Rey, Dutton earn major EIWA end-of-year awards
3/21/2011 8:40:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – On the heels of Lehigh's eighth place finish at the NCAA Championships, two Mountain Hawk wrestlers received end-of-season awards from the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association on Monday. After willing Lehigh's 27 individual national championship Saturday night, junior heavyweight Zach Rey was named EIWA Co-Wrestler of the Year by the EIWA head coaches. In addition, Stephen Dutton was recognized as the EIWA Freshman of the Year.
Rey captured Lehigh's first national title since Troy Letters in 2004 after winning a 2-1 decision over American's Ryan Flores in the finals Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. A third place finisher at the NCAA tournament a year ago, Rey avenged his only loss of the season to Flores in the EIWA finals by securing a second period escape and a 1:33 riding time advantage the earn the first Lehigh heavyweight national title since 1936 and his third win in four tries against Flores this seasonThe Hopatcong, N.J. native finished his junior campaign with a record of 34-1, upping his career record to 90-11. Now a two-time All-American and three-time EIWA finalist, Rey shared EIWA Wrestler of the Year honors with Cornell sophomore Kyle Dake, who won his second straight national championship after winning the title at 149. Rey won 31 straight bouts beginning with last year's NCAA consolation semifinals and third place match and ending with his loss in the EIWA finals. He also became just Lehigh's third undergraduate winner of the prestigious Midlands Championships, with his title in late December.
Dutton was named EIWA Freshman of the Year after enjoying the highest finish of any EIWA freshman at the NCAA Championships. After dropping his first round match to Montell Marion of Iowa, Dutton rolled off three straight wins to reach the All-American round of 12. Along the way he earned a convincing 9-0 major decision over Jon Kohler of Maryland, and scored two third-period takedowns to upset returning All-American Tyler Nauman of Pittsburgh. Dutton ended up one win short of All-American status after dropping a 9-5 
decision to Zack Bailey of Oklahoma.
decision to Zack Bailey of Oklahoma. A native of Miller Place, N.Y., Dutton was the No. 1 seed at 141 at the EIWA Championships and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships with a fourth place finish. Dutton owns wins over All-American Zack Kemmerer of Penn and Matt Mariacher of American who, like Dutton, reached the round of 12. Dutton finished his true freshman season at 23-14 with seven major decisions and three technical falls. He finished fourth at the EIWA Championships and eighth at the Midlands.
Lehigh finished its season Saturday night with its first top-ten finish and most All-Americans (three) since 2006. Rey, Dutton, finalist Robert Hamlin, and All-American Brandon Hatchett are four of nine Lehigh starters that will return for the 2011-12 season.
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