LAST TIME OUT
Midlands Championships/Sheridan Invitational
- Franklin & Marshall will be competing in its first tournament of the new year when the team hosts the David H. Lehman '68 F&M Open
- The Diplomats most recently competed at the prestigious Midlands Championships where Bryce Kresho (141 lbs.) and Jack Parker (125 lbs.) tested their mettle against the nationally-ranked field
- Kresho became F&M's fifth all-time place winner at the Midlands Championships when he won five consecutive bouts to finish in sixth place
- Parker drew a nationally-ranked opponent during his opening match, but secured two consecutive victories before being eliminated in the consolation rounds
- Kresho also highlighted F&M's finishers at Lehigh on December 20 when he continued his streak of placing in every tournament this season following a fourth place finish
- At the Sheridan Invitational, Kresho had to win three consecutive consolation matches after a quarterfinal loss to the top seed from Lehigh
- Parker (125 lbs.), Luke Bender (157 lbs.), Josh Palmucci (165 lbs.), Dominic Wheatley (174 lbs.), and Nick Alvarez (174 lbs.) all advanced to the consolation semifinals and finished just one match shy of the medal round at the Sheridan Invitational
- Alvarez had F&M's deepest run in the championship bracket as he received a bye into the quarterfinals before defeating the host's Liam Gil-Swiger by a 7-5 decision
David H. Lehman '68 F&M Open
Friday, January 10 (9 a.m.)
Franklin & marshall diplomats
1-1 (0-0 EIWA)
F&M Probable LINEUP
125 lbs.
- Jack Parker; So. (13-9)
- James Garcia; Fy. (9-6) - unattached
- Ejiro Montoya; Fy. (7-5) - unattached
- Charlie Colantonio; Fy. (4-5)
- Vincent Gioffre; Fy. (1-4)
141 lbs.
- Bryce Kresho; Jr. (22-12)
- Aidan O'Shea; Jr. (2-5)
- Brandt Fajerman; So. (6-4)
- Pat Phillips; Jr. (9-6) - unattached
149 lbs.
- Josh Hillard; Jr. (3-6)
- Seth Weaver; Fy. (4-4)
- Brandon Sauter; Jr. (3-8)
- Kyle Deisley; Fy. (3-8) - unattached
157 lbs.
- Luke Bender; So. (9-8)
- Chris Arciuolo; Jr. (1-6)
- Billy Templeton; So. (3-8)
165 lbs.
- Josh Palmucci; Jr. (7-9)
- Jake Neill; Fy. (9-6)
- Tyler Shea; So. (2-6)
- Michael Duggan; So. (0-2)
- Makoa Niebel; Sr. (2-4)
174 lbs.
- Dominic Wheatley; So. (4-9)
- Nick Alvarez; Jr. (3-8)
- Michael Fuccilli; Fy. (2-6)
184 lbs.
- Leo Varga; Fy. (6-10)
- Jake Allred; So. (3-9)
- Noah Bash; Sr. (2-7)
197 lbs.
285 lbs.
- Brody Kline; Fy. (5-9)
- Jake Rickett; Fy. (0-6) - unattached
- Quincy Long; So. (0-2)
David H. Lehman '68 F&M Open Notables
- 12th year in which this tournament has come to F&M
- Originally titled the F&M Open in 2013, the tournament was renamed the David H. Lehman '68 F&M Open for the 2015 season to honor Lehman's $5 million gift during the fall of 2014 to endow Franklin & Marshall's Division I wrestling team
- The Diplomats are the only Division I wrestling team in the entire country who compete at the Division III level across each of its other varsity sport offerings
Teams Expected to Compete
- Air Force - Big 12
- American - EIWA
- Army - EIWA
- Binghamton - EIWA
- Bucknell - EIWA
- Buffalo - MAC
- Campbell - SoCon
- Cleveland State - MAC
- Columbia - Ivy
- Davidson - SoCon
- Franklin & Marshall - EIWA
- George Mason - MAC
- Harvard - Ivy
- Hofstra - EIWA
- Kent State - MAC
- Lehigh - EIWA
- Lock Haven - MAC
- LIU - EIWA
- Maryland - B1G
- Millersville - Division II
- Navy - EIWA
- North Carolina - ACC
- North Carolina State - ACC
- North Dakota State - Big 12
- Penn - Ivy
- Penn State - B1G
- Pittsburgh - ACC
- Princeton - Ivy
- Rider - MAC
- Rutgers - B1G
- Sacred Heart - EIWA
- Virginia - ACC
- VMI - SoCon
Seven of the eight NCAA Division I conferences will be represented at the Lehman Open
NATIONAL LEADERS
Bryce Kresho (141 lbs.)
- Kresho, a junior team captain, is currently leading all Division I wrestlers with 22 victories on the season
- He is one of just two wrestlers in the entire country (Aiden Wallace/Duke) who has at least 20 DI victories on the year
- Kresho has also secured seven pins versus Division I competition to rank in a tie for fourth nationally in that category
- At 141 lbs., Kresho is the only wrestler at that weight with at least seven falls on the year
W. Roy Phillips '34 Wrestling Coach Mike Rogers
- Currently in 15th season as head coach
- Coached 11 NCAA Division I qualifiers at F&M, highlighted by 2014 All-American and two-time EIWA Champion Rick Durso '16.
- Team went 6-3 in duals last season and has three consecutive winning records in dual meets for the first time since 1992
- Led team to 12th-highest GPA in Division I during 2023-24 season, including the school's first-ever Elite 90 Award Winner in James Conway which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the NCAA Championships
- Mentored seven EIWA Academic Achievement honorees and Academic All-Americans last season
- Was a three-time NCAA qualifier at Lock Haven, earning All-America accolades twice.
- 1996 Gorrarian Award winner for most pints in the least amount of time at NCAA Division I Championships.
Assistant Coach Steve Borja
- 12th season at Franklin & Marshall
- Previously served as an assistant coach at Millersville University and Manheim Central High School
- Graduated from Virginia Tech in 2008 where he was a two-time first-team All-CC wrestler who was ranked as high as fourth in the country during the 2007 season
Assistant Coach TYson Dippery
- Seventh season coach at Franklin & Marshall
- Compiled a college career record of 101-48, graduating from Rider in 2018
- Qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2016 after placing sixth at the Big Ten Championships while competing for Rutgers
Rob Morrison
- Fourth season as volunteer assistant coach
- Two-time NCAA Qualifier at Rider University (2010, 11)
- PIAA AAA South Central Champion from Cedar Cliff High School, eventually placing third at the state championships
Assistant Coach Jack Bruce '23
- Second season as assistant coach
- Former team captain
- Wrestled at 125 & 133 lbs.
- Graduated with a degree in astrophysics
Assistant Coach Stephen Loiseau
- Entering first season at F&M
- Two-time NCAA qualifier for Drexel (2018, 19)
- Career record of 95-55, earning No. 12 seed at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
- Previously served as an assistant coach at Millersville during the 2023-24 season
UP NEXT - Binghamton
Saturday, January 18 (12 p.m.)