Photo by: Olivia Link
Lehigh Celebrates 2022-23 Season at Annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner
4/3/2023 11:28:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh wrestling program celebrated the accomplishments of the 2022-23 season with the annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner, March 31 at the Wood Dining Room in Iacocca Hall.
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This year's dinner was hosted by two-time All-American Nathaniel Brown '16. The program featured dinner, comments from the coaching staff, a season highlight video, reflections from Lehigh's eight seniors and the presentation of team awards for the recently completed campaign.
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Senior Josh Humphreys won two of the five program awards: the Outstanding Athlete award, which recognizes the wrestler who has made the most significant athletic contribution to the team; and 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.
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Humphreys enjoyed an outstanding 21-1 senior season that ended with a third place finish at the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Okla. It was Humphreys' second career All-America honor and the first time Humphreys made the podium at the national tournament. Humphreys also won his third EIWA championship at 157 and became a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Mountain Hawks.
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Off the mat, Humphreys owns a 3.56 cumulative GPA as a management major. He is a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American.
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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, was presented to sophomore Michael Beard. In his first year in the Lehigh program, Beard went 22-5 competing at 197. He was the EIWA runner-up at 197 and went 3-2 at the NCAA Championships, finishing one win shy of his second career All-America honor.
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Graduate student Tate Samuelson 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. Samuelson made the most of his lone season in the brown and white after coming in as a graduate transfer from the University of Wyoming. He went 22-9 competing at 184 and won an EIWA championship, while becoming a five-time NCAA qualifier. Samuelson went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships.
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The Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award was shared by third-year wrestler Sheldon Seymour and first-year Ryan Crookham. The award recognizes a student-athlete who either was not a starter on the team or who deferred eligibility for the year. Both Seymour and Crookham placed at the prestigious Midlands Championships in late December, with Seymour finishing seventh at 125 and Crookham placing sixth at 133. Seymour won a pair of open tournament titles and went 20-5 on the season, while Crookham won the Wilkes Open in December and went 8-1 on the mats.
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Seniors who spoke Friday night included Humphreys, Samuelson, AJ Burkhart, Elijah Jones, Jaret Lane, Brian Meyer, Mike Sisselberger and Paul Watkins.
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The 2022-23 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
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Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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This year's dinner was hosted by two-time All-American Nathaniel Brown '16. The program featured dinner, comments from the coaching staff, a season highlight video, reflections from Lehigh's eight seniors and the presentation of team awards for the recently completed campaign.
Â
Senior Josh Humphreys won two of the five program awards: the Outstanding Athlete award, which recognizes the wrestler who has made the most significant athletic contribution to the team; and 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.
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Humphreys enjoyed an outstanding 21-1 senior season that ended with a third place finish at the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Okla. It was Humphreys' second career All-America honor and the first time Humphreys made the podium at the national tournament. Humphreys also won his third EIWA championship at 157 and became a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Mountain Hawks.
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Off the mat, Humphreys owns a 3.56 cumulative GPA as a management major. He is a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American.
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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, was presented to sophomore Michael Beard. In his first year in the Lehigh program, Beard went 22-5 competing at 197. He was the EIWA runner-up at 197 and went 3-2 at the NCAA Championships, finishing one win shy of his second career All-America honor.
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Graduate student Tate Samuelson 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. Samuelson made the most of his lone season in the brown and white after coming in as a graduate transfer from the University of Wyoming. He went 22-9 competing at 184 and won an EIWA championship, while becoming a five-time NCAA qualifier. Samuelson went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships.
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The Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award was shared by third-year wrestler Sheldon Seymour and first-year Ryan Crookham. The award recognizes a student-athlete who either was not a starter on the team or who deferred eligibility for the year. Both Seymour and Crookham placed at the prestigious Midlands Championships in late December, with Seymour finishing seventh at 125 and Crookham placing sixth at 133. Seymour won a pair of open tournament titles and went 20-5 on the season, while Crookham won the Wilkes Open in December and went 8-1 on the mats.
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Seniors who spoke Friday night included Humphreys, Samuelson, AJ Burkhart, Elijah Jones, Jaret Lane, Brian Meyer, Mike Sisselberger and Paul Watkins.
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The 2022-23 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
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Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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Players Mentioned
197
/ Men's Wrestling
184
/ Men's Wrestling
133
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
285
/ Men's Wrestling
125
/ Men's Wrestling
165
/ Men's Wrestling
184
/ Men's Wrestling
125
/ Men's Wrestling
197/285
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's WrestlingLehigh Sports Central: Wrestling
Wednesday, March 12
Lehigh Sports Central: Wrestling
Thursday, February 20
Lehigh Sports Central: Wrestling
Wednesday, December 04
Season Preview: Wrestling
Wednesday, October 30
