NWCA Academic Award winners

LANCASTER, Pa. – The Division I Franklin & Marshall wrestling team finished with the 13th-highest team GPA in the entire country and had four individuals (James Conway, Noah Fox, Mason Leiphart, and Aidan O'Shea) recognized as Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).

With a team GPA of 3.4435, the Diplomats improved on their cumulative average from a season ago and ranked third among all schools in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), which features both Ivy League and Patriot League institutions.

Franklin & Marshall's four Scholar All-Americans represented a program record after having a program-record three individuals honored a season ago. James Conway and Noah Fox were both repeat winners from the 2022 season, while Mason Leiphart and Aidan O'Shea earned the award during their first-year campaigns.

Franklin & Marshall Scholar All-Americans

• James Conway (So./184 lbs.): Pre-major … Seventh place finisher at EIWA Championships … 25-15 season record (9-4 in duals) … Eleven bonus point victories, including six falls … Runner-up at Wilkes Open … Placed sixth at Southeast Open.
• Noah Fox: (Jr./174 lbs.): Computer Science major … Two-time EIWA Championships participant … 23-15 season record (10-3 in duals) … Ten bonus point victories, including five falls … Wilkes Open Champion … Round of 12 at Midlands Championships.
• Mason Leiphart (Fy./125 lbs.): Pre-major … Eighth place finisher at EIWA Championships … 27-14 seasib record (11-1 in duals) … Led the nation and broke F&M's single season record with 13 tech falls … Twenty total bonus point victories … Third place at Southeast Open … Sixth Place at Bearcat Open … Sixth place at Keystone Classic.
• Aidan O'Shea (Fy./141 lbs.): Pre-major … EIWA Championships participant as first-year … 16-17 season record (4-5 in duals) … Twelve bonus point victories, including three falls and six major decisions … Fourth place finisher at Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Open … Fourth Place at Wilkes Open.

To earn Scholar All-America status wrestlers must have met one of four criteria:

• 3.5 cumulative GPA and been a participant at the conference qualifying tournament
• 3.5 cumulative GPA and won 60% of their total matches in at least 60% of the team's schedule
• 3.2 cumulative GPA and have been a NCAA National tournament qualifier
• 3.0 cumulative GPA and earned All American honors

This latest academic accomplishment comes after five Diplomat wrestlers were named EIWA Academic Achievement Award recipients earlier this month. The Diplomats posted an 8-5 dual meet record this season that featured EIWA victories against LIU and Sacred Heart while the team also retained the Rupp Cup during the final dual of the regular season. Franklin & Marshall concluded its season with the two aforementioned EIWA place winnners leading the Diplomats to a 14th-place finish at the EIWA Championships.