Saturday, December 29
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
11:00 AM
Lehigh University
vs
Minnesota
No. 21 Lehigh to close out 2018 at South Beach Duals
12/28/2018 10:09:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – With final exams and the holidays in the rearview mirror, No. 21 Lehigh will close out 2018 with four duals over two days at the South Beach Duals at in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Mountain Hawks are still looking for their first dual win of the 2018-19 season and after facing three top five-ranked opponents in their first four duals, will face three more ranked foes Saturday and Sunday at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.
In its last dual action, Lehigh fell 28-14 at No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 8, with the Mountain Hawks winning three of the final four bouts and scoring bonus points in all three of those wins, which came from junior Jordan Kutler and sophomores Jake Jakobsen and Jordan Wood. The Mountain Hawks had a strong showing at the Dec. 22 Wilkes Open, with three champions and eight finalists as several veterans returned to action after missing time due to injury. Lehigh will face No. 9 Minnesota and No. 6 Missouri on Saturday Dec. 29 and then will meet No. 12 North Carolina and a tough Virginia squad on Sunday Dec. 30.
Lehigh battled through a tough fall semester in which many projected regulars missed significant time due to injuries. The good news for the Mountain Hawks is that several of those regulars have returned to the mats and are expected to compete in the South Beach Duals. Lehigh had five returning NCAA qualifiers compete at the Dec. 22 Wilkes Open, all five of who had not competed since the Journeymen Collegiate Classic if at all this season. The Mountain Hawks had three individual champions at the Wilkes Open, with sophomore Luke Karam (141) and senior Ryan Preisch (184) winning titles in their first action since Nov. 11 and senior Cortlandt Schuyler (149) winning a title in his first action of the season. Senior Gordon Wolf won his first four bouts of the season at 165 before taking a medical forfeit in his finals bout. Sophomore Chris Weiler also returned after a nearly six-week layoff, dropping from 197 to 184 where he finished second to Preisch.
Not only did sophomore Luke Karam go 6-0 to win the 141 pound title in his return to action at the Wilkes Open, but five of the six wins came by fall. The five pins in a single day are believed to be a school record. Four wrestlers have recorded four falls in a day in action, with three of the first four to accomplish the feat (Sean Bilodeau, Austin Meys, Zach Rey) accomplishing the feat at the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Classic. Randy Cruz pinned four in one day at the 2012 Clarion Open. Karam, who now has six-of-27 career wins by fall, averaged 3:25 per pin at the Wilkes Open.
Josh Humphreys may not be the only true freshman to suit up for the Mountain Hawks this season. Jaret Lane is listed among the probables for the South Beach Duals, and could make his Lehigh debut at 125. Lane went 3-2 to place sixth at the Princeton Open and went 1-2 at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open competing unattached so far this season. The younger brother of Lehigh junior Kent Lane, Jaret is a two-time state champion and four-time place winner for Southern Columbia high school. If Lane and Humphreys both compete in a dual this weekend, it would mark the first time Lehigh started two true freshmen in a dual since Joe Lobeck and Kyle Gentile wrestled in three duals (Navy, American, Penn) in January 2017.
Five wrestlers appear in the latest InterMat rankings, with junior Jordan Kutler and sophomore Jordan Wood leading the way at No. 6 at 174 and 285, respectively. Lehigh also has five wrestlers ranked by FloWrestling, while eight are ranked by Amateur Wrestling News and six are ranked by the Open Mat. Luke Karam and Cortlandt Schuyler re-joined the Amateur Wrestling News rankings after returning to action at the Wilkes Open. Kutler, Wood, senior Ryan Preisch (184), sophomore Jake Jakobsen (197) and freshman Josh Humphreys (157) are ranked by all four outlets. Sophomore Brandon Paetzell is ranked 16th at 133 by AWN.
Ninth-ranked Minnesota brings a 3-1 dual record into the South Beach Duals. The Golden Gophers posted a 31-6 win at Fresno State in their last action before the holiday break. Minnesota also owns wins over Air Force and South Dakota State, while its lone loss was to Oklahoma State. The Golden Gophers also finished sixth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Minnesota features seven ranked wrestlers, led by second-ranked true freshman heavyweight Gable Steveson. Ethan Lizak is a Lehigh Valley product and former NCAA finalist, who is ranked eighth at 133. Brandon Eggum is in his third season as Minnesota's head coach and his 19th overall on the Gopher coaching staff.
No. 6 Missouri brings a 6-0 dual record and a 26-dual winning streak into the South Beach Duals. The Tigers are coming off a come-from-behind 23-21 win over Virginia on Dec. 20. Missouri is 3-0 in the MAC and also has wins over Illinois and Virginia Tech, plus a runner-up finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Six Tigers are ranked by InterMat, led by Jaydin Eierman, who is ranked third at 141 and Daniel Lewis, who is ranked fourth at 174. Appalachian State transfer Colby Smith, a former NCAA qualifier at 133, is ranked at 125. Brian Smith is in his 21st season as Missouri's head coach.
