BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel has announced the addition of nine student-athletes who will join the Mountain Hawks wrestling program in the fall. This incoming group of recruits is national in scope, as the nine newcomers hail from eight different states across the country. Five of the nine recruits are ranked in the national top 150 by InterMat, and this incoming group has combined to win nine state championships.
“We’ve brought in a good class,” said Strobel, who is entering his 13th season as head coach. “I’m really pleased with this group. We’ve filled some needs at the lightweights and the heavyweights, really across the board.”
Strobel has brought in a pair of projected 125 pound grapplers in Connor McDonald from Delaware and Kellen Aura from California.
McDonald is a three-time state champion for Sussex Central High School, where he won over 150 matches. A junior national champion in 2006, McDonald is ranked third at 119 and 24th overall nationally by InterMat. He is one of three Lehigh recruits to earn the prestigious Dave Schultz High School Award for his home state.
Aura comes to Lehigh from Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California. He is a three-time place winner with a top finish of second in 2007. Aura ranks fourth at 112 and also has a third place finish at FILA junior nationals.
A projected 141 pounder, Kyle Rosser is a state champion and three-time state placer from Corunna High School in Durand, Michigan. Rosser won a state title at 125 as a junior, and was undefeated his senior year, before an injury prevented him from competing in the state tournament.
Sean Bilodeau arrives at Lehigh from the Brooks School in Harvard, Massachusetts. A four time national prep place winner, Bilodeau was a prep national champion at 152 in 2007 and currently ranks third nationally at his weight class. Ranked No. 62 overall, Bilodeau won the Dave Schultz Award for Massachusetts and also placed second at the Beast of the East in November, 2006. He projects at 157 for the Mountain Hawks.
Pennsylvania is the only state that two recruits call home, with Ben Marich and Brian Tanen set to join the Brown and White. Marich is a two time District II AA runner up for Northwestern Lehigh, who has amassed 113 career wins. He projects at either 149 or 157 for Lehigh. Tanen also projects at 157 and comes to Lehigh from Souderton, where he was 38-4 as a senior and placed fourth in the state.
After nabbing top-recruit David Craig last year, Strobel dipped back into the Sunshine State to bring in Brandon Hatchett, a three-time state champion from Oviedo High School in Winter Springs. Hatchett is a top-150 InterMat recruit, and won the Dave Schultz Award for the state of Florida. He placed fifth at the Sunkist Open in Greco-roman last fall, and is expected to compete at 165 or 174 for Lehigh.
Kadeem Samuels comes from Fordham Prep in the Bronx, N.Y. Samuels placed fifth in New York at 189 pounds and projects at 184 for the Brown and White.
Rounding out the class is heavyweight Zach Rey from Hopatcong, N.J. Rey captured state championships in each of the last two years, going undefeated as a senior. Like current Lehigh heavyweight Justin Allen, Rey did not begin wrestling until the ninth grade, and was a three-time state place winner. Rey was also a standout lineman on the football field, and is ranked second at his weight class and 42nd overall by InterMat.
“This is a good group of guys coming in,” notes Strobel. “They’re all good students and are also fine athletes.”
This incoming group joins a young, yet experienced Mountain Hawk team that returns four NCAA qualifiers from a year ago.
|
Name |
Hometown/High School |
Projected
Weight |
College |
|
Kellen Aura |
Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill |
125 |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Sean Bilodeau |
Harvard, Mass./Brooks School |
157 |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Brandon Hatchett |
Winter Springs, Fla./Oviedo |
165/174 |
Engineering |
|
Ben Marich |
Kempton, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh |
149/157 |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Connor McDonald |
Rehoboth, Del./Sussex Central |
125 |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Zack Rey |
Hopatcong, N.J./Hopatcong |
285 |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Kyle Rosser |
Durand, Mich./Corunna |
141 |
Engineering |
|
Kadeem Samuels |
Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep |
184 |
Engineering |
|
Brian Tanen |
Souderton, Pa./Souderton |
157 |
Business |
