Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh celebrates 2016-17 season at annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner
4/11/2017 2:47:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh wrestling program celebrated a strong 2016-17 season at the 94th annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner, held April 8 in the Wood Dining Room at Iacocca Hall. The event featured dinner, speeches from head coach Pat Santoro and Lehigh's nine seniors and the presentation of program awards as the Mountain Hawks reflected on a successful season, highlighted by Darian Cruz winning the program's 28th individual NCAA title. Lehigh posted a 10-4 dual meet record and finished 12th at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Cruz and Scott Parker both won EIWA titles and earned All-America honors.
The highlights of Lehigh's continued recent success now include two NCAA champions, seven NCAA finalists and 19 All-Americans over the last seven seasons.
Darian Cruz earned the Outstanding Athlete award, which recognizes the wrestler who has made the most significant athletic contribution to the team. Cruz won the NCAA championship at 125, capping a 31-2 junior season. The EIWA Wrestler of the Year, Cruz won his final 21 matches in 2016-17, becoming a two-time EIWA Champion and two-time All-American along the way. He avenged his most recent defeat with a 6-3 decision of Minnesota's Ethan Lizak in the NCAA finals to become Lehigh's first national champion since Zach Rey in 2011.
The Scholar-Athlete award, which is awarded to the wrestler who in the eyes of his teammates best exemplifies the ideal of the scholar-athlete, went to Scott Parker. A third-year sophomore, Parker carries a 3.61 grade point average as a finance major. On the mats Parker went 20-5 in his first official season at 133, winning an EIWA title and earning All-America honors with an eighth place finish.
Senior Mitch Minotti received the Coaches Award, given to the individual who made significant contributions to the well-being of his team in terms of attitude, improvement, or special leadership as evidenced by growth or presence of strong self-awareness, integrity, competitiveness, team-first mentality, and toughness. An All-American in his first two seasons, Minotti battled back from injuries that cost him the postseason last year to post a 16-3 record at 165 in 2016-17. He served as one of Lehigh's team captains as well.
Another senior captain, Laike Gardner, was awarded the Gerald G. Leeman Award. The honor is intended to highlight the accomplishments of an athlete who has displayed strong perseverance through the year and not necessarily the highest level of skill or success on the mat. Gardner became a three-time NCAA qualifier in a senior season in which he fell just one win short of earning All-America status. One of the top leaders on the Mountain Hawks, Gardner went 24-10 as a senior and 69-37 for his career.
Freshman Jordan Wood was named the Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year, which recognizes a student-athlete who either was not a starter on the team or who deferred eligibility for the year. Wood, who represented the United States in freestyle at the Junior World Championships in September, went 11-3 competing unattached in open competition, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the prestigious Midlands Championships in late December. Wood also won the East Stroudsburg Open in early November.
The dinner also featured reflections from Lehigh's nine-member senior class that included Gardner, Minotti, Matt Bonshak, Randy Cruz, Ben Haas, Billy Ramsey, Dean Somers, Will Switzer and Doug Vollaro.
The highlights of Lehigh's continued recent success now include two NCAA champions, seven NCAA finalists and 19 All-Americans over the last seven seasons.
Darian Cruz earned the Outstanding Athlete award, which recognizes the wrestler who has made the most significant athletic contribution to the team. Cruz won the NCAA championship at 125, capping a 31-2 junior season. The EIWA Wrestler of the Year, Cruz won his final 21 matches in 2016-17, becoming a two-time EIWA Champion and two-time All-American along the way. He avenged his most recent defeat with a 6-3 decision of Minnesota's Ethan Lizak in the NCAA finals to become Lehigh's first national champion since Zach Rey in 2011.
The Scholar-Athlete award, which is awarded to the wrestler who in the eyes of his teammates best exemplifies the ideal of the scholar-athlete, went to Scott Parker. A third-year sophomore, Parker carries a 3.61 grade point average as a finance major. On the mats Parker went 20-5 in his first official season at 133, winning an EIWA title and earning All-America honors with an eighth place finish.
Senior Mitch Minotti received the Coaches Award, given to the individual who made significant contributions to the well-being of his team in terms of attitude, improvement, or special leadership as evidenced by growth or presence of strong self-awareness, integrity, competitiveness, team-first mentality, and toughness. An All-American in his first two seasons, Minotti battled back from injuries that cost him the postseason last year to post a 16-3 record at 165 in 2016-17. He served as one of Lehigh's team captains as well.
Another senior captain, Laike Gardner, was awarded the Gerald G. Leeman Award. The honor is intended to highlight the accomplishments of an athlete who has displayed strong perseverance through the year and not necessarily the highest level of skill or success on the mat. Gardner became a three-time NCAA qualifier in a senior season in which he fell just one win short of earning All-America status. One of the top leaders on the Mountain Hawks, Gardner went 24-10 as a senior and 69-37 for his career.
Freshman Jordan Wood was named the Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year, which recognizes a student-athlete who either was not a starter on the team or who deferred eligibility for the year. Wood, who represented the United States in freestyle at the Junior World Championships in September, went 11-3 competing unattached in open competition, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the prestigious Midlands Championships in late December. Wood also won the East Stroudsburg Open in early November.
The dinner also featured reflections from Lehigh's nine-member senior class that included Gardner, Minotti, Matt Bonshak, Randy Cruz, Ben Haas, Billy Ramsey, Dean Somers, Will Switzer and Doug Vollaro.
Players Mentioned
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