A 3-1 dual start has earned North Carolina a No. 12 national ranking. The Tar Heels' signature win was a 20-15 triumph at Arizona State on Nov. 17. North Carolina also owns wins over Chattanooga and Appalachian State, while the lone loss came by 22-15 against Nebraska on Dec. 15. The Tar Heels' lineup features four ranked wrestlers, led by Austin O'Connor, who comes in at No. 5 at 149. Sophomore Kennedy Monday recently moved up to 165 after beginning his season at 157. Seniors Chip Ness (184) and Cory Daniel (285) give the Tar Heels a pair of ranked upper weights. Coleman Scott is in his fourth season as North Carolina's head coach.
The only unranked team Lehigh will face at the South Beach Duals, Virginia owns a 4-4 dual mark following a busy fall semester. The Cavaliers were edged by Missouri 23-21 on Dec. 20 and earlier in the month defeated Central Michigan 22-18 before falling 28-15 at home to Princeton. Virginia also competed at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The Cavaliers have four ranked wrestlers, with their lineup bolstered by the return of All-American Jack Mueller, who was pulled out of redshirt to compete at 125. Jay Aiello is ranked seventh at 197. Freshman 174-pounder Robby Patrick is the younger brother of Lehigh track and field javelin thrower and wrestling team manager Hannah Patrick. Steve Garland is in his 13th season as head coach at his alma mater.
Lehigh has a relatively light history against all four teams it will face at the South Beach Duals. Virginia is the most-often wrestled opponent of the four the Mountain Hawks will face, but Sunday's dual will mark just the ninth meeting in the series. Of the 22 previous duals against Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia, 15 have taken place at neutral sites.
Action at the South Beach Duals begins Saturday when Lehigh faces Minnesota at 11 a.m. and Missouri at 1 p.m. On Sunday, the Mountain Hawks will face North Carolina at 11 a.m. and Virginia at 1 p.m. All action at the South Beach Duals will be streamed on TrackWrestling.com (subscription required).
Lehigh will be off from competition next weekend and will return to Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall for two duals against EIWA rivals on Jan. 11 and 12. The Mountain Hawks will host Bucknell Friday Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. and will then host Cornell Saturday Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. Lehigh and Cornell have combined to win the last 14 EIWA titles, with the Mountain Hawks snapping the Big Red's 11-year title streak with their triumph last year at Hofstra.
The 2018-19 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
In its last dual action, Lehigh fell 28-14 at No. 4 Iowa on Dec. 8, with the Mountain Hawks winning three of the final four bouts and scoring bonus points in all three of those wins, which came from junior Jordan Kutler and sophomores Jake Jakobsen and Jordan Wood. The Mountain Hawks had a strong showing at the Dec. 22 Wilkes Open, with three champions and eight finalists as several veterans returned to action after missing time due to injury. Lehigh will face No. 9 Minnesota and No. 6 Missouri on Saturday Dec. 29 and then will meet No. 12 North Carolina and a tough Virginia squad on Sunday Dec. 30.
Lehigh battled through a tough fall semester in which many projected regulars missed significant time due to injuries. The good news for the Mountain Hawks is that several of those regulars have returned to the mats and are expected to compete in the South Beach Duals. Lehigh had five returning NCAA qualifiers compete at the Dec. 22 Wilkes Open, all five of who had not competed since the Journeymen Collegiate Classic if at all this season. The Mountain Hawks had three individual champions at the Wilkes Open, with sophomore Luke Karam (141) and senior Ryan Preisch (184) winning titles in their first action since Nov. 11 and senior Cortlandt Schuyler (149) winning a title in his first action of the season. Senior Gordon Wolf won his first four bouts of the season at 165 before taking a medical forfeit in his finals bout. Sophomore Chris Weiler also returned after a nearly six-week layoff, dropping from 197 to 184 where he finished second to Preisch.
Not only did sophomore Luke Karam go 6-0 to win the 141 pound title in his return to action at the Wilkes Open, but five of the six wins came by fall. The five pins in a single day are believed to be a school record. Four wrestlers have recorded four falls in a day in action, with three of the first four to accomplish the feat (Sean Bilodeau, Austin Meys, Zach Rey) accomplishing the feat at the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Classic. Randy Cruz pinned four in one day at the 2012 Clarion Open. Karam, who now has six-of-27 career wins by fall, averaged 3:25 per pin at the Wilkes Open.
Josh Humphreys may not be the only true freshman to suit up for the Mountain Hawks this season. Jaret Lane is listed among the probables for the South Beach Duals, and could make his Lehigh debut at 125. Lane went 3-2 to place sixth at the Princeton Open and went 1-2 at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open competing unattached so far this season. The younger brother of Lehigh junior Kent Lane, Jaret is a two-time state champion and four-time place winner for Southern Columbia high school. If Lane and Humphreys both compete in a dual this weekend, it would mark the first time Lehigh started two true freshmen in a dual since Joe Lobeck and Kyle Gentile wrestled in three duals (Navy, American, Penn) in January 2017.
