LAS VEGAS – James Conway won the 2025 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (CKLV) with two more nationally-ranked wins on Saturday, besting two opponents who entered the tournament higher in the national rankings. F&M was making its first-ever appearance at CKLV which is widely considered the premier first semester tournament in all of Division I Wrestling.
Conway entered the tournament as high as No. 11 in the national rankings which earned him the No. 3 seed at 184 lbs. The senior captain defeated the No. 2 seed in the semifinals and No. 1 seed in the championship to become the Diplomats' first-ever champion at this event.
Starting Saturday with a match-up against Isaac Dean of Iowa State, Conway improved to 3-0 all-time against the No. 10-ranked wrestler in the country. Following a scoreless first period, Conway was facing a third period deficit for the second consecutive match after his opponent countered for a takedown during the second period. Conway quickly escaped in the third and used his continued pressure and pace to overwhelm the Cyclone. With two takedowns during the final period, Conway added a riding time point while his opponent picked up a stall warning in the eventual 9-5 victory.
Facing No. 7 Brock Mantanona of Michigan in the championship match, Conway left no doubt as he secured a takedown right at the buzzer of the opening period, escaped in just 14 seconds during the second period, and rode the entire third period for a 5-0 win to become the Diplomats' first-ever CKLV Champion.
With a perfect 5-0 record this weekend – including three nationally-ranked wins – Conway is now 16-1 on the season and owns 89 career victories during his four attached seasons (plus a 22-4 record while redshirting a season ago). Seven of those 16 wins this season have come against nationally-ranked competition.
The 2024 Elite 90 Award winner and the rest of his teammates are now off from competition during the College's upcoming week of finals. Franklin & Marshall returns to action on Thursday, December 18 when the Diplomats take part in a quad meet at Presbyterian, which also features Davidson and Air Force.
James Conway CLKV Results
#3 James Conway (184 lbs.)
Round of 32: Won vs. David Alonso (Cal Baptist); F: 4:53
Round of 16: Won vs. Hunter Perez (Sacred Heart); F: 4:28
Quarterfinals: Won vs. #6 Aaron Ayzerov (Columbia); 12-9 (SV)
Semifinals: Won vs. #2 Isaac Dean (Iowa State); 9-5
First Place: Won vs. #1 Brock Mantanona (Michigan); 5-0
