Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh Celebrates 2025-26 Campaign at Annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner
4/13/2026 12:02:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh wrestling program celebrated the accomplishments of the 2025-26 season with the annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner, held Friday April 10 at the Wood Dining Room at Iacocca Hall on Lehigh's Mountaintop Campus.
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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Powered by five individual champions, the Mountain Hawks won their second consecutive and league-leading 40th EIWA championship in early March in Washington, D.C. Lehigh finished 16th at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland with sophomore Luke Stanich earning All-America honors with a third place finish at 141.
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Stanich received the Outstanding Athlete award, which recognizes the wrestler who has made the most significant athletic contribution to the team. The 2026 EIWA Wrestler of the Year, Stanich went 18-1 this season winning his second career EIWA title and earning a second All-America medal. He also won an U20 World Championship in August in Samokov, Bulgaria.
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Senior Max Brignola 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. One of the leaders for the Mountain Hawks on and off the mat, Brignola won an EIWA title at 165 and was ranked in the top 10 for most of the season, coming in one win short of All-America honors.
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For the third 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 3.64 GPA in Lehigh's rigorous financial engineering program. An EIWA champion and All-American in 2024, Crookham won his first six bouts in 2026 before suffering a season-ending injury at the Bloomsburg Open.
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Sophomore Logan Wadle won 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. Wadle was lauded for his success as a training partner for Lehigh's lightweights, as his work on the mats helped propel Sheldon Seymour and Luke Stanich to EIWA championships and All-America honors over the last two years.
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Sophomore Matty Lopes won the Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award. Lehigh's postseason entrant at 133 in 2025, Lopes deferred eligibility in 2025-26, going 9-1 in open tournament competition this season. He also qualified for the U23 World Championships in freestyle, representing Brazil.
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The seniors recognized at the Lewis Dinner included Carter Bailey, Max Brignola, Ryan Crookham, JT Davis, Keegan Gagnon, Dontae Hoose, Zac Martin, Sheldon Seymour and Jack Wilt.
The 2025-26 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
Powered by five individual champions, the Mountain Hawks won their second consecutive and league-leading 40th EIWA championship in early March in Washington, D.C. Lehigh finished 16th at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland with sophomore Luke Stanich earning All-America honors with a third place finish at 141.
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Stanich received the Outstanding Athlete award, which recognizes the wrestler who has made the most significant athletic contribution to the team. The 2026 EIWA Wrestler of the Year, Stanich went 18-1 this season winning his second career EIWA title and earning a second All-America medal. He also won an U20 World Championship in August in Samokov, Bulgaria.
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Senior Max Brignola 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. One of the leaders for the Mountain Hawks on and off the mat, Brignola won an EIWA title at 165 and was ranked in the top 10 for most of the season, coming in one win short of All-America honors.
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For the third 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 3.64 GPA in Lehigh's rigorous financial engineering program. An EIWA champion and All-American in 2024, Crookham won his first six bouts in 2026 before suffering a season-ending injury at the Bloomsburg Open.
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Sophomore Logan Wadle won 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. Wadle was lauded for his success as a training partner for Lehigh's lightweights, as his work on the mats helped propel Sheldon Seymour and Luke Stanich to EIWA championships and All-America honors over the last two years.
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Sophomore Matty Lopes won the Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award. Lehigh's postseason entrant at 133 in 2025, Lopes deferred eligibility in 2025-26, going 9-1 in open tournament competition this season. He also qualified for the U23 World Championships in freestyle, representing Brazil.
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The seniors recognized at the Lewis Dinner included Carter Bailey, Max Brignola, Ryan Crookham, JT Davis, Keegan Gagnon, Dontae Hoose, Zac Martin, Sheldon Seymour and Jack Wilt.
The 2025-26 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
141
/ Men's Wrestling
165
/ Men's Wrestling
133
/ Men's Wrestling
197
/ Men's Wrestling
174
/ Men's Wrestling
197
/ Men's Wrestling
125/133
/ Men's Wrestling
157
/ Men's Wrestling
125
/ Men's Wrestling
141
/ Men's Wrestling
125
/ Men's Wrestling
184
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