Five wrestlers appear in the latest InterMat rankings, with junior Jordan Kutler and sophomore Jordan Wood leading the way at No. 6 at 174 and 285, respectively. Lehigh also has five wrestlers ranked by FloWrestling, while eight are ranked by Amateur Wrestling News and six are ranked by the Open Mat. Luke Karam and Cortlandt Schuyler re-joined the Amateur Wrestling News rankings after returning to action at the Wilkes Open. Kutler, Wood, senior Ryan Preisch (184), sophomore Jake Jakobsen (197) and freshman Josh Humphreys (157) are ranked by all four outlets. Sophomore Brandon Paetzell is ranked 16th at 133 by AWN.
Ninth-ranked Minnesota brings a 3-1 dual record into the South Beach Duals. The Golden Gophers posted a 31-6 win at Fresno State in their last action before the holiday break. Minnesota also owns wins over Air Force and South Dakota State, while its lone loss was to Oklahoma State. The Golden Gophers also finished sixth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Minnesota features seven ranked wrestlers, led by second-ranked true freshman heavyweight Gable Steveson. Ethan Lizak is a Lehigh Valley product and former NCAA finalist, who is ranked eighth at 133. Brandon Eggum is in his third season as Minnesota's head coach and his 19th overall on the Gopher coaching staff.
No. 6 Missouri brings a 6-0 dual record and a 26-dual winning streak into the South Beach Duals. The Tigers are coming off a come-from-behind 23-21 win over Virginia on Dec. 20. Missouri is 3-0 in the MAC and also has wins over Illinois and Virginia Tech, plus a runner-up finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Six Tigers are ranked by InterMat, led by Jaydin Eierman, who is ranked third at 141 and Daniel Lewis, who is ranked fourth at 174. Appalachian State transfer Colby Smith, a former NCAA qualifier at 133, is ranked at 125. Brian Smith is in his 21st season as Missouri's head coach.
A 3-1 dual start has earned North Carolina a No. 12 national ranking. The Tar Heels' signature win was a 20-15 triumph at Arizona State on Nov. 17. North Carolina also owns wins over Chattanooga and Appalachian State, while the lone loss came by 22-15 against Nebraska on Dec. 15. The Tar Heels' lineup features four ranked wrestlers, led by Austin O'Connor, who comes in at No. 5 at 149. Sophomore Kennedy Monday recently moved up to 165 after beginning his season at 157. Seniors Chip Ness (184) and Cory Daniel (285) give the Tar Heels a pair of ranked upper weights. Coleman Scott is in his fourth season as North Carolina's head coach.
The only unranked team Lehigh will face at the South Beach Duals, Virginia owns a 4-4 dual mark following a busy fall semester. The Cavaliers were edged by Missouri 23-21 on Dec. 20 and earlier in the month defeated Central Michigan 22-18 before falling 28-15 at home to Princeton. Virginia also competed at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The Cavaliers have four ranked wrestlers, with their lineup bolstered by the return of All-American Jack Mueller, who was pulled out of redshirt to compete at 125. Jay Aiello is ranked seventh at 197. Freshman 174-pounder Robby Patrick is the younger brother of Lehigh track and field javelin thrower and wrestling team manager Hannah Patrick. Steve Garland is in his 13th season as head coach at his alma mater.
Lehigh has a relatively light history against all four teams it will face at the South Beach Duals. Virginia is the most-often wrestled opponent of the four the Mountain Hawks will face, but Sunday's dual will mark just the ninth meeting in the series. Of the 22 previous duals against Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina and Virginia, 15 have taken place at neutral sites.
Action at the South Beach Duals begins Saturday when Lehigh faces Minnesota at 11 a.m. and Missouri at 1 p.m. On Sunday, the Mountain Hawks will face North Carolina at 11 a.m. and Virginia at 1 p.m. All action at the South Beach Duals will be streamed on TrackWrestling.com (subscription required).
Lehigh will be off from competition next weekend and will return to Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall for two duals against EIWA rivals on Jan. 11 and 12. The Mountain Hawks will host Bucknell Friday Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. and will then host Cornell Saturday Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. Lehigh and Cornell have combined to win the last 14 EIWA titles, with the Mountain Hawks snapping the Big Red's 11-year title streak with their triumph last year at Hofstra.
The 2018-19 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Players Mentioned
157
/ Men's Wrestling
141
/ Men's Wrestling
184/197
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
197
/ Men's Wrestling
141
/ Men's Wrestling
174
/ Men's Wrestling
125
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
141
/ Men's Wrestling
174/184
/ Men's Wrestling
133
/ Men's Wrestling
184
/ Men's Wrestling
285
/ Men's Wrestling
149
/ Men's Wrestling
184/197
/ Men's Wrestling
157/165
/ Men's Wrestling
285
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