ROANOKE, Va. – The Division I Franklin & Marshall wrestling team opened up its 2023-24 season at the Southeast Open (Formerly Hokie Open) on Saturday. The Diplomats put five place winners on the podium, four of which came from the Open Division that featured a number of nationally-ranked victories.
Placing for the Diplomats in the open Division were Mason Leiphart (second; 133 lbs.), John Crawford (fourth; 197 lbs.), Pat Phillips (sixth; 141 lbs.), and James Conway (sixth; 184 lbs.). Josh Palmucci (165 lbs.) also added a sixth place finish in the Freshman/Sophomore Division.
Open Division
Mason Leiphart needed just mere moments to adjust to his new weight class of 133 lbs. Drawing 15th-ranked Haiden Drury (Utah Valley) during his first match of the season, Leiphart was trailing 4-0 heading into the second period, but used two tilts to take the lead before pinning the nationally-ranked foe in 4:38. The bonus points kept coming as Leiphart teched Campbell's Logan Heil to take sole possession of F&M's career lead for technical falls with 14 after leading all of Division I wrestling in that category a season ago. The F&M sophomore then pinned Life's Thaddeus Long in just 2:34 during the semifinals before dropping a 14-7 bout against Oregon State's Gabe Whisenhunt who made the finals after defeating Virginia Tech's fourth-ranked Sam Latona in the semifinals.
James Conway also made a name for himself on the national radar by beating the No. 27 and No. 30-ranked wrestlers at 184 lbs. Conway started his tournament in the round of 32 with a technical fall before using four third period takedowns to come-from-behind in a 17-14 win against No. 30 Hadyn Danals (Virginia). Conway dropped a match to No. 3 Trey Munoz or Oregon State before rebounding with a second technical fall which preceded a dominant 8-3 decision against No. 27 Zayne Lehman (Ohio.). After guaranteeing himself a spot in the medal round with two nationally-ranked wins, Conway finished in sixth place following a 4-2 decision versus Oregon State during his sixth match of the day.
John Crawford came into the first tournament of the year with the No. 30 preseason ranking and placed fourth to begin his senior campaign. The F&M captain took decisions against Life and Oregon State before running into No. 15 Evan Bockman of Utah Valley. Crawford was in overtime of his consolation semifinal before his opponent was forced to default. After defeating one Oregon State wrestler to start his tournament, Crawford dropped his second match against the Beavers to finish in fourth place.
Pat Phillips also placed fifth with a 4-2 record to start his junior season. Up at his new weight class of 141 lbs., Phillips started his tournament with back-to-back major decisions against Life and West Virginia before his quarterfinal match went to a rideout where a fall went against him in a time of 9:49. Another team captain, Phillips claimed an overtime victory during his first wrestle back before another major decision against teammate Bryce Kresho. Phillips placed sixth after a 5-3 score in his sixth bout of the tournament.
Kresho fell just one round short of a medal in that matchup against his teammate, but did defeat Utah Valley's James Emmer and registered a major decision against Utah Valley's Kobe Nelms. His only loss besides Phillips came to 20th-ranked Cleveland Belton of Oregon State. Noah Fox (174 lbs.), Aidan O'Shea (133 lbs.; unattached), Josh Hillard (141 lbs.), and Noah Bash (165 lbs.) also won matches in the Open Division brackets. Fox nearly defeated No. 26 Brody Conley of West Virginia, but was edged out by a 9-7 final score. He bounced back with a major decision against North Carolina's Nolan O'Boyle, the brother of F&M heavyweight Tyler O'Boyle). Both Hillard and Bash won their matches by fall against opponents from Virginia and Life, respectively.
Freshmen/Sophomore Division
A number of new faces for the Diplomats who were looking to make noise on the national scene also found success, with nine of those entered in the Freshmen/Sophomore Division winning a match – including six of those wrestlers who claimed multiple victories.
The highlighted weight was 165 lbs. as Josh Palmucci picked up three wins at his new weight class. Back at full strength, the sophomore was limited a season ago but registered a pin and two decisions before placing sixth. Teammate Dominic Wheatley joined him in the quarterfinals of 165 lbs. after a technical fall during his collegiate debut, but had to withdraw after suffering an injury during that quarterfinal match.
Looking for a new starter to emerge at 125 lbs., two F&M first-years each won a pair of matches. Eric Howe started his winning ways with a technical fall before notching a 13-7 decision. Teammate Jack Parker also had a pin and major decision during the wrestle backs as both of the Diplomats' lightweights went 2-2 on the day.
