LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall wrestling team retained the Rupp Cup with a 29-10 win at Millersville on Friday evening in a showcase of Lancaster County wrestling. The win improved F&M to 8-1 on the year, marking the highest dual win total of head coach Mike Rogers' career with the Diplomats. F&M has now won 10 of the 11 Rupp Cups since Rogers became head coach.
The Diplomats led their local rivals 14-10 after the two sides split the first six bouts. In the end, F&M was able to pull away late with four straight victories to close the dual. That span was capped by bonus points from seniors Mike Waszen and Cenzo Pelusi during the final two bouts as five the Diplomats' seven victories overall came by bonus points.
Gio Diaz was once again the spark plug to a strong dual start as he won his seventh consecutive match with a 13-2 major decision at 125 lbs. Diaz has not lost a dual and is undefeated during the calendar year after scoring a takedown in each period while also securing six back points. The Marauders answered with an overtime victory at 133 lbs., but Wil Gil quickly swung the momentum back in F&M's favor with a fall near the edge of the mat in just 48 seconds. Gil improved to 9-0 in dual meets with his cradle for the fall and has now recorded four pins in under a minute during his career, including two of his four falls this season. Gil's record now sits at 21-5 during his senior campaign.
The bonus points continued to come at 149 lbs. where Cristiaan Dailey used four takedowns, including a headlock for a quick 6-0 advantage, during a 14-4 major decision. Dailey has now nine of his last 10 bouts to push his season record to 12-5 overall. Millersville brought the team score back to 14-10 with a decision at 157 lbs. followed by a major decision during 165 lbs. Despite the losses, the Diplomats scored last in both matches to avoid further bonus points.
As the Marauders climbed within four points, Franklin & Marshall turned up the intensity and left no doubt over the remaining bouts. John Crawford improved to 8-5 on the year, picking up a first period stalling point, earning a second period rideout, and eventually securing a takedown and escape in the third for a 5-0 victory. James Conway earned another hard-fought decision at 184 lbs. to improve his record to 18-9 with his seventh straight victory. Leading 5-3 heading to the third period, both wrestlers turned up the intensity during the final two minutes. However, it was an early reversal and takedown right after he was intentionally released that proved to be the difference in favor of Conway.
Mike Waszen officially locked up the dual with his dominating 18-0 technical fall as he needed just 2:57 of match time to secure an early takedown before hitting four consecutive wrist tilts that each earned him the full complement of four back points. Waszen has now won five straight matches, with three of those most recent victories all ending in technical superiority in favor of the F&M senior. That left classmate Cenzo Pelusi to put an exclamation point on the Rupp Cup victory with his 11-1 major decision. Pelusi led 7-0 after the first period and continued to build on that lead, earning his sixth consecutive win while running his season record to 12-5.
Franklin & Marshall will now have just over a week to prepare for the team's final dual of the regular season when the Diplomats welcome Hofstra to the Mayser Center next Sunday, February 20 for a 2 p.m. EIWA clash. The match will also be Senior Day as the Diplomats honor their class of 2022 prior to looking to end the regular season as the only EIWA team with an undefeated record in conference action.
Franklin & Marshall 29, Millersville 10
125: Gio Diaz (F&M) maj. Bryce Beatty (MILL); 13-2 (4-0)
133: Devin Flannery (MILL) dec. Pat Phillips (F&M); 6-4 (SV) (4-3)
141: Wil Gil (F&M) WBF Danny Capozzoli (MILL); 0:48 (10-3)
149: Cristiaan Dailey (F&M) maj. Elijah Tuckey (MILL); 14-4 (14-3)
157: Jonathan Parrilla (MILL) dec. Chase McCollum (F&M); 9-2 (14-7)
165: Brandon Connor (MILL) maj. Anthony Micci (F&M); 14-4 (14-10)
174: John Crawford (F&M) dec. Guy DeLeonardis (MILL); 5-0 (17-10)
184: James Conway (F&M) dec. Anthony Giampietro (MILL); 11-8 (20-10)
197: Mike Waszen (F&M) TF Daniel Pereira (MILL); 2:57 (18-0) (25-10)
285: Cenzo Pelusi (F&M) maj. Jordan Espinosa (MILL); 11-1 (29-10)
