HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – Four Franklin & Marshall wrestlers provided the Diplomats with noteworthy performances at the 57th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern and held at the Sears Centre Arena in Illinois on Sunday.

The Diplomats totaled eight team points in one of the nation's premier tournaments. 

For complete results, click here.

Jose Diaz – 125 Pounds 

Diaz bounced back from an opening-round loss in the 125-pound bracket to earn a clutch 8-5 decision over Army's Ryan Chauvin in the wrestle backs. The sophomore sealed the match with a late third-period takedown. 

Wil Gil – 141 Pounds

Gil went 3-2 on the day, rattling off two straight victories to open his tournament and advance into the round of 16. After a dominant 11-1 major to open action, Gil upset North Carolina's Gabriel Tagg, the bracket's No. 12 seed, with a 15-10 decision to reach the round of 16. Gil totaled nearly three minutes of riding time in the match and recorded four reversals.

Falling to the bracket's No. 5 seed in the next round, Gil bounced back in consolations with a 9-3 decision over Northwestern's Justin Benjamin.

Emmett LiCastri – 165 Pounds

LiCastri responded from an opening-round defeat to capture a pair of wrestle back wins. After downing Oklahoma's Sam Dover by an 8-3 tally, LiCastri dominated Wisconsin's Joshua Otto with a 12-0 major decision. The 165-pound captain jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first and never looked back.

Cenzo Pelusi – 285 Pounds 

Pelusi gave the No. 4-seeded Jere Heino of Campbell all he could handle in his first match of the tournament, narrowly falling by a 3-1 decision in sudden victory. The Diplomat grappler nearly pulled off the upset but had a takedown challenged and overturned.

He bounced back un consolations with a strong 5-2 decision over Princeton's Aidan Conner, landing two takedowns in the match.

Up Next

F&M's full squad returns to action on Saturday at the annual David H. Lehman F&M Open in Lancaster. Competition at the ASFC begins at 9:00 a.m.