Photo by: Olivia Link
Lehigh Celebrates 2023-24 Season At 100th Anniversary Lewis Dinner
4/8/2024 11:59:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh wrestling program celebrated the accomplishments of the 2023-24 season with the annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner, held on Friday, April 5. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Lewis Dinner, which was commemorated with the event returning to its longtime home Saucon Valley Country Club.
Â
This year's dinner was co-hosted by three-time NCAA Champion Mike Caruso '67 and two-time All-American Mario Stuart '04. The program featured dinner, comments from the coaching staff, a season highlight video and the presentation of team awards for the recently completed campaign. Lehigh's senior class was also recognized as were the seniors from the class of 2020, who did not get to enjoy a Lewis Dinner due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Â
Deferred first-year Ryan Crookham 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.
Â
The EIWA Freshman of the Year, Crookham enjoyed an outstanding 2023-24 season in which he won an EIWA title at 133 and was an All-American, finishing third at the NCAA Championships in Kansas City, Mo. Crookham went 23-1 last season and was ranked No. 1 nationally for most of the year. He earned two victories over NCAA champion Vito Arujau of Cornell during the season.
Â
Off the mat, Crookham carries a 3.67 cumulative GPA in Lehigh's rigorous integrated financial engineering program.
Â
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 Nathan Taylor. The latest in a line of accomplished Lehigh heavyweights, Taylor went 25-5 in 2023-24 with an EIWA title and finished one win shy of earning All-America honors. Taylor earned the Sheridan Trophy at the EIWA Championships after recording first period pins in the EIWA semifinals and finals.
Â
First-year Luke Stanich received 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. Stanich enjoyed one of the finest true first-year campaigns in school history. While he did not compete in his sixth official competition until late February, Stanich went 25-4 as a true first-year, winning and EIWA title at 125 and earning All-America honors with a fifth place finish. Stanich also became Lehigh's first-ever true first-year Midlands champion, with his victory in late December.
Â
The Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award went to sophomore Hunter Mays. The award recognizes a student-athlete who either was not a starter on the team or who deferred eligibility for the year. The transfer competed primarily at 165, going 8-4 on the season. Mays won the Mat Town Open I in late November and added third place finishes at the Princeton Open and the Mat Town Open II.
Â
Senior wrestlers recognized at the Lewis Dinner included: Karam Chakif, Luca Frinzi, Nathan Haubert, Connor Herceg, Sean Kilrain, Jake Logan, Connor McGonagle, TJ Moore, Tyler Sung and Caden Wright. Â
Â
The 2023-24 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Â
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on X/Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Â
Â
This year's dinner was co-hosted by three-time NCAA Champion Mike Caruso '67 and two-time All-American Mario Stuart '04. The program featured dinner, comments from the coaching staff, a season highlight video and the presentation of team awards for the recently completed campaign. Lehigh's senior class was also recognized as were the seniors from the class of 2020, who did not get to enjoy a Lewis Dinner due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Â
Deferred first-year Ryan Crookham 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.
Â
The EIWA Freshman of the Year, Crookham enjoyed an outstanding 2023-24 season in which he won an EIWA title at 133 and was an All-American, finishing third at the NCAA Championships in Kansas City, Mo. Crookham went 23-1 last season and was ranked No. 1 nationally for most of the year. He earned two victories over NCAA champion Vito Arujau of Cornell during the season.
Â
Off the mat, Crookham carries a 3.67 cumulative GPA in Lehigh's rigorous integrated financial engineering program.
Â
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 Nathan Taylor. The latest in a line of accomplished Lehigh heavyweights, Taylor went 25-5 in 2023-24 with an EIWA title and finished one win shy of earning All-America honors. Taylor earned the Sheridan Trophy at the EIWA Championships after recording first period pins in the EIWA semifinals and finals.
Â
First-year Luke Stanich received 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. Stanich enjoyed one of the finest true first-year campaigns in school history. While he did not compete in his sixth official competition until late February, Stanich went 25-4 as a true first-year, winning and EIWA title at 125 and earning All-America honors with a fifth place finish. Stanich also became Lehigh's first-ever true first-year Midlands champion, with his victory in late December.
Â
The Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award went to sophomore Hunter Mays. The award recognizes a student-athlete who either was not a starter on the team or who deferred eligibility for the year. The transfer competed primarily at 165, going 8-4 on the season. Mays won the Mat Town Open I in late November and added third place finishes at the Princeton Open and the Mat Town Open II.
Â
Senior wrestlers recognized at the Lewis Dinner included: Karam Chakif, Luca Frinzi, Nathan Haubert, Connor Herceg, Sean Kilrain, Jake Logan, Connor McGonagle, TJ Moore, Tyler Sung and Caden Wright. Â
Â
The 2023-24 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Â
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on X/Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Â
Players Mentioned
285
/ Men's Wrestling
133
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
165
/ Men's Wrestling
174/184
/ Men's Wrestling
165
/ Men's Wrestling
165
/ Men's Wrestling
133
/ Men's Wrestling
285
/ Men's Wrestling
125/133
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
285
/ Men's Wrestling
197
/ 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
