Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks hold first official practice of 2017-18 campaign
10/10/2017 5:47:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
Lehigh Wrestling Tickets
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – October 10 marks the official start of practice for NCAA Division I wrestling as Lehigh held its first official workout for the 2017-18 season Tuesday on the mats in the Caruso Wrestling Complex. Head coach Pat Santoro begins his 10th season with a 44-man roster that features a good mixture of proven talent and promising youth.
"This is what we do, so we're excited for the season to get started," Santoro explained. "Now that practice is officially starting we can't wait for the competition to start. We had productive summer and a really productive fall. I know everybody is eager to get on the mats and start competing again. That's what we do. We love to compete."
For the first time in six years, Lehigh begins a season with a NCAA Champion in its room, as Darian Cruz returns after claiming the program's 28th individual national title last March. Cruz pairs with junior Scott Parker to give the Mountain Hawks returning All-Americans and EIWA Champions at the first two weight classes.
"We're hoping that they'll be great spark plugs for us and that we can build off of them," Santoro said. "We want to have more people in the finals and have some champions and All-Americans."
(10/10/2017) First Wrestling Practice 2017-18
The Mountain Hawks went 10-4 in duals a season ago and finished second in the EIWA and 12th at the NCAA Championships, but there is room for improvement and with that, heightened expectations.
In addition to the two All-Americans, Lehigh returns four additional starters from last year's EIWA Tournament team and three wrestlers who have previously qualified for the NCAA Championships: juniors Ryan Preisch and Gordon Wolf and sophomore Cole Walter. Preisch finished last season just one win shy of earning All-America honors.
The Mountain Hawks' roster also features nine deferred freshmen who entered last year along with 11 newcomers in 10 true freshman plus sophomore transfer Brandon Paetzell.
"It's a very eclectic group," Santoro said. "We have a good mix. That's what you want in any lineup. When one guy graduates you want to have someone else waiting in the wings. Whether you're a four-year starter or a one-year starter, you need to make the most of your moment. Your time is limited here so you want to make the most of it.
He continued, "There's going to be some new faces in the lineup this year, but they are guys who want to compete at the highest level. They have very high hopes. It's a very close-knit and unique group and that chemistry should be good for us."
Tuesday marks 16 days to Lehigh's annual Brown and White Wrestle-offs, set for Thursday, Oct. 26 inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall; and one month to the dual meet opener, Nov. 10 at Bucknell. Lehigh will open its home dual slate with matches against Edinboro (Nov. 17) and Michigan (Nov. 19).
"We need to improve everywhere," Santoro said. "If you're not coming in to improve every day, it's kind of a useless day. We need to have that growth mindset and move forward all the time. Shake off the setbacks and step up and move forward again. The ultimate goal is to get ready for the postseason. We say it every year, but it's true. There's some great competition out there and we're going to be challenged every single week we step on the mat. Our guys will be prepared."
Preseason Rankings Update
Several outlets have already released preseason individual rankings, with Lehigh having six wrestlers represented in rankings by both FloWrestling.org and W.I.N. Magazine. Cruz is ranked second at 125 by Flo and first by W.I.N., while Parker is ranked fourth in the preseason by both publications. Joining the All-America duo is Walter (16 by Flo, 12 by W.I.N. at 157), sophomore Jordan Kutler (7, 8 at 165), Preisch (6 at 174) and deferred freshman heavyweight Jordan Wood (18 by Flo, 14 by W.I.N.).
Penn State at PPL
Nearly 8,000 fans already have tickets for the highly-anticipated Lehigh-Penn State match, set for Sunday, Dec. 3 at PPL Center in Allentown. Tickets are going fast, so anyone looking to attend this special event is encouraged to purchase tickets ASAP before it sells out.
Tickets can be purchased as part of Lehigh's season ticket plan or mini-plans at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME, while standalone tickets for the Penn State match can be purchased online at PPLCenter.com or by calling 484-273-4490.
