2014-15 Lehigh Wrestling Season Outlook
11/4/2014 3:05:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
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For the last several years, the Lehigh wrestling program has operated with the slogan "Eyes on March," symbolizing all the work put in during the long, grueling season is done with the purpose of peaking in the postseason. Last year a young Mountain Hawk squad battled through an up-and-down dual season, but the team improved steadily and hit its peak at the NCAA Championships, where three underclassmen earned All-America honors.
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Lehigh is still a young team as it enters the 2014-15 campaign. The roster features just two fifth-year seniors, both of whom are actually new to the program. While many of the key returnees are juniors and sophomores, the returning group has accomplished a lot in a short time. The Mountain Hawks enter the new season looking to build on last year's strong finish with the same goals as always: producing national champions and All-Americans in March.
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"We're excited to see our guys go out and compete," explained head coach Pat Santoro, who enters his seventh season. "We have guys that are really hungry, who have their eyes on March right now. That's their main goal. They want to get better every time out. They want to wrestle. That's the number one thing right now. We're excited about this season and the future of this program."
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The roster features nine wrestlers who have previously qualified for the NCAA championships. The Mountain Hawks return all three of their All-Americans from last season in junior Mason Beckman and sophomores Mitch Minotti and Darian Cruz. Lehigh also returns a pair of 2013 EIWA Champions who deferred their eligibility last season in junior Nathaniel Brown and sophomore Randy Cruz. Add in a large and highly-regarded group of newcomers and the pieces are in place for the Mountain Hawks to make a run as long as they continue working at it and improving as the season progresses.
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"Every dual meet, every competition; win or lose it doesn't matter," Santoro said. "Every practice matters. Everything matters because it all builds up to the national tournament. If you take shortcuts during the season, it will catch up with you in March. Everything we do now needs to get better week-to-week until we get into March."
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To prepare for March, Santoro has lined up another challenging schedule that includes eight home duals and matchups with five of the top 15 finishers at last year's NCAA Championships. Lehigh is returning to the Southern Scuffle for the first time since 2006-07 and will wrestle in the NWCA National Duals for the first time since 2005.
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"We want to challenge our team the best we can," said Santoro. "That's what we're about, challenging ourselves in all areas of our lives. The bottom line is we want to be prepared for March. This schedule is indicative of that. I don't think there's an easy team on our schedule. They're all very good programs with very good coaches. It's a schedule that will prepare us for the postseason."
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Here's a weight by weight look at what to expect from the Mountain Hawks in 2014-15:
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125 – Darian Cruz wrestled his best in the month of March and became Lehigh's first true freshman All-American since 1980 with a seventh place finish a year ago. The coaching staff is hoping to defer Cruz's eligibility, leaving four others to battle for the starting spot. True freshman Scott Parker is a three-time Pennsylvania place winner and a top 100 recruit. Another newcomer, sophomore Jonathan Mele, started at 125 for Clarion last season before suffering a season-ending injury. Junior Cody Kievman and freshman Camden Fischer are also in the mix.
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133 – From start to finish, Mason Beckman was Lehigh's best wrestler in 2013-14. Beckman went 28-6 in his sophomore season, winning an EIWA title before capturing All-America honors with a sixth place finish at last year's NCAA Championships. As a fourth-year junior, Beckman will also be relied upon for leadership. Sophomores Artem Timchenko and Dean Somers are behind Beckman.
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141 – Randy Cruz deferred his eligibility last season after winning an EIWA title at 133 as a true freshman in 2013. Cruz will be challenged by a pair of talented freshmen from Pennsylvania in Ian Brown and Cort Schuyler. Brown is a four-time state place winner who captured a state title as a senior, while Schuyler has also placed at states. Freshman Brandon Diaz could figure in here. Junior Laike Gardner qualified for NCAAs at this weight last year but could defer his eligibility in an attempt to move up to 149.
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149 – Last year, Mitch Minotti stepped in and reached the NCAA semifinals on the way to earning All-America honors, capping a year in which he became Lehigh's first freshman Midlands Champion. Minotti will be limited early in the season and could move up to 157, leaving sophomore Will Switzer and deferred freshman Drew Longo to battle it out. Switzer has performed well in spot duty but has been hampered by injuries. Freshman Gordon Wolf could figure in here.
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157 – Minotti could move in here when he returns at full strength. In the meantime, freshman Dylan Milonas, the highest-rated member of Lehigh's 2014 recruiting class could get the first crack. Milonas is a three-time National Prep finalist, with a National Prep championship to his credit in 2014. Junior Mike Stepien filled in at this weight class last season.
