In March, James Conway ’26 became the first Franklin & Marshall student to earn the NCAA Elite 90 Award in any sport. 

Months later, the varsity wrestler is busy at work in the laboratory as a summer Hackman Scholar. On top of that, he just took the MCAT for admission to medical school.

What is Conway’s secret to balancing it all? 

“A good night’s sleep,” said Conway, who is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology with a minor in Spanish.

“I think it's helpful to have a set cut-off time. Whatever I didn't get done, will get done tomorrow.”

The Elite 90 award – introduced during the 2009-10 academic year – is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average who has reached the national championship level in their sport.

Conway advanced to the NCAA Division I wrestling championships for the first time during his junior season. He owns 73 career victories after three seasons, ranking 15th in program history as he approaches his final run.

“I'm not as much of a vocal leader. I like to lead by example,” said last year’s captain. 

“James is the prototype of what a coach wants in a student-athlete. He holds himself to the highest standard in all aspects of his life. He is meticulous in his training and preparation,” said Steve Borja Jr., assistant wrestling coach.

Outside of wrestling, Conway has stayed busy studying the synthesis of new molecules.

“The steps can be tedious and require patience and persistence, but James has made terrific progress. I'm looking forward to working with him more during the academic year,” said Edward Fenlon, professor of chemistry. 

These molecules can be used to enhance Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) – a spectroscopic technique used to study other molecules – and is similar to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Fenlon said.

The application is fitting for Conway, who hopes to attend medical school after graduation. 

“In a perfect world, I’ll get into a med school. From there, I still want to figure out a specific area, but I think definitely medicine,” he said. 

Lab research has emphasized the importance of comprehending advanced medical literature, as well as time management. 

“James synthesizes the radicals in the lab following ‘recipes’ found in literature. Once synthesized, we ship the radicals to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where our collaborator, professor Robert Griffin, and his team test their properties,” Fenlon explained. 

“In the [classroom] lab, you only get a specific regimen of techniques. But when you do research, you get exposed to all sorts of different things. There are many different papers you can follow along and adapt to,” Conway said. 

His advice to incoming student-athletes is succinct but effective. 

“Try really, really hard,” Conway said. “Maybe you're scared to put everything into it, but if you do, then you can look back with no regrets.”

James Conway ’26

• Major: Biochemistry and molecular biology
• Minor: Spanish 
• Hometown: Towson, Md.
• Activities on Campus: Varsity wrestling

Why did you choose to attend F&M?

When I was looking at colleges during COVID, my parents wanted to keep me close. The Franklin & Marshall coaches showed more interest in me and it was a much better school. So it was a clear-cut choice from there. It’s a school with great academics that gave me the opportunity to wrestle Division I.

Is there a class outside of your major that you unexpectedly enjoyed? 

Film Comedy with [Professor of Film and Media] Dirk Eitzen. That was a really fun class. He was a fun teacher and that was completely out of my comfort zone.