Luke Bender made a strong impression in his collegiate debut at 149 lbs. He needed just 3:39 to pick up a technical fall during his first match, later adding a 6-0 shutout and second technical fall to his F&M debut. The 133 lbs. weight class looks to have great depth early for the Diplomats as sophomores Drew Currier and Brandon Sauter each won two matches in addition to Leiphart's finals appearance. Sauter had a fall in just 32 seconds to start his day, while Currier's most dominant victory was a 15-0 technical fall in just two periods. Billy Templeton (149 lbs.) and RJ Moore (174 lbs.) also won matches for the Diplomats in the division. Templeton's first collegiate win was a hard-fought 5-4 decision, while Moore nearly picked up a bonus point before securing an 8-1 victory against Maryland's Jagger Gray from the Big Ten.
With a strong start to the season, the Diplomats will now get set for another high-level tournament this coming week as they travel to Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for the Journeyman Collegiate Classic on Sunday, November 12.
Franklin & Marshall Results
Open Division
Mason Leiphart (133 lbs.) – SECOND PLACE
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Won vs. #15 Haiden Drury (Utah Valley); F: 4:38
Quarterfinals: Won vs. Logan Heil (Campbell); TF: 3:08 (16-1)
Semifinals: Won vs. Thaddeus Long (Life); F: 2:34
Championship: Lost vs. Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State); 14-7
Aidan O'Shea (133 lbs) – Unattached
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State); 10-1
Consolation of 16 #2: Bye
Consolation of 8 #1: Won vs. Antonio Saldate (Life); 10-8
Consolation of 8 #2: Lost vs. Logan Heil (Campbell); 3-1
Pat Phillips (141 lbs.) – SIXTH PLACE
Round of 32: Won vs. Jordan Mitchell (Life); 11-0
Round of 16: Won vs. Blake Boyers (West Virginia); 12-2
Quarterfinals: Lost vs. Chris Rivera (Campbell): F: 9:49
Consolation of 8 #2: Won vs. Tyree Johnson (Life); 4-1 (SV)
Consolation of 4: Won vs. Bryce Kresho (F&M); 9-1
Fifth Place: Lost vs. James Emmer (Utah Valley); 5-3
Josh Hillard (141 lbs.)
Round of 32: Lost vs. Sam Hillegas (West Virginia); TF: 1:49 (16-0)
Consolation of 16 #1: Bye
Consolation of 16 #2: Won vs. Byren Butler (Virginia); F: 1:32
Consolation of 8 #1: Lost vs. James Emmer (Utah Valley); 8-5
Bryce Kresho (141 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Won vs. James Emmer (Utah Valley); 5-4
Quarterfinals: Lost vs. #20 Cleveland Belton (Oregon State); F: 3:40
Consolation of 8 #2: Won vs. Kobe Nelms (Utah Valley); 11-3
Consolation of 4: Lost vs. Pat Phillips (F&M); 9-1
Noah Bash (165 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Jake Marsh (Morgan State); 12-2
Consolation of 16 #2: Won vs. Alexander Clark (Life); F: 3:38
Consolation of 8 #1: Lost vs. Trey Johnson (West Virginia); 6-3 (SV)
Noah Fox (174 lbs.)
Round of 32: Lost vs. #26 Brody Conley (West Virginia); 9-7
Consolation of 16 #1: Bye
Consolation of 16 #2: Won vs. Nolan O'Boyle (North Carolina); 15-7
Consolation of 8 #1: Lost vs. Tre Morrisette (Life); F: 1:35
James Conway (184 lbs.) – SIXTH PLACE
Round of 32: Won vs. Myles Starke (Life); TF: 5:33 (21-6)
Round of 16: Won vs. #30 Hadyn Danals (Virginia); 17-14
Quarterfinals: Lost vs. #3 Trey Munoz (Oregon State); 18-5
Consolation of 8 #2: Won vs. Jaquez Bostic (Limestone); TF: 6:04 (19-3)
Consolation of 4: Won vs. #27 Zayne Lehman (Ohio); 8-3
Fifth Place: Lost vs. Dylan Kohn (West Virginia); 4-2
#30 John Crawford (197 lbs.) – FOURTH PLACE
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Won vs. Michael Gibson (Life); 4-1
Quarterfinals: Won vs. Asher Ruchti (Oregon State); 7-4
Semifinals: Lost vs. #15 Evan Bockman (Utah Valley); 17-3
Consolation Semifinal: Won vs. Michael Gibson (Life); DEF: 7:22
Third Place: Lost vs. Justin Rademacher (Oregon State); 14-4
Freshman/Sophomore Division
Eric Howe (125 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Cooper Shore (Campbell); 7-2
Consolation of 16 #2: Won vs. Candio DeLuna (Tiffin); F: 5:59
Consolation of 8 #1: Won vs. Julian Dawson (Michigan State); 13-7
Consolation of 8 #2: Lost vs. Max Shore (Tiffin); 7-0
Jack Parker (125 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Max Shore (Tiffin); 13-4
Consolation of 16 #2: Won vs. River Smith (VMI); F: 4:44
Consolation of 8 #1: Won vs. Michael Policarpio (Roanoke); 11-2
Consolation of 8 #2: Lost vs. Cooper Shore (Campbell); 19-5
Drew Currier (133 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Dyson Dunham (VMI); 7-2
Consolation of 16 #2: Won vs. Max Martin (North Carolina); 4-1
Consolation of 8 #1: Won vs. Jack Bastarrika (Virginia Tech); TF: 5:00 (15-0)
Consolation of 8 #2: Lost vs. Wayne Rold (VMI); 5-4
Brandon Sauter (133 lbs.)
