LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall wrestling team is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since the 1991-92 season after a resounding 48-4 victory over Ursinus on Friday evening. Each of the Diplomats' nine victories came with bonus points as the team racked up three pins, two tech. falls, two major decisions, and two forfeits. That result tied F&M for the third-most dual points scored in a single dual and was the most since the F&M registered an identical 48-4 win against Gettysburg on January 28, 2006.
Ursinus registered its only team points of the night with a major decision at 125 lbs. before the Diplomats quickly made up that early deficit by winning the last nine matches. Pat Phillips (133 lbs.) and Wil Gil (141 lbs.) each recorded first period pins. Phillips' fall was the first of his F&M career. The first-year has now won his last four matches. Gil followed that up with his 22nd career pin to move into a tie for 11th in school history as Ross Hamsher '41 (32-1 career record) and Joseph Golego '51 (36-3-2 career record) also had 22 pins throughout their careers. The F&M senior captain now has a 13-2 record this season to go along with 93 career victories. Fellow captain Cristiaan Dailey (149 lbs.) made it 18-4 with the first of two forfeits that the Diplomats received on Friday.
Seniors Chase McCollum (157 lbs.) and Crew Fullerton (165 lbs.) kept the bonus points coming with back-to-back technical falls. McCollum secured five takedowns and had his opponent one stalling warning away from a disqualification during his 17-2 win which came 14 seconds short of a regulation match. Fullerton needed just two periods to rack up his tech. fall as he secured two takedowns and three sets of four near fall during his victory. John Crawford saw his first action since the season-opening tournament at 174 lbs. where he used three takedowns to help secure a 10-1 major decision. Crawford's record now sits at 3-0 on the season.
James Conway recorded F&M's final pin of the night as he clamped his opponent to the mat in 1:48 for his 11th victory of the season. Conway has now racked up 18 team points in F&M's first four duals. Mike Waszen received the Diplomats' second forfeit of the night before Cenzo Pelusi capped the evening with a major decision at heavyweight. Five of Pelusi's six wins this season have come with bonus as the senior captain scored six takedowns during a 14-3 victory.
Franklin & Marshall will now have just under three weeks away from competition as the College heads into finals. When the Diplomats do return to the competition mats, they will do so at the prestigious Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. Hosted by Northwestern, the 58th edition of one of the toughest tournaments in college wrestling will be held from Wednesday, December 29 through Thursday, December 30.
Franklin & Marshall 48, Ursinus 4
125: Franco Mazza (URS) maj. Eli Wallace (F&M); 12-4 (0-4)
133: Pat Phillips (F&M) WBF Jagger Clapsadle (URS); 1:59 (6-4)
141: Wil Gil (F&M) WBF Scott Weinkowitz (URS); 1:31 (12-4)
149: Cristiaan Dailey (F&M) won by forfeit (18-4)
157: Chase McCollum (F&M) TF Stone Franczyk (URS); 6:46 [17-2] (23-4)
165: Crew Fullerton (F&M) TF Jonathan Gherman (URS); 5:00 [16-0] (28-4)
174: John Crawford (F&M) maj. Jackson Brandt (URS); 10-1 (32-4)
184: James Conway (F&M) WBF Connor Fritsch (URS); 1:48 (38-4)
197: Mike Waszen (F&M) won by forfeit (44-4)
285: Cenzo Pelusi (F&M) maj. Jake Ahmad (URS); 14-3 (48-4)
