Lessons on hard work, learned through wrestling

By Connor Tait '14, Lehigh Sports Media Relations

For Lehigh's Joey Napoli, wrestling is a sport that runs in the family.

"I started when I was five," Napoli said. "My dad got me involved with it because he did it when he was younger he was a state runner up in high school."

Throughout his wrestling career, Napoli's father has been his strongest supporter.

"He drove me to all my tournaments when I was younger and travels to all our matches no matter how far away."

Napoli continued wrestling at Cumberland Valley High School, where he was a two-time state finalist and 2008 AAA Pennsylvania State Champion.

Lehigh's head coach Pat Santoro said he took notice of Napoli and wanted him on the team.

"He was obviously very talented he had a great feel for wrestling," Santoro said.

Lehigh was an easy decision for Napoli because it was close to his home in Boiling Springs and it was exactly the type of wrestling program he was looking to compete for.

Napoli didn't defer eligibility when he came to Lehigh, and competed at the 149-pound weight class as a true freshman. He finished his first season 21-12 overall with an 8-4 record in dual meets.

"My freshman year was pretty tough," Napoli said. "I did a lot of growing up that year, I had a lot of tough practices, but it definitely made me a lot tougher than I was."

In his second season, he finished 18-13 overall, placed fifth at the EIWA championship and qualified for his first NCAA tournament.

Going into his third year on the team, Napoli deferred eligibility in order to train and move up to the 157-pound weight class. He competed unattached at open tournaments, going 31-6 overall and ended up earning Lehigh's Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award.

"My deferred year was a lot of road trips and lifting," Napoli said. "I actually enjoyed the experience and won a lot of matches, which really gave me a lot of confidence moving into 157."

In the 2012-13 season, Napoli emerged as one of the top wrestlers in the country at 157, posting an 18-4 overall record and winning the EIWA championship in his weight class. He was ranked third in the nation for the majority of the season, and was seeded third going into the NCAA tournament.

Coach Santoro said no matter what weight class or wrestler he is put up against, Napoli will rise to the challenge.

"At the end of the day, wrestling is wrestling, and he's had a lot of success at 157," Santoro said. "The thing is he loves to compete, the better the competition at the higher level, he rises."

Santoro said it would be difficult to find anyone out there who works harder than Napoli.

"He's got an unbelievable work ethic, it's probably one of the best I've seen," Santoro said. "If anything we have to tell him to dial it back some time. He's one of the best workers I've coached."

For Napoli, the extra work is just part of the process of becoming the best possible wrestler.

"What motivates me is all I have worked up to this point," Napoli said. "I have been training for this most of my life. I put in a lot of extra work to be the best I can, I don't think I have reached that yet."

Other than just his strong work ethic, another factor that separates Napoli from other wrestlers is his mentality before matches.

"I am actually a really relaxed wrestler compared to some," Napoli said. "I don't try to over think. I know I wrestle better when I am relaxed and focused, not nervous and tight."

Napoli doesn't only work hard on the wrestling mat; he also is a dedicated student with a 3.3 GPA in a difficult mechanical engineering major. He said balancing schoolwork and wrestling is difficult, but he finds a way to make it work.

"Honestly it can get tough at times, but engineering is something I enjoy," Napoli said. "Some classes have been tougher than others but I have never been hopeless. It is all about managing time."

Having a team with such strong camaraderie makes it easier to get through the every-day grind of schoolwork and wrestling, according to Napoli.

"Our team is really close because we spend so much time together," Napoli said. "I mean of course I am closer with some guys on the team than others but there is a mutual respect for everyone because we are all doing the same workouts and practices and going through the same struggles."

Napoli is having a successful senior season at 157, but he isn't ready yet to finish competing in the sport.

"I don't know what I would do if I didn't wrestle," Napoli said. "I don't think there is another sport like it. It really requires full dedication. It's always a battle and it's never easy, but that is what makes it worth it when you win matches."

Napoli has had a fantastic career wrestling for Lehigh, and he hopes to repeat as EIWA champion and qualify again for the NCAA Championship. Regardless of how he performs at the end of the season, Napoli will always remember the experiences he's had wrestling for Lehigh.

"Without our Alumni, boosters, and fans this experience would not have been nearly as great," Napoli said. "Wrestling in front of a sold-out crowd at Grace Hall is unexplainable. I am going to miss it a lot."

Completed Event: Men's Wrestling at NCAA Championships on March 21, 2026 , , 16th, 26.5 pts.

Completed Event: Men's Wrestling at NCAA Championships on March 21, 2026 , , 16th, 26.5 ptts.

Completed Event: Men's Wrestling at NCAA Championships on March 20, 2026 , , 16th, 22 pts.

Completed Event: Men's Wrestling at NCAA Championships on March 20, 2026 , , 12th, 22 pts.

Completed Event: Men's Wrestling at NCAA Championships on March 19, 2026 , , 12th, 13 pts.

Completed Event: Men's Wrestling at NCAA Championships on March 19, 2026 , , 11th, 8.5 pts.

Completed Event: Men's Wrestling at EIWA Championships on March 7, 2026 , , 1st, 163.5 pts.

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Lessons on hard work, learned through wrestling

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