Round of 32: Won vs. Carson Chalk (Tennessee-Chatanooga); F: 0:23
Round of 16: Lost vs. Logan Frazier (Virginia Tech); 8-4
Consolation of 16 #2: Won vs. Shawn Ryncarz (Morgan State); 5-4
Consolation of 8 #1: Lost vs. Garhett Dickenson (West Virginia); 11-2
Brandt Fajerman (141 lbs.)
Round of 32: Lost vs. Pierce Taylor (Ohio); TF: 4:26 (17-0)
Consolation of 16 #1: Bye
Consolation of 16 #2: Lost vs. DJ Chavis (Virginia Tech); 7-4
Luke Bender (149 lbs.)
Round of 32: Won vs. Carter Nix (Morgan State); TF: 3:39 (16-0)
Round of 16: Lost vs. Eric Doran (VMI); 14-5
Consolation of 16 #2: Won vs. Aaron Turner (Morgan State); 6-0
Consolation of 8 #1: Won vs. Iain Escobar (Tiffin); TF: 5:39 (17-1)
Consolation of 8 #2: Lost vs. Nolan Gessler (Tiffin); 9-2
Billy Templeton (149 lbs.)
Round of 32: Lost vs. Cole Hornet (Life); 5-3
Consolation of 16 #1: Won vs. Justin Smythe (Tiffin); 5-4
Consolation of 16 #2: Lost vs. Iain Escobar (Tiffin); F: 2:11
Chris Arciuolo (157 lbs.)
Round of 32: Lost vs. Zane Cox (Roanoke); 2-0
Consolation of 16 #1: Bye
Consolation of 16 #2: Lost vs. Dom Parker (West Virginia); 7-5
Tyler Shea (157 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Matthew Leehan (Scotsman WC); 14-2
Consolation of 16 #2: Lost vs. Joshua Greenwood (Morgan State); 7-2
Makoa Niebel (165 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Michael Murphy (Virginia); 8-2
Consolation of 16 #2: Bye
Consolation of 8 #1: Lost vs. Jakob Hurley (Tiffin); 14-5
Josh Palmucci (165 lbs.) - SIXTH PLACE
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Won vs. Jaden New (Life); 14-7
Quarterfinals: Lost vs. Domonic Baker (Campbell); TF: 7:00 (20-5)
Consolation of 8 #2: Won vs. Alex Couto (Life); F: 6:50
Consolation of 4: Won vs. Jakob Hurley (Tiffin); 8-7
Fifth Place: Lost vs. Michael Murphy (Virginia); 7-3
Dominic Wheatley (165 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Won vs. Josh Henderson (Ohio); TF: 5:51 (16-0)
Quarterfinals: Lost vs. Payton Brooks (Life); DEF: 3:00
RJ Moore (174 lbs.) – Unattached
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Logan Heckert (Campbell); TF: 6:53 (19-3)
Consolation of 16 #2: Bye
Consolation of 8 #1: Won vs. Jagger Gray (Maryland); 8-1
Consolation of 8 #2: Lost vs. Jeremy Olszko (Ohio); TF: 7:00 (15-0)
Jake Allred (184 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Vincenzo Corvetto (Roanoke); F: 5:35
Consolation of 16 #2: Bye
Consolation of 8 #1: Lost vs. Anthony Goelzer (Limestone); F: 4:50
Tyler O'Boyle (285 lbs.)
Round of 32: Bye
Round of 16: Lost vs. Ethan Vergara (Tennessee-Chattanooga); F: 2:21
Consolation of 8 #1: Bye
Consolation of 8 #2: Lost vs. DJ Spring (Davidson); 10-0
