Brown And White Wrestle-Offs Return Thursday Night With Full Capacity

Thursday, October 28

Bethlehem, Pa.

7:00 PM

Lehigh University

Brown and White Wrestle-Offs

Brown And White Wrestle-Offs Return Thursday Night With Full Capacity

10/27/2021 2:29:00 PM | Men's Wrestling

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – As the Lehigh wrestling team continues its preparation for the 2021-22 season, fans will get their first look at this year's squad as Lehigh hosts the annual Brown and White Wrestle-offs, Thursday at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall.

Lehigh's venues are back open at full capacity, giving the Mountain Hawk wrestlers the opportunity to compete in Grace Hall with fans for the first time since February 2020, as Lehigh, the four-time defending EIWA champions, continues preparations for a season that officially begins Nov. 6 in Oregon.

Head coach Pat Santoro and his coaching staff have put together 14 bouts for Thursday's intrasquad event. Among the 28 wrestlers currently slated to compete include 16 first or second year Mountain Hawks, who will be competing in Leeman-Turner Arena with fans in the seats for the first time.

"It should be a lot of fun with guys letting it go," Santoro said. "It has become more of an intrasquad than a true wrestle-off. There are a lot of new faces that the fans have never seen before between last year's freshman class and this year's. It will be a great opportunity for our guys, especially the younger guys to get out and compete in Grace Hall. Hopefully we get a could turnout as fans get to enjoy watching live wrestling again."

Two of Lehigh's returning EIWA champions will be featured in the first two bouts of the night as Jaret Lane takes on Sheldon Seymour at 125 and Malyke Hines meets Satoshi Abe at 133.

Five of the eight returning wrestlers that competed at last year's EIWA Championships will be in action, with Jimmy Hoffman (149), Brian Meyer (165) and Jake Logan (174) joining Lane and Hines. Six of Lehigh's nine true freshmen are also slated to compete.

Preseason practice officially began on Oct. 11 with the Mountain Hawks enjoying the opportunity to have a more traditional season after last season was shortened and often interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Last year was a struggle for our guys," Santoro said. "We have a really tightly knit team. Last year they were basically able to be with their roommates and that was it. Get them in for practice and then right out. Normally, if you spend any time in the Caruso Complex its always full of wrestlers and last year we didn't have that.

"This year, they're really grateful for the opportunity to be together all the time," Santoro continued. "Our wrestlers have a good understanding of how important that is. It looks like they're having a lot of fun right now, so it has been a great preseason."

The Brown and White Wrestle-offs get underway at 7 p.m. Thursday from Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during business hours. Tickets will also be available Thursday evening at Grace Hall.

Per the recommendation of the CDC and Lehigh University policy, spectators are required to wear face masks while indoors on campus.

For fans unable to attend Thursday's event, Lehigh will offer streaming video of the Brown and White Wrestle-offs on Lehigh Athletics' YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jOELNafg-o .

Television and streaming information for home duals for the 2021-22 season will be announced in the coming days.

The Mountain Hawks will open the dual meet season with two matches in Corvallis, Ore., on Saturday, Nov. 6. Lehigh will face Campbell at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and then will battle Oregon State at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. Lehigh's home opener is set for Sunday, Nov. 21 when the Mountain Hawks host Pitt at 2 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall.

The 2021-22 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

Thursday's Probable Matchups (subject to change)
Wt. – Brown vs. White
125 – Sheldon Seymour vs. Jaret Lane
133 – Satoshi Abe vs. Malyke Hines
149 – Jimmy Hoffman vs. Manzona Bryant IV
149 – Paul Watkins vs. Max Brignola
157 – Tyler Sung vs. Patrick Edmondson
157 – JT Cooley vs. Zac Martin
165 – Brian Meyer vs. Thayne Lawrence
174 – Jake Logan vs. Connor Herceg
184 – AJ Burkhart vs. Jack Wilt
184/197 – Eli Grape vs. JT Davis
285 – Victor Lacombe vs. TJ Moore
285 – Nathan Taylor vs. Karam Chakif
141 – Dan Moran vs. Matt Rodriquez
141/149 – Drew Munch vs. Steven Storm

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