LANCASTER, Pa. – The Division I Franklin & Marshall wrestling team went 7-3 in dual meets last season before recording its most place winners (7) and highest team score (56.5 points) in school history at the last year's Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships. The Diplomats graduate five of those place winners from last year's team, including James Conway who was ranked as high as No. 4 in the country while winning three matches at the NCAA Championships.
Looking to fill the voids left by graduation will be a combination of youth infusion while other veteran members of the team will have their shot to get into the starting lineup. In total, 44 wrestlers are set to battle for the Diplomats with a roster that features 14 first-years, nine sophomores, 10 juniors, and 11 seniors (including three fifth-year seniors).
Josh Hillard and James Garcia are both returning place winners from last year's EIWA Championship while nine different wrestlers on the team have postseason experience, including Josh Palmucci and Aidan O'Shea who will serve as team co-captains alongside Hillard and Garcia.
The coaching staff has remained very consistent as head coach Mike Rogers enters 17th season where he has guided 33 EIWA place winners and 12 NCAA qualifiers. Steve Borja (14th season) and Tyson Dippery (ninth season) also return to the staff which was bolstered by a generous gift to the program by Ken Mehlman '88 which allowed the team to add Lock Haven All-American Anthony Noto to the staff as a full-time assistant coach.
Franklin & Marshall Returning EIWA Place Winners
Weight-by-weight breakdown
125: One of two returning EIWA place winners on the team. James Garcia went 18-14 during his first year in the starting lineup, most notably defeating nationally-ranked Tyler Klinsky of Rider at CKLV to get himself into the national rankings. Garcia enters his third season with the Diplomats ranked 32nd in the country according to College Wrestling Report. He also placed at the Southeast Open and Keystone Classic last year while posting a 5-2 record in dual meets. New Jersey state place winner Tanner Connelly joins the weight class a first-year.
133: Four-year starter Mason Leiphart graduates as a multiple time EIWA place winner, but the Diplomats have plenty of experience at the weight class. Senior Jack Parker has the only postseason experience at this weight class. Parker has won 47 career matches and holds a 19-12 record against EIWA competition during his career. Also at the weight are juniors Charlie Colantonio, Vincent Gioffre, and Ejiro Montoya. Montoya and Colantonio have won 26 and 21 bouts, respectively, during their careers, while Gioffre has placed at the F&M Invitational two years again and the Messiah Open last year. First-year Adan Cedeno is another New Jersey recruit for the team who will compete at 133 lbs.
141: With Bryce Kresho graduating, senior Aidan O'Shea will have his chance to get back into the lineup for the first time since his rookie season when he represented F&M in the postseason. O'Shea will join the team after the fall semester as a fifth-year senior and owns 51 career victories. He is also a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American. Fellow senior Brandt Fajerman was limited by injury last season, but has placed in three tournaments during his career. Sophomores Brayden Hartranft and Leo Mongiello both got their first college experience last season, with first-years Nick Barone and Francis Burke joining the deep weight class.
149: Josh Hillard will make the drop back to 149 lbs. as a fifth-year senior after the graduation of four-year starter Pat Phillips. Hillard can join rare company as a three-time conference place winner as he finished eighth in the EIWA during each of the past two seasons. He will look to make that happen when he joins the team following the fall semester. Hillard owns 61 career victories and has place at nine tournaments during throughout his career. CJ Ferree went 13-13 during his first-year campaign, highlighted by an appearance in the finals at the Messiah Open. Newcomers to the weight include Anthony Pica and local product Brody Musser (Ephrata, Pa.) who were both state qualifiers during their high school careers.
157: Dominic Wheatley and Luke Bender have both competed for F&M in the postseason. Wheatley is dropping down to 157 lbs. after wrestling as high as 174 lbs. during his career. The senior was an individual champion at the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial last year. Bender enters his senior campaign with 31 career victories. Another local product, junior Kyle Deisley (Hempfield) placed at last year's Messiah Open on his way to seven wins. National Prep All-American Cole Albert is a wrestler to watch at the weight, while classmate Joe Petriello was a New Jersey state place winner a season ago.
165: Josh Palmucci is the third fifth-year senior on the team who will join the team at the conclusion of the fall semester. Palmucci posted a 14-12 record last season that including a 7-3 mark in dual meets. With seven wrestlers expected at the weight, Palmucci owns 42 career victories and is a three-time Academic All-American for the squad. Senior Billy Templeton and junior Seth Weaver are two more veterans to the weight class. Sophomores Tyler Fromm, Alex Ortiz, Jesse Scott, and Brendan Sholders all found success during their rookie campaigns. Fromm led that group with 13 wins last season, while Scott was the individual champion at the Messiah Open for his first collegiate tournament placement.
174: With last year's starter Brandon Carr moving up a weight, 174 lbs. is open for somebody to establish themselves in the lineup. Juniors Jake Neill and Michael Fuccilli are two upper class options. Neill returns from injury following a 15-12 rookie campaign. Fuccilli won nine matches a season ago and has placed at three tournaments throughout his career. Senior Tyler Shea is the veteran of that group and has placed at both the Shorty Hitchcock and Messiah Open during his career, but missed last season due to injury.
184: Brandon Carr will assume the weight previously filled by James Conway. Carr earned a spot in the starting lineup as a freshman at 174 lbs. and will look to build upon a freshman season where he won 11 matches. Junior Leo Varga saw time in the starting lineup last year at 197 lbs. and will make the descent back to 184 lbs. after he also won 11 matches last season. Three first-years (Lucas Alvan, Conner Hoar, and Brooks McMahon) bolster the weight class. Alvan has already represented Brazil as a Senior World Team member, with Hoar and McMahon placing at the state tournament during their prep careers.
197: Jake Allred started two matches last year at 197 lbs. and has the most experience at this weight in the lineup following the graduation of EIWA place winner RJ Moore. Dylan Shelton moves up a weight class after waiting a season behind Conway at 184 lbs. where he won eight matches. First-years Gabriel Smith and Guy Oelsner round out the weight class. Smith could immediately challenge for the weight as a two-time National Prep All-American, while Oelsner is very credentialed in his own right as an NHSCA All-American.
285: The Diplomats will have depth at heavyweight this season with three options on the roster. Junior Brody Kline has been F&M's starter for each of the past two seasons, compiling 20 wins in the process. Kline made strides during his sophomore campaign and finished with a 14-14 record. Isiah Rodriguez joins the team as a New Jersey state qualifier, while Quincy Long will return to the squad after football season as it was a football injury that kept him off the mat last year.
A look at the schedule
Although the schedule features a number of the traditional events, the season will have a new opening as Franklin & Marshall begins its season at the Princeton Open on Sunday, November 1. The team will head back to the Cliff Keen Last Vegas Invitational for the second consecutive season, with the Journeymen Collegiate Classic, Keystone Classic, and Shorty Hitchcock also on the schedule before heading to the prestigious Midlands just before the New Year.
The David H. Lehman '68 F&M Open will ring in the spring semester after the Diplomats crowned their first-ever individual champion at the event last year (James Conway). Duals begin in earnest during the fall semester with the Rupp Cup against Millersville at home (Dec. 16) before EIWA action starts at defending champion Lehigh (Dec. 18). Conference duals will primarily fill out the January and February portion of the squad, with a tri-match that features Gardner-Webb out of the Southern Conference on the home mat.
Eye on the Postseason
Looking to build on their resumes throughout the regular season, spots for the NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis will officially be decided at the EIWA Championships from March 5-6. Army will serve as the host of the 12-team EIWA Championship, with the NCAA Tournament to take place two weeks later (Mar. 18-20).
