Lehigh wrestling announces 2019 recruiting class
5/28/2019 11:09:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro has announced the addition of eight student-athletes that will join the Mountain Hawks' wrestling program in the fall. The two-time defending EIWA champion Mountain Hawks have brought in a group of eight that has combined to win 14 state championships.
Six states are represented among the incoming class, with Pennsylvania leading the way with three and Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, New York and West Virginia all represented by one newcomer.
Four of the eight newcomers are ranked in the top 100 nationally by both FloWrestling and InterMat. As a whole, the class has already garnered national recognition as it was ranked 14th in the nation by InterMat and 15th by FloWrestling.
"This is a group that loves to compete and has looked to compete everywhere they could," Santoro said. "It's a group that's really hungry. They talk about winning national championships, which is really important. We're excited to bring these eight wrestlers in and to start working with them to help them reach their goals."
Four-time state champion Connor McGonagle comes to Lehigh from Timberlane High School in New Hampshire. Ranked 51st by FloWrestling and 34th by InterMat, McGonagle is also a four-time New England finalist, winning titles in his final three seasons. McGonagle had a 204-7 record in high school and projects at 133 or 141. He is also a three-time Beast of the East place winner and a four-time NHSCA All-American, including titles as a freshman and a junior. McGonagle also placed fourth at junior nationals in Fargo, N.D.
Malyke Hines is a three-time state champion from Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla. Hines, ranked 68th by FloWrestling and 63rd by Intermat, amassed a 267-4 high school record. He is the first-ever four-time champion at the Knockout Tournament. Hines is a two-time place winner at the Super 32 tournament, a two-time finalist at the Michigan Grappler and won a title at the Escape the Rock tournament. A projected 141 or 149 pounder, Hines is a two-time NHSCA national champion and two-time NHSCA place winner. He is a three-time Fargo place winner and was a Cadet and Junior All-American.
The first of three newcomers from Pennsylvania is Edmond Ruth from Susquehanna Township High School in Harrisburg. A four-time state place winner, Ruth won titles as a sophomore and junior while finishing eighth as a freshman and second as a senior. Ruth went 139-16 over his high school career and is ranked 62nd by FloWrestling and 74th by InterMat. A four-time regional champion, Ruth went 105-1 over his last three seasons. He was a three-time NHSCA place-winner, winning a title as a sophomore. Ruth projects between 165 and 184 for the Mountain Hawks.
The fourth top 100 recruit is Jake Logan from New Rochelle High School in New York. Logan is a two-time state champion who went 80-0 over his final two seasons. Ranked 45th by FloWrestling and 47th by InterMat, Logan went 174-29 for his high school career. He also owns a fourth place finish in the New York State Tournament and is a two-time Eastern States champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler. Logan is a Super 32 and NHSCA place winner. He is a three-time Fargo All-American between freestyle and Greco-Roman and was a finalist in Cadet freestyle. Logan projects at 174 or 184.
Lehigh has brought in another wrestler from nearby Bethlehem Catholic High School as Luca Frinzi joins a list of Golden Hawks that have become Mountain Hawks that includes Randy Cruz, Darian Cruz and Luke Karam. Frinzi is a three-time state qualifier with fourth and seventh place finishes to his credit. He has won District XI and Northeast Regional titles and is a two-time first team East Penn Conference All-Star. A projected 165 pounder, Frinzi is a two-time finalist and one-time champion at the Escape the Rock tournament and has also placed at the Beast of the East. A NHSCA All-American, Frinzi is also a state champion in freestyle and has placed in freestyle in Fargo.
Paul Watkins is a state champion and four-time state place winner from North Forsyth High School in Georgia. Watkins finished third, second, third and first in his four trips to the state tournament, posting a 163-16 career record. He is a three-time sectional champion and two-time Forsyth County Wrestler of the Year. Watkins holds the North Forsyth takedown record and is a member of the North Forsyth Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was also a NHSCA All-American as a sophomore. Outside of folkstyle, Watkins won state titles in Cadet freestyle and Greco-Roman and was a state champion in Junior Greco-Roman. He also earned All-America honors in Cadet Greco. Watkins projects at 141/149 at Lehigh.
For the second straight year, Lehigh has brought in a wrestler from Parkersburg South High School in West Virginia. On the heels of Josh Humphreys last year, the Mountain Hawks have added heavyweight Louden Haga. A four-time state finalist, Haga broke through for a state title in 2019. He was the 2019 OVAC heavyweight champion and claimed fourth place at the Walsh Ironman tournament. Haga is a two-time Powerade place winner, finishing third in 2017 and second in 2018. In 2017, Haga was runner-up in freestyle in Fargo and fifth in Greco-Roman.
Rounding out the incoming class is another District XI product, Nathan Haubert, who competed in the Colonial League at Palisades High School. Haubert finished top three in District XI and the Northeast Region in all four of his high school seasons. He won district titles in 2017 and 2018 and added regional and AA state titles in his junior season. Haubert is a three-time Pennsylvania AA place winner, finishing fourth, first and seventh in his final three seasons at the state tournament. He projects at 141 or 149.
In addition to the newcomers, Lehigh returns two All-Americans (Jordan Kutler and Jordan Wood), three EIWA Champions (Humphreys, Kutler, Wood) eight wrestlers who have qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Lehigh Wrestling 2019 Recruiting Class
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Six states are represented among the incoming class, with Pennsylvania leading the way with three and Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, New York and West Virginia all represented by one newcomer.
