2022-23 Schedule | 2022-23 Roster | Social Media | Live Video (home duals)
LANCASTER, Pa. – The Division I Franklin & Marshall wrestling team is ready to return to the mats after one of the most successful seasons in recent history. Last year, the Diplomats went 8-2 for the program's highest winning percentage since the 1979-80 campaign. That success was added to in the postseason with two EIWA place winners and an NCAA qualifier to the Division I Championship Tournament.
The Diplomats return six of their 10 starters from the 2022 EIWA Championships as each of those individuals who are returning posted winning records a season ago. Headlining that list is Cenzo Pelusi, who took seventh at the EIWA Championships last year for his first conference placement. Pelusi will serve as a co-captain alongside fellow senior Jack Bruce, junior John Crawford, and sophomore James Conway. The Diplomats will have to replace NCAA qualifier and 100 match winner Wil Gil. Franklin & Marshall's next national qualifier will be the 100th in school history as the 100th anniversary of the program is on the horizon.
The coaching staff will be led by Mike Rogers in his 13th season where he has guided 18 EIWA place winners and nine NCAA qualifiers, highlighted by All-American Rick Durso '16 reaching the podium in 2014. Steve Borja (10th season), Tyson Dippery (fifth season), and Rob Morrison (second season) also return to the coaching staff. That staff will be bolstered by three-time F&M national qualifier Antonio Pelusi '19 adding his experience to Diplomats this coming year.
Returning 2022 EIWA Tournament Participants (last year's weight class & record listed)
- Gio Diaz | Jr. | 125 | 12-11 (9-5 at 125 lbs.) | Valpariso, Ind./Wheeler HS
- Pat Phillips | So. | 133 | 15-11 | Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton HS
- Noah Fox | Jr. | 165 | 18-11 | Montville, N.J./Montville Township HS
- John Crawford | Jr. | 174 | 10-7 | Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven HS
- James Conway | So. | 184 | 18-12 | Towson, Md./Loyola Bakersfield HS
- Cenzo Pelusi | Sr. | 285 |15-8 | Worcester, Pa./LaSalle College HS
A Look at the newcomers
"This is a very diverse class, bringing in wrestlers from all over the east coast," stated W. Roy Phillips '34 Head Wrestling Coach Mike Rogers. "We have wrestlers from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Many of them will be called on right away to make an immediate impact on the program, as well as provide depth from top to bottom."
A complete breakdown of the incoming class is available here.
Weight-by-weight breakdown
125: Gio Diaz hit his stride when he made the descent to 125 lbs. a year ago, advancing to the quarterfinals of the EIWA Tournament. First-year Mason Leiphart will be looking to make an instant impact as the four-time PIAA qualifier and 2022 AAA runner-up went on to defeat No. 1-ranked Joey Cruz at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic (formerly Dapper Dan), also taking home the Most Outstanding Wrestler award at the nationally-renowned event. Senior captain Jack Bruce adds even more experience to the weight as he competed at the 2020 EIWA Championships.
133: With a year of collegiate experience, sophomore Pat Phillips returns to 133 lbs. after going 8-1 in dual meets last year. He also placed fifth at the Keystone Classic and went 7-5 against EIWA competition during his rookie campaign. Phillips had a nearly 35 percent bonus rate with one fall, two tech falls, and five major decisions last winter. Connecticut state champion and National Prep Championship qualifier Drew Currier joins fellow first-years Josh Hillard (three-time PIAA AAA state qualifier at nearby Manheim Township), Aidan O'Shea (two-time PIAA AAA state qualifier), and Brandon Sauter (three-time state placer in Ohio) at the weight. With the returning sophomore in Phillips and four first-years, this weight should be very strong for years to come.
141: This weight has historically been a strength for the Diplomats with All-American Rick Durso '16 and last year's NCAA qualifier Wil Gil '22 accounting for the only 100-plus match winners in school history. Three first-years will vie for this competitive weight as Georgia State Champion Bryce Kresho, three-time National Prep qualifier James Toal, and New Jersey state place winner Sam Kotch all have the chance to crack the varsity lineup very early in their careers.
