Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks hit the mats for first official practice of 2019-20 season
10/11/2019 3:37:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Thursday marked the official starting day for Division I wrestling programs across the country, with Lehigh officially beginning preparations for the 2019-20 season with a workout in the Caruso Wrestling Complex. The two-time defending EIWA Champions embark on the new season with a 38-man roster that features seven returning NCAA qualifiers, while eight true freshmen have been added to the mix.
"We had a really good summer and a good fall, now things get a little more structured," said 12th-year head coach Pat Santoro. "The guys are really excited. They had a really good first day. We're excited to see what we have. We are going to have a lot of weights up for contention. We have some veterans and some new faces. We're excited to see what happens."
The Oct. 10 start date gives the Mountain Hawks just 14 days until the annual Brown and White Intrasquad inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall, but there will be plenty of opportunities for competition as the regular season begins with two tournaments. For the early part of the preseason, the focus will continue to be on honing technique and fundamentals.
'Fundamentals are always a major focus at this time of year," Santoro said. "Everything comes off of having good positional wrestling. We just want to get guys crisp and sharp. That's a thing we're going to work on early in the season. Between the intrasquad and the first couple of tournaments, we're going find out what we need to work on."Gallery: (10/11/2019) Wrestling Opens Practice, 10/11/19
Lehigh's first dual will be Saturday November 16, when Oklahoma State visits Stabler Arena. Before that, the Mountain Hawks will send wrestlers to the November 3 Princeton Open and the November 10 Journeymen Collegiate Classic, which will give wrestlers an opportunity to show what they can do early on in a competitive setting.
"It will help solidify our lineup," Santoro said. "We're going to see how guys compete in tournament competition. The most important thing is developing guys who love to compete and can do well in tournament competition."
Among the top returners, Lehigh features senior Jordan Kutler, a two-time All-American and EIWA champion at 174, and junior heavyweight Jordan Wood, a two-time EIWA Champion who finished fourth at last year's NCAA Championships. Sophomore Josh Humphreys won an EIWA title at 157 and finished one win shy of earning All-America honors. The newcomers include eight true freshmen and five second-year wrestlers who deferred eligibility last season.
"It has been a very easy group to coach so far," Santoro said. "They're focused. They come in every day wanting to learn. We have solid leadership and those leaders want the team to do well."
Several media outlets have already released preseason individual rankings. Seven Mountain Hawks appear in the preseason rankings by FloWrestling and the Open Mat, led by Kutler (third by FloWrestling, second by The Open Mat) and Wood (third in both polls). Humphreys is also ranked in the top 10 of both polls. Four other juniors appear in the top 20 of both polls: Brandon Paetzell (125), Nick Farro (133), Chris Weiler (184) and Jake Jakobsen (197).
The Brown and White Intrasquad will be held Thursday October 24 at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. After the Princeton Open and Journeymen Collegiate Classic, Lehigh will open the dual meet season against Oklahoma State on November 16 at 1 p.m. at Stabler Arena. Lehigh wrestling season tickets are currently on sale, while single match tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 16 at 10 a.m. All Lehigh wrestling tickets can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during business hours.
The 2019-20 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
"We had a really good summer and a good fall, now things get a little more structured," said 12th-year head coach Pat Santoro. "The guys are really excited. They had a really good first day. We're excited to see what we have. We are going to have a lot of weights up for contention. We have some veterans and some new faces. We're excited to see what happens."
The Oct. 10 start date gives the Mountain Hawks just 14 days until the annual Brown and White Intrasquad inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall, but there will be plenty of opportunities for competition as the regular season begins with two tournaments. For the early part of the preseason, the focus will continue to be on honing technique and fundamentals.
'Fundamentals are always a major focus at this time of year," Santoro said. "Everything comes off of having good positional wrestling. We just want to get guys crisp and sharp. That's a thing we're going to work on early in the season. Between the intrasquad and the first couple of tournaments, we're going find out what we need to work on."
Lehigh's first dual will be Saturday November 16, when Oklahoma State visits Stabler Arena. Before that, the Mountain Hawks will send wrestlers to the November 3 Princeton Open and the November 10 Journeymen Collegiate Classic, which will give wrestlers an opportunity to show what they can do early on in a competitive setting.
"It will help solidify our lineup," Santoro said. "We're going to see how guys compete in tournament competition. The most important thing is developing guys who love to compete and can do well in tournament competition."
Among the top returners, Lehigh features senior Jordan Kutler, a two-time All-American and EIWA champion at 174, and junior heavyweight Jordan Wood, a two-time EIWA Champion who finished fourth at last year's NCAA Championships. Sophomore Josh Humphreys won an EIWA title at 157 and finished one win shy of earning All-America honors. The newcomers include eight true freshmen and five second-year wrestlers who deferred eligibility last season.
"It has been a very easy group to coach so far," Santoro said. "They're focused. They come in every day wanting to learn. We have solid leadership and those leaders want the team to do well."
Several media outlets have already released preseason individual rankings. Seven Mountain Hawks appear in the preseason rankings by FloWrestling and the Open Mat, led by Kutler (third by FloWrestling, second by The Open Mat) and Wood (third in both polls). Humphreys is also ranked in the top 10 of both polls. Four other juniors appear in the top 20 of both polls: Brandon Paetzell (125), Nick Farro (133), Chris Weiler (184) and Jake Jakobsen (197).
The Brown and White Intrasquad will be held Thursday October 24 at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. After the Princeton Open and Journeymen Collegiate Classic, Lehigh will open the dual meet season against Oklahoma State on November 16 at 1 p.m. at Stabler Arena. Lehigh wrestling season tickets are currently on sale, while single match tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 16 at 10 a.m. All Lehigh wrestling tickets can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during business hours.
The 2019-20 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Players Mentioned
133
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
197
/ Men's Wrestling
174
/ Men's Wrestling
125
/ Men's Wrestling
184
/ Men's Wrestling
285
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