Did you know nearly 34% of the Franklin & Marshall College student body competes in varsity sports? The College boasts 28 varsity sports, along with eight club and five intramural sports. In its 34th year, the Centennial Conference (CC) is one of the nation's elite small college conferences. 

Below, browse an update of in-season sports on the turf, track, court and course. 

Raise Our Game – F&M’s annual fundraising campaign supporting Diplomat student-athletes, coaches and athletic programs – began on Oct. 1, and the final whistle will blow Oct. 31. Here's how to give.

Raise Our Game Leaderboard

Men’s Cross Country

Men’s cross country had the rare opportunity to host two meets this fall and made the most of that chance, winning the F&M Invitational just two weeks ago. Zach Houff ’28 (Fredericksburg, Va.) has been the team’s top runner this fall and will lead the team into the postseason, which begins Oct. 31 with the Conference Championship at Haverford. See schedule.

Women’s Cross Country

Tara Silverman ’28 (N.Y.C.) has led a resurgent Diplomat team that has established itself in the Mid-Atlantic regional rankings. Silverman has already been the individual champion at both of F&M’s home meets, helping the Diplomats to their first Little Three Championship since 1993. Katie Scott ’27 (Earleville, Md.) is another all-region performer, while Maren Blanks ’30 (Towson, Md.) has established herself as one of the top runners during her rookie campaign. See schedule.

Field Hockey

The Diplomats have been ranked as high as No. 7 in the national polls this season and are currently 10-3 overall heading into a crucial final two weeks of the regular season. F&M is just one game out of first place in the conference standings and will close the regular season with two home games during the final week of October. Multiple All-CC performers provide a deep lineup that has challenged the top teams in the country. A top highlight this fall was Caitlin Hoover ’27 (Blue Bell, Pa.) breaking the school record for scoring, reaching 59 career goals. That record was formerly held by assistant coach Erin (Coverdale) McCormick ’20. See schedule.

Football

The defending conference champions have picked up right where they left off a season ago with a 5-1 record (2-1 CC). F&M returns 12 All-CC performers from last year’s squad that secured the Diplomats’ first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Michael Fleming ’27 (Glen Head, N.Y.) made history of his own Oct. 17 when he kicked a 51-yard field goal. He has now made 11 consecutive field goals, tied for second in Centennial Conference history behind only Billy Zwicharowski ’16, who made 13 straight field goals during his career with the Diplomats. See schedule.

Men’s Soccer

Re-energized by 16 first-year students, men’s soccer has proven it can compete with the top teams in the region. Nico Palacios ’29 (Rye Brook, N.Y.) is the young team’s leading scorer as F&M has already collected wins against Vassar, York (Pa.), Juniata, and Washington College. With three matches remaining to get back to the CC tournament, fans will have multiple chances to cheer the Diplomats to victory as two of those contests will be played on the friendly confines of Tylus Field. See schedule.

Women’s Soccer

The Diplomats have themselves back in playoff position as one of the nation’s top defenses has allowed just six goals during the first 12 matches of the season. Goalie Lucy Fleming ’27 (Princeton, N.J.) is tied for the school record with 33 career wins. F&M has three matches remaining in the season and can officially clinch its sixth straight postseason appearance with a strong close to the regular season, which concludes with two home contests during the final week of October. See schedule.

Volleyball

Coaches Mary Kate Salko ’01 and Chris Salko became the winningest coaching staff in Centennial Conference history earlier this season and are riding high after a pair of thrilling five-set victories against Gettysburg and Johns Hopkins. Those results have the Diplomats (11-6, 4-0 CC) in first place in conference standings. The team’s regular season schedule featured a trip to Tacoma, Wash., but the Diplomats will finish with four home matches during the next three weeks. Returning All-American Ceci Connolly ’28 (Wilmington, Del.) and Melissa Benkowitz ’27 (Chapel Hill, N.C.) combine to form a powerful offensive duo. See schedule.

Other fall notables

Although the majority of their competition schedules are played during the spring semester, F&M golf, rowing and tennis have all experienced early success.

The men’s golf team has already won The Gauntlet this fall. Women’s standout Sarah Wang ’28 (Beijing) has added two more individual medalist honors to give her 12 throughout her record-breaking career. 

With nationally ranked recruiting classes for both the men’s and women’s team, tennis showcased its skills throughout the fall season. For the men, Marco Romano ’29 (Cervinara, Italy) advanced to the round of 32 in both singles and doubles at the ITA Regional Championship. Judy Yang ’30 (Kunming, China) had a stellar fall season as she qualified for the round of 16 singles at the ITA Regional Championship, joining classmate Chloe Monachelli ’30 (Somers, N.Y.) in that same round of the doubles draw.

National championship-winning coach Tim Nesselrodt recently joined F&M as the head coach of men’s and women’s rowing. Both teams wrap up their fall schedule this weekend at the Head of the Schuylkill after the men’s team recently competed at the prestigious Head of the Charles regatta.

Winter sports on board 

While many fall teams are poised for an exciting postseason, winter sports are just around the corner. 

First home dates for winter sports:

Men’s and women’s swimming: Oct. 24 (10 a.m.) hosting Dickinson, Swarthmore and Ursinus
Men’s and women’s squash: Nov. 6 (2 p.m.) vs. Saint Lawrence
Women’s basketball: Nov. 14 (1 p.m.) vs. Misericordia
Men’s basketball: Nov. 14 (3 p.m.) vs. Elizabethtown
Men’s and women’s track & field: Dec. 4 (2 p.m.) hosting Diplomat Invitational
Wrestling: Dec. 16 (7 p.m.) vs. Millersville

Raise Our Game

Raise Our Game – F&M’s annual fundraising campaign supporting Diplomat student-athletes, coaches and athletic programs – began Oct. 1, and the final whistle will blow Oct. 31.

Donate Today »