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165 – A newcomer will likely man this spot with a couple of graduate students, Santiago Martinez and Marshall Peppelman likely battling for the starting spot. Martinez is a former NCWA national champion from UCF, while Peppelman comes to Lehigh from Cornell. Freshmen Patrick Coover and Ryan Preisch could figure in here along with junior Will Sullivan.
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174 – Last year Elliot Riddick fell one win shy of earning Lehigh's fourth All-America medal at the NCAA Championships. Riddick has bumped up to 197 leaving the door open for several wrestlers. Junior Ben Haas represented Lehigh at 165 at the last two EIWA tournaments and will move up here. Martinez, Peppelman and several other 165 candidates could move up here as well.
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184 – Lehigh's Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year in 2013-14, Nathaniel Brown returns for his junior season at this weight class. Brown qualified for NCAAs as a sophomore at 174 but went 19-3 in open competition last year at 184, placing third at the Midlands and winning three open tournament titles. Behind Brown are freshmen Garett Stehley and Tom Murray.
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197 – Junior John Bolich is a two-year starter who qualified for his first NCAA Tournament last season. He owns 31 career wins and placed at the Midlands last December. Bolich will be challenged by sophomore Elliot Riddick, who went 25-12 in his debut campaign. Junior David Quackenbos returns at this weight class after missing all of last season with an injury.
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285 – The Mountain Hawks are solid here with junior Max Wessell and sophomore Doug Vollaro both returning. Both men saw significant action last season, with Wessell qualifying for the NCAA Championships with a third place finish at the EIWA Championships. Vollaro came to Lehigh as one of the nation's top recruits and went 17-7 as a freshman. He will likely see much of the early action this season as Wessell works his way back to form.
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The Mountain Hawks will open the 2014-15 season on Thursday night when they host Hofstra inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Match time is set for 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased visiting LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during normal business hours.
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For the last several years, the Lehigh wrestling program has operated with the slogan "Eyes on March," symbolizing all the work put in during the long, grueling season is done with the purpose of peaking in the postseason. Last year a young Mountain Hawk squad battled through an up-and-down dual season, but the team improved steadily and hit its peak at the NCAA Championships, where three underclassmen earned All-America honors.
Â
Lehigh is still a young team as it enters the 2014-15 campaign. The roster features just two fifth-year seniors, both of whom are actually new to the program. While many of the key returnees are juniors and sophomores, the returning group has accomplished a lot in a short time. The Mountain Hawks enter the new season looking to build on last year's strong finish with the same goals as always: producing national champions and All-Americans in March.
Â
"We're excited to see our guys go out and compete," explained head coach Pat Santoro, who enters his seventh season. "We have guys that are really hungry, who have their eyes on March right now. That's their main goal. They want to get better every time out. They want to wrestle. That's the number one thing right now. We're excited about this season and the future of this program."
Â
The roster features nine wrestlers who have previously qualified for the NCAA championships. The Mountain Hawks return all three of their All-Americans from last season in junior Mason Beckman and sophomores Mitch Minotti and Darian Cruz. Lehigh also returns a pair of 2013 EIWA Champions who deferred their eligibility last season in junior Nathaniel Brown and sophomore Randy Cruz. Add in a large and highly-regarded group of newcomers and the pieces are in place for the Mountain Hawks to make a run as long as they continue working at it and improving as the season progresses.
Â
"Every dual meet, every competition; win or lose it doesn't matter," Santoro said. "Every practice matters. Everything matters because it all builds up to the national tournament. If you take shortcuts during the season, it will catch up with you in March. Everything we do now needs to get better week-to-week until we get into March."
Â
To prepare for March, Santoro has lined up another challenging schedule that includes eight home duals and matchups with five of the top 15 finishers at last year's NCAA Championships. Lehigh is returning to the Southern Scuffle for the first time since 2006-07 and will wrestle in the NWCA National Duals for the first time since 2005.
Â
"We want to challenge our team the best we can," said Santoro. "That's what we're about, challenging ourselves in all areas of our lives. The bottom line is we want to be prepared for March. This schedule is indicative of that. I don't think there's an easy team on our schedule. They're all very good programs with very good coaches. It's a schedule that will prepare us for the postseason."
Â
Here's a weight by weight look at what to expect from the Mountain Hawks in 2014-15:
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125 – Darian Cruz wrestled his best in the month of March and became Lehigh's first true freshman All-American since 1980 with a seventh place finish a year ago. The coaching staff is hoping to defer Cruz's eligibility, leaving four others to battle for the starting spot. True freshman Scott Parker is a three-time Pennsylvania place winner and a top 100 recruit. Another newcomer, sophomore Jonathan Mele, started at 125 for Clarion last season before suffering a season-ending injury. Junior Cody Kievman and freshman Camden Fischer are also in the mix.