149: This weight will be the second of three straight where the starter has graduated for the Diplomats. Sophomore Avery Clarke went 6-8, splitting time between 141 and 149 lbs last year. More recently, Clarke was one of three Diplomats to compete at the US Open following the NCAA season.Junior Anthony Micci won three matches in limited action during his first collegiate season last year. Chris Arciuolo, a PIAA AA state qualifier in high school, brings a winning pedigree to the Diplomats as his Saucon Valley team won the 2022 state dual championship. PIAA AAA state qualifier Nick Velde brings another strong option to the middle of the lineup.
157: Another weight where F&M will be looking for a new starter to emerge, Chris Hisey is one of three seniors on the young team after posting four victories last season. Junior Hunter Hockensmith did not wrestle during the second half of last season and will be itching for his chance to get in the lineup. First-years Nick Alvarez and Josh Palmucci will be the new additions to the weight. Alvarez was a three-time Ohio state qualifier, while Palmucci accomplished the same feat in New Jersey. Both wrestlers bring winning pedigrees to F&M as each were a part of state championship teams throughout their high school careers.
165: Noah Fox dropped down to 165 lbs. for the postseason last year and represented the Diplomats at the EIWA Championships. His move back up to 174 lbs. will give the chance for an underclassmen to break into the lineup. First-year RJ Moore was a three-time National Prep Championship qualifier, finishing in seventh-place to take home All-America honors in 2021. Makoa Niebel, who spent last year at Cal Baptist, has transferred closer to home at F&M after his high school career at Trinity.
174: Noah Fox went 18-11 during his first collegiate season, winning the Messiah Open and placing fifth at the Clarion Open. He picked up a fall for the first win and bonus points at the EIWA Tournament last year before running into a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers. Prior to those final two results, Fox had been wrestling his best late in the year, featuring a five-match winning streak during the month of February. Sophomore Noah Bash was unable to compete last year during his first year on campus, but will look to get his first taste of collegiate action during the upcoming season.
184: James Conway returns to fill the starting role at 184 lbs. after an 18-12 first-year campaign. Elected a team captain as a sophomore, Conway had won seven matches in a row during the second half of last season and will be hungry to get back on an NCAA mat after a disputed slam call ended his stellar rookie campaign and a potential deep run into the postseason. The Maryland State Champion was also one of three Diplomats to compete in the US Open during the spring of 2022 following the college season.
197: John Crawford has posted double-digit win totals during both of his first two collegiate seasons at 174 lbs. Coming off a 10-7 campaign in which he missed part of last year, Crawford is up two weight classes where he will look to use that added muscle to his advantage. Showing he can compete with the best in the EIWA last year, Crawford has also placed at the Keystone Classic and Messiah Open throughout his career. Classmate Harrison Shapiro recorded bonus points during four of his five victories a year ago, additionally placing fifth at the Messiah Open, and will add valuable experience to the weight.
285: Since the 2015-16 season a Pelusi has anchored the F&M lineup and this year will be only slightly different as returning EIWA place winner Cenzo Pelusi will compete for the Diplomats after the fall semester. Having won 35 matches over his two competitive seasons, Pelusi is coming off a seventh-place finish at the conference championship. Going 15-8 last year, he defeated an NCAA qualifier and lost only to the first and third place finishers on his way to making his first appearance on the EIWA podium. Fargo All-American and UWW Cadet Greco Pan-American Champion Chase Thompson will be able to take advantage of the new rule that allows college first-years to compete attached in up to five competitions before Pelusi returns to the lineup. Sophomore Tyler O'Boyle will also join the room once he wraps up his fall on the gridiron where he has played on both the offensive and defensive lines for the F&M football team.
A look at the schedule
With a heavy focus on tournaments during the first half of the season, the only chance to catch the Diplomats at home will be during the second week of the season when they host Elizabethtown on November 9. Marquee Tournaments in November and December include the Southeast Open, Bearcat Open, Keystone Classic, Midlands, and many more. The David H. Lehman F&M Open returns to campus on Friday, January 6. Fans will have plenty of chances to catch the Diplomats at home with seven duals inside the Mayser Center between January and February. The 2022-23 schedule features duals against EIWA, ACC, and SoCon schools, while many others from all over the country will participate in the Lehman Open where F&M is still looking for its first individual champions in that event.
Eye on the Postseason
The 2023 EIWA Championships will be hosted by Penn on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5. The NCAA Division I Championships are set for the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma from Thursday, March 16 through Saturday, March 18.
