141. The Mountain Hawks went on a tear from that point on, winning the final seven bouts by a 35-0 margin en route to the 34-point victory.
At Millersville, Paddy Quinlan had the most success of any Diplomat on the day, taking part in a brutal 141-pound bracket that featured some of the top grapplers in the nation and coming away with a 3-2 mark. Quinlan opened action with a 12-6 decision over Navy's Patrick McLaughlin, before dropping down to the wrestlebacks with an 8-2 loss against Cornell's Mark Grey.
F&M's sophomore 141-pounder responded in consolations with back-to-back pins over Millersville's Tommy Nulty (2:00) and Virginia's Sam Krivus (4:15), but had his afternoon come to a close with a 9-5 loss.
Shattering the Record: With his 2-1 decision on Saturday, Durso improved to 26-8 on the season, and continues to distance himself from the school's previous all-time wins record, held by Craig Blackman's '81 with a career mark of 117-31-2. A three-time NCAA qualifier and 2014 All-American, Durso now holds a 132-26 overall record.
Moving up the Chart: Durso has also accumulated five pins during his senior campaign and now sits tied for sixth on the program's all-time list with 23 in his career. Justin Herbert '09 holds the record with 35.
Double-Digit Win Totals: In addition to Durso's impressive record, several other Diplomats have hit the double-digit win plateau on the season. Antonio Pelusi sits at 19-13, followed by Anthony Mancini (12-12) and Paddy Quinlan (11-11).
Where Durso Stacks Up at 141
No. 13 – FLO Wrestling
No. 14 - NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches Rankings
No. 14 – Amateur Wrestling News (AWN)
No. 15 – InterMat Wrestling
No. 15 – Wrestlingreport.com
No. 17 – The Open Mat (TOM)
