
Lehigh Celebrates 2024-25 Season at Annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner
4/8/2025 10:33:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh wrestling program celebrated the accomplishments of the 2024-25 season with the annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner, held Friday April 4 at the Wood Dining Room on Lehigh's Mountaintop Campus.
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This year's dinner, hosted by All-American Nathaniel Brown '16 featured dinner, comments from head coach Pat Santoro, a highlight video and senior reflections video, as well as the presentation of team awards from the past season.
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The Mountain Hawks won their 39th EIWA Tournament championship in early March at Stabler Arena. Lehigh also won the EIWA's Patriot Division dual meet championship and the Mountain Hawks finished 15th at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia. Lehigh had four individual EIWA champions and a pair of All-Americans, both of who collected program awards.
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Graduate student Owen Trephan received the Outstanding Athlete award, which recognizes the wrestler who has made the most significant athletic contribution to the team. Trephan officially joined the Mountain Hawks in late December after spending five-and-a-half years at NC State. He made the most of his time in the Brown and White, posting a 25-2 overall record, including a 14-2 mark in a Lehigh singlet. The EIWA Wrestler of the Year, Trephan won an EIWA title at 285 and then finished fifth at the NCAA Championships for the Mountain Hawks, earning his first All-America medal.
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Junior Sheldon Seymour garnered 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. Seymour went 22-6 as Lehigh's starter at 125. He won an EIWA title for the Mountain Hawks and also earned All-America honors, knocking off top seeded Luke Lilledahl of Penn State in the NCAA quarterfinals on the way to sixth-place finish.
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For the second consecutive year, Ryan Crookham won 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. Crookham carries a 3.59 GPA in Lehigh's rigorous financial engineering program. An EIWA champion and All-American in 2024, Crookham went 5-0 in the fall semester before suffering and injury that ultimately ended his season.
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The two special wrestling program awards went to wrestlers who deferred eligibility during the 2024-25 season.
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Senior Max Brignola 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. A two-time NCAA qualifier, Brignola deferred his eligibility in 2024-25 while moving up to 165. Brignola finished with a 15-0 record and won four open tournament titles plus his pool at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic.
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Sophomore Luke Stanich won the Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award. An EIWA Champion and All-American in 2024, Stanich deferred eligibility in 2024-25 while jumping two weight classes to 141. Stanich went 12-1, with titles at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic and the David H. Lehman F&M Open.
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The seniors recognized at the Lewis Dinner included Michael Beard, Malyke Hines, Thayne Lawrence, Drew Munch and Owen Trephan.
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The 2024-25 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Follow Lehigh Wrestling on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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This year's dinner, hosted by All-American Nathaniel Brown '16 featured dinner, comments from head coach Pat Santoro, a highlight video and senior reflections video, as well as the presentation of team awards from the past season.
Â
The Mountain Hawks won their 39th EIWA Tournament championship in early March at Stabler Arena. Lehigh also won the EIWA's Patriot Division dual meet championship and the Mountain Hawks finished 15th at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia. Lehigh had four individual EIWA champions and a pair of All-Americans, both of who collected program awards.
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Graduate student Owen Trephan received the Outstanding Athlete award, which recognizes the wrestler who has made the most significant athletic contribution to the team. Trephan officially joined the Mountain Hawks in late December after spending five-and-a-half years at NC State. He made the most of his time in the Brown and White, posting a 25-2 overall record, including a 14-2 mark in a Lehigh singlet. The EIWA Wrestler of the Year, Trephan won an EIWA title at 285 and then finished fifth at the NCAA Championships for the Mountain Hawks, earning his first All-America medal.
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Junior Sheldon Seymour garnered 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. Seymour went 22-6 as Lehigh's starter at 125. He won an EIWA title for the Mountain Hawks and also earned All-America honors, knocking off top seeded Luke Lilledahl of Penn State in the NCAA quarterfinals on the way to sixth-place finish.
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For the second consecutive year, Ryan Crookham won 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. Crookham carries a 3.59 GPA in Lehigh's rigorous financial engineering program. An EIWA champion and All-American in 2024, Crookham went 5-0 in the fall semester before suffering and injury that ultimately ended his season.
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The two special wrestling program awards went to wrestlers who deferred eligibility during the 2024-25 season.
Â
Senior Max Brignola 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. A two-time NCAA qualifier, Brignola deferred his eligibility in 2024-25 while moving up to 165. Brignola finished with a 15-0 record and won four open tournament titles plus his pool at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic.
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Sophomore Luke Stanich won the Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award. An EIWA Champion and All-American in 2024, Stanich deferred eligibility in 2024-25 while jumping two weight classes to 141. Stanich went 12-1, with titles at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic and the David H. Lehman F&M Open.
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The seniors recognized at the Lewis Dinner included Michael Beard, Malyke Hines, Thayne Lawrence, Drew Munch and Owen Trephan.
Â
The 2024-25 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Follow Lehigh Wrestling on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, December 04
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