Four of the eight newcomers are ranked in the top 100 nationally by both FloWrestling and InterMat. As a whole, the class has already garnered national recognition as it was ranked 14th in the nation by InterMat and 15th by FloWrestling.
"This is a group that loves to compete and has looked to compete everywhere they could," Santoro said. "It's a group that's really hungry. They talk about winning national championships, which is really important. We're excited to bring these eight wrestlers in and to start working with them to help them reach their goals."
Four-time state champion Connor McGonagle comes to Lehigh from Timberlane High School in New Hampshire. Ranked 51st by FloWrestling and 34th by InterMat, McGonagle is also a four-time New England finalist, winning titles in his final three seasons. McGonagle had a 204-7 record in high school and projects at 133 or 141. He is also a three-time Beast of the East place winner and a four-time NHSCA All-American, including titles as a freshman and a junior. McGonagle also placed fourth at junior nationals in Fargo, N.D.
Malyke Hines is a three-time state champion from Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla. Hines, ranked 68th by FloWrestling and 63rd by Intermat, amassed a 267-4 high school record. He is the first-ever four-time champion at the Knockout Tournament. Hines is a two-time place winner at the Super 32 tournament, a two-time finalist at the Michigan Grappler and won a title at the Escape the Rock tournament. A projected 141 or 149 pounder, Hines is a two-time NHSCA national champion and two-time NHSCA place winner. He is a three-time Fargo place winner and was a Cadet and Junior All-American.
The first of three newcomers from Pennsylvania is Edmond Ruth from Susquehanna Township High School in Harrisburg. A four-time state place winner, Ruth won titles as a sophomore and junior while finishing eighth as a freshman and second as a senior. Ruth went 139-16 over his high school career and is ranked 62nd by FloWrestling and 74th by InterMat. A four-time regional champion, Ruth went 105-1 over his last three seasons. He was a three-time NHSCA place-winner, winning a title as a sophomore. Ruth projects between 165 and 184 for the Mountain Hawks.
The fourth top 100 recruit is Jake Logan from New Rochelle High School in New York. Logan is a two-time state champion who went 80-0 over his final two seasons. Ranked 45th by FloWrestling and 47th by InterMat, Logan went 174-29 for his high school career. He also owns a fourth place finish in the New York State Tournament and is a two-time Eastern States champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler. Logan is a Super 32 and NHSCA place winner. He is a three-time Fargo All-American between freestyle and Greco-Roman and was a finalist in Cadet freestyle. Logan projects at 174 or 184.
Lehigh has brought in another wrestler from nearby Bethlehem Catholic High School as Luca Frinzi joins a list of Golden Hawks that have become Mountain Hawks that includes Randy Cruz, Darian Cruz and Luke Karam. Frinzi is a three-time state qualifier with fourth and seventh place finishes to his credit. He has won District XI and Northeast Regional titles and is a two-time first team East Penn Conference All-Star. A projected 165 pounder, Frinzi is a two-time finalist and one-time champion at the Escape the Rock tournament and has also placed at the Beast of the East. A NHSCA All-American, Frinzi is also a state champion in freestyle and has placed in freestyle in Fargo.
Paul Watkins is a state champion and four-time state place winner from North Forsyth High School in Georgia. Watkins finished third, second, third and first in his four trips to the state tournament, posting a 163-16 career record. He is a three-time sectional champion and two-time Forsyth County Wrestler of the Year. Watkins holds the North Forsyth takedown record and is a member of the North Forsyth Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was also a NHSCA All-American as a sophomore. Outside of folkstyle, Watkins won state titles in Cadet freestyle and Greco-Roman and was a state champion in Junior Greco-Roman. He also earned All-America honors in Cadet Greco. Watkins projects at 141/149 at Lehigh.
For the second straight year, Lehigh has brought in a wrestler from Parkersburg South High School in West Virginia. On the heels of Josh Humphreys last year, the Mountain Hawks have added heavyweight Louden Haga. A four-time state finalist, Haga broke through for a state title in 2019. He was the 2019 OVAC heavyweight champion and claimed fourth place at the Walsh Ironman tournament. Haga is a two-time Powerade place winner, finishing third in 2017 and second in 2018. In 2017, Haga was runner-up in freestyle in Fargo and fifth in Greco-Roman.
Rounding out the incoming class is another District XI product, Nathan Haubert, who competed in the Colonial League at Palisades High School. Haubert finished top three in District XI and the Northeast Region in all four of his high school seasons. He won district titles in 2017 and 2018 and added regional and AA state titles in his junior season. Haubert is a three-time Pennsylvania AA place winner, finishing fourth, first and seventh in his final three seasons at the state tournament. He projects at 141 or 149.
In addition to the newcomers, Lehigh returns two All-Americans (Jordan Kutler and Jordan Wood), three EIWA Champions (Humphreys, Kutler, Wood) eight wrestlers who have qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Lehigh Wrestling 2019 Recruiting Class
| Name | Proj. Wt. | Hometown/High School |
| Luca Frinzi | 165 | Quakertown, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic |
| Louden Haga | 285 | Mineral Wells, W. Va./Parkersburg South |
| Nathan Haubert | 141/149 | Upper Black Eddy, Pa./Palisades |
| Malyke Hines | 141/149 | Kissimmee, Fla./Osceola |
| Jake Logan | 174/184 | New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle |
| Connor McGonagle | 133/141 | Danville, N.H./Timberlane |
| Edmond Ruth | 165/174/184 | Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp. |
| Paul Watkins | 141/149 | Cumming, Ga./North Forsyth |
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