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133 – From start to finish, Mason Beckman was Lehigh's best wrestler in 2013-14. Beckman went 28-6 in his sophomore season, winning an EIWA title before capturing All-America honors with a sixth place finish at last year's NCAA Championships. As a fourth-year junior, Beckman will also be relied upon for leadership. Sophomores Artem Timchenko and Dean Somers are behind Beckman.
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141 – Randy Cruz deferred his eligibility last season after winning an EIWA title at 133 as a true freshman in 2013. Cruz will be challenged by a pair of talented freshmen from Pennsylvania in Ian Brown and Cort Schuyler. Brown is a four-time state place winner who captured a state title as a senior, while Schuyler has also placed at states. Freshman Brandon Diaz could figure in here. Junior Laike Gardner qualified for NCAAs at this weight last year but could defer his eligibility in an attempt to move up to 149.
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149 – Last year, Mitch Minotti stepped in and reached the NCAA semifinals on the way to earning All-America honors, capping a year in which he became Lehigh's first freshman Midlands Champion. Minotti will be limited early in the season and could move up to 157, leaving sophomore Will Switzer and deferred freshman Drew Longo to battle it out. Switzer has performed well in spot duty but has been hampered by injuries. Freshman Gordon Wolf could figure in here.
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157 – Minotti could move in here when he returns at full strength. In the meantime, freshman Dylan Milonas, the highest-rated member of Lehigh's 2014 recruiting class could get the first crack. Milonas is a three-time National Prep finalist, with a National Prep championship to his credit in 2014. Junior Mike Stepien filled in at this weight class last season.
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165 – A newcomer will likely man this spot with a couple of graduate students, Santiago Martinez and Marshall Peppelman likely battling for the starting spot. Martinez is a former NCWA national champion from UCF, while Peppelman comes to Lehigh from Cornell. Freshmen Patrick Coover and Ryan Preisch could figure in here along with junior Will Sullivan.
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174 – Last year Elliot Riddick fell one win shy of earning Lehigh's fourth All-America medal at the NCAA Championships. Riddick has bumped up to 197 leaving the door open for several wrestlers. Junior Ben Haas represented Lehigh at 165 at the last two EIWA tournaments and will move up here. Martinez, Peppelman and several other 165 candidates could move up here as well.
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184 – Lehigh's Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year in 2013-14, Nathaniel Brown returns for his junior season at this weight class. Brown qualified for NCAAs as a sophomore at 174 but went 19-3 in open competition last year at 184, placing third at the Midlands and winning three open tournament titles. Behind Brown are freshmen Garett Stehley and Tom Murray.
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197 – Junior John Bolich is a two-year starter who qualified for his first NCAA Tournament last season. He owns 31 career wins and placed at the Midlands last December. Bolich will be challenged by sophomore Elliot Riddick, who went 25-12 in his debut campaign. Junior David Quackenbos returns at this weight class after missing all of last season with an injury.
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285 – The Mountain Hawks are solid here with junior Max Wessell and sophomore Doug Vollaro both returning. Both men saw significant action last season, with Wessell qualifying for the NCAA Championships with a third place finish at the EIWA Championships. Vollaro came to Lehigh as one of the nation's top recruits and went 17-7 as a freshman. He will likely see much of the early action this season as Wessell works his way back to form.
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The Mountain Hawks will open the 2014-15 season on Thursday night when they host Hofstra inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Match time is set for 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased visiting LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during normal business hours.
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Players Mentioned
133
/ Men's Wrestling
197
/ Men's Wrestling
141/149
/ Men's Wrestling
184
/ Men's Wrestling
174
/ Men's Wrestling
125
/ Men's Wrestling
141
/ Men's Wrestling
141/149
/ Men's Wrestling
133/141
/ Men's Wrestling
149
/ Men's Wrestling
174
/ Men's Wrestling
125/133
/ Men's Wrestling
149
/ Men's Wrestling
165
/ Men's Wrestling
125/133
/ Men's Wrestling
157/165
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
125
/ Men's Wrestling
165/174
/ Men's Wrestling
165
/ Men's Wrestling
197
/ Men's Wrestling
197
/ Men's Wrestling
133
/ Men's Wrestling
174/184
/ Men's Wrestling
165
/ Men's Wrestling
149
/ Men's Wrestling
125/133
/ Men's Wrestling
285
/ Men's Wrestling
285
/ Men's Wrestling
149
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