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – October 10 marks the official start of practice for NCAA Division I wrestling as Lehigh held its first official workout for the 2017-18 season Tuesday on the mats in the Caruso Wrestling Complex. Head coach Pat Santoro begins his 10th season with a 44-man roster that features a good mixture of proven talent and promising youth.
"This is what we do, so we're excited for the season to get started," Santoro explained. "Now that practice is officially starting we can't wait for the competition to start. We had productive summer and a really productive fall. I know everybody is eager to get on the mats and start competing again. That's what we do. We love to compete."
For the first time in six years, Lehigh begins a season with a NCAA Champion in its room, as Darian Cruz returns after claiming the program's 28th individual national title last March. Cruz pairs with junior Scott Parker to give the Mountain Hawks returning All-Americans and EIWA Champions at the first two weight classes.
"We're hoping that they'll be great spark plugs for us and that we can build off of them," Santoro said. "We want to have more people in the finals and have some champions and All-Americans."
The Mountain Hawks went 10-4 in duals a season ago and finished second in the EIWA and 12th at the NCAA Championships, but there is room for improvement and with that, heightened expectations.
In addition to the two All-Americans, Lehigh returns four additional starters from last year's EIWA Tournament team and three wrestlers who have previously qualified for the NCAA Championships: juniors Ryan Preisch and Gordon Wolf and sophomore Cole Walter. Preisch finished last season just one win shy of earning All-America honors.
The Mountain Hawks' roster also features nine deferred freshmen who entered last year along with 11 newcomers in 10 true freshman plus sophomore transfer Brandon Paetzell.
"It's a very eclectic group," Santoro said. "We have a good mix. That's what you want in any lineup. When one guy graduates you want to have someone else waiting in the wings. Whether you're a four-year starter or a one-year starter, you need to make the most of your moment. Your time is limited here so you want to make the most of it.
He continued, "There's going to be some new faces in the lineup this year, but they are guys who want to compete at the highest level. They have very high hopes. It's a very close-knit and unique group and that chemistry should be good for us."
Tuesday marks 16 days to Lehigh's annual Brown and White Wrestle-offs, set for Thursday, Oct. 26 inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall; and one month to the dual meet opener, Nov. 10 at Bucknell. Lehigh will open its home dual slate with matches against Edinboro (Nov. 17) and Michigan (Nov. 19).
"We need to improve everywhere," Santoro said. "If you're not coming in to improve every day, it's kind of a useless day. We need to have that growth mindset and move forward all the time. Shake off the setbacks and step up and move forward again. The ultimate goal is to get ready for the postseason. We say it every year, but it's true. There's some great competition out there and we're going to be challenged every single week we step on the mat. Our guys will be prepared."
Preseason Rankings Update
Several outlets have already released preseason individual rankings, with Lehigh having six wrestlers represented in rankings by both FloWrestling.org and W.I.N. Magazine. Cruz is ranked second at 125 by Flo and first by W.I.N., while Parker is ranked fourth in the preseason by both publications. Joining the All-America duo is Walter (16 by Flo, 12 by W.I.N. at 157), sophomore Jordan Kutler (7, 8 at 165), Preisch (6 at 174) and deferred freshman heavyweight Jordan Wood (18 by Flo, 14 by W.I.N.).
Penn State at PPL
Nearly 8,000 fans already have tickets for the highly-anticipated Lehigh-Penn State match, set for Sunday, Dec. 3 at PPL Center in Allentown. Tickets are going fast, so anyone looking to attend this special event is encouraged to purchase tickets ASAP before it sells out.
Tickets can be purchased as part of Lehigh's season ticket plan or mini-plans at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME, while standalone tickets for the Penn State match can be purchased online at PPLCenter.com or by calling 484-273-4490.
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Players Mentioned
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125/133
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133
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184
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157/165
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165/174
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285
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