Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
Letters, Troy
Troy Letters
- Induction:
- 2022
- Class:
- 2006
A leader in one of the most successful eras for Lehigh wrestling, Troy Letters was a part of five EIWA Championship-winning Mountain Hawk teams along with its NCAA Tournament trophy-winning squads in 2003 and 2004.
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Letters came to Lehigh after a decorated career at Shaler High School in western Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time state champion, a first-team high school All-American and was one of the top recruits in Pennsylvania and nationally in his graduating class.
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As a true first-year, Letters deferred his eligibility but still made his mark, winning the West Virginia Open and placing third in a loaded field at the prestigious Midlands Championships.
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Letters joined the Lehigh lineup at 165 pounds for the 2002-03 season, debuting with an impressive 34-2 campaign that included a 17-0 record in dual meet competition. He once again won the early-season West Virginia Open and placed third at the Midlands. Letters won the first of his three EIWA titles, securing two falls, a technical fall and a major decision along the way. He won the Sheridan Trophy given to the wrestler who secures the most falls within the fastest time in the championship bracket. The No. 2 seed at the NCAA Championships, Letters earned his first All-America medal and advanced to the NCAA finals, becoming just the second freshman NCAA finalist in program history. Letters was later recognized as the EIWA Freshman of the Year.
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In that 2002-03 season, Lehigh won its second of five straight EIWA team titles and earned a NCAA trophy with a fourth-place finish at the national tournament.
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After coming up short in the NCAA finals in 2003, Letters would not be denied the following season. Letters remained undefeated through most of the season and built a 37-match winning streak in dual competition. The streak ended with a loss at the hands of Oklahoma State’s Tyrone Lewis in February. It would be the only blemish on a 36-1 sophomore campaign that saw Letters avenge his only loss with a 5-2 decision in the NCAA finals to win Lehigh’s 26th individual national championship. Letters became a two-time EIWA Champion and a two-time All-American, with Lehigh tying for third place at the NCAA Championships after winning its third straight EIWA crown.
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Letters put together another outstanding campaign in 2004-05, winning his first 25 matches and capturing his third straight EIWA championship at 165. He earned his third career All-America honor and rebounded from a semifinal loss to win his final two bouts at the NCAA Tournament to claim third place, capping a 27-1 campaign.
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The 2005-06 campaign saw Letters earn his 100th career victory in a dual meet against Rider in a packed dual meet season-opener inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Letters battled through an injury suffered at the Southern Scuffle to win 18 bouts, but was unable to capture his fourth EIWA title or his fourth All-America medal. Still, he finished with a 115-9 career record, with his 115 wins ranking fifth in program history. Letters was also 65-2 in dual meet competition with an incredible 48 bonus point victories in duals.
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A 2006 Lehigh graduate with a degree in political science, Letters won Lehigh’s Graduating Male Athlete Award in his senior year.
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After graduation, Letters joined to coaching ranks with stops at Princeton, Penn State and Clarion. He spent two seasons as head coach at Clarion University.
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Letters now works in the business world with Rance Industries. He and his wife Connie have two daughters, Blythe and Concetta.
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Letters came to Lehigh after a decorated career at Shaler High School in western Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time state champion, a first-team high school All-American and was one of the top recruits in Pennsylvania and nationally in his graduating class.
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As a true first-year, Letters deferred his eligibility but still made his mark, winning the West Virginia Open and placing third in a loaded field at the prestigious Midlands Championships.
 Letters joined the Lehigh lineup at 165 pounds for the 2002-03 season, debuting with an impressive 34-2 campaign that included a 17-0 record in dual meet competition. He once again won the early-season West Virginia Open and placed third at the Midlands. Letters won the first of his three EIWA titles, securing two falls, a technical fall and a major decision along the way. He won the Sheridan Trophy given to the wrestler who secures the most falls within the fastest time in the championship bracket. The No. 2 seed at the NCAA Championships, Letters earned his first All-America medal and advanced to the NCAA finals, becoming just the second freshman NCAA finalist in program history. Letters was later recognized as the EIWA Freshman of the Year.
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In that 2002-03 season, Lehigh won its second of five straight EIWA team titles and earned a NCAA trophy with a fourth-place finish at the national tournament.
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After coming up short in the NCAA finals in 2003, Letters would not be denied the following season. Letters remained undefeated through most of the season and built a 37-match winning streak in dual competition. The streak ended with a loss at the hands of Oklahoma State’s Tyrone Lewis in February. It would be the only blemish on a 36-1 sophomore campaign that saw Letters avenge his only loss with a 5-2 decision in the NCAA finals to win Lehigh’s 26th individual national championship. Letters became a two-time EIWA Champion and a two-time All-American, with Lehigh tying for third place at the NCAA Championships after winning its third straight EIWA crown.
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Letters put together another outstanding campaign in 2004-05, winning his first 25 matches and capturing his third straight EIWA championship at 165. He earned his third career All-America honor and rebounded from a semifinal loss to win his final two bouts at the NCAA Tournament to claim third place, capping a 27-1 campaign.
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The 2005-06 campaign saw Letters earn his 100th career victory in a dual meet against Rider in a packed dual meet season-opener inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Letters battled through an injury suffered at the Southern Scuffle to win 18 bouts, but was unable to capture his fourth EIWA title or his fourth All-America medal. Still, he finished with a 115-9 career record, with his 115 wins ranking fifth in program history. Letters was also 65-2 in dual meet competition with an incredible 48 bonus point victories in duals.
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A 2006 Lehigh graduate with a degree in political science, Letters won Lehigh’s Graduating Male Athlete Award in his senior year.
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After graduation, Letters joined to coaching ranks with stops at Princeton, Penn State and Clarion. He spent two seasons as head coach at Clarion University.
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Letters now works in the business world with Rance Industries. He and his wife Connie have two daughters, Blythe and Concetta.
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