2017-2018 Wrestling Roster
Cruz, Darian
Darian Cruz
- Class:
- Senior
- Eligibility:
- Sr.
- Weight:
- 125
- Major:
- English
- Hometown:
- Allentown, Pa.
- High School:
- Bethlehem Catholic
Bio
Why Lehigh? “For the family feel, the tradition and the local support.”
In 2017-18: Capped stellar career by going 30-2… became three-time All-American with fifth place finish at 125… won third consecutive EIWA title… won Fletcher Trophy for most career points scored at EIWA Championships… had six falls and finished season with 18 bonus point wins… had 50-bout win streak snapped in NCAA semifinals… won first 29 bouts of season… earned No. 1 seed at NCAA Championships… won Southern Scuffle title in early January… posted 100th career win with fall in opening round of Southern Scuffle… tied for second in school history with his 120 career victories… won Lehigh’s Outstanding Athlete award for second straight year at annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner.
In 2016-17: NCAA Champion at 125… went 5-0 at NCAA Championships to win Lehigh’s 28th national title… was seeded fourth at NCAAs and defeated No. 13, 12, 1 and 6 seeds on way to the championship… named EIWA Wrestler of the Year… finished season with 31-2 record and 21 bout winning streak… won second straight EIWA title… scored bonus points in three of his four bouts at EIWAs… finished with a team-best six falls and added 15 bonus point wins…posted five wins over 2017 All-Americans at 125… won his pool at Journeymen Collegiate Classic… finished third at Southern Scuffle… won Lehigh’s Outstanding Athlete award at annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner.
In 2015-16: EIWA Champion at 125… finished one win shy of earning second All-America medal… went 31-7 with 18 bonus wins, leading Lehigh in both categories… won title at Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open in early November… finished fifth at the Southern Scuffle… posted four wins over 2016 All-Americans… had four wins by fall and tied for team lead with nine major decisions.
In 2014-15: Deferred eligibility… went 22-3 competing unattached in open competition to earn Lehigh’s Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award… won three open tournament titles, capturing the East Stroudsburg Open, Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Classic and Edinboro Open… placed in two other tournaments… recorded five falls and ten bonus wins… went 1-2 at the Southern Scuffle… bumped up to 133 for his Shorty Hitchcock Classic title… finished second at 57 kg at University Nationals in freestyle in late May.
In 2013-14: Became Lehigh’s first true freshman All-American since 1980 with seventh place finish at 125… battled back from first round loss as unseeded wrestler to go 5-2 at NCAAs… finished third at EIWA Championships… went 21-5 after January 1… finished with three falls and eight bonus victories, including two falls at EIWA tournament… scored late takedown to defeat Sean Boylan of Bloomsburg for first dual meet win… won Franklin & Marshall Open in early January… competed at FILA Junior World Team Trials in late May.
In high school: Two-time Pennsylvania AA state champion and a three-time place winner… finished third as a sophomore in 2011… amassed a 153-8 career record that included an 84-3 mark over the last two years… three-time District XI and Regional champion… four-time Beast of the East place winner and a two-time champion… owns two top-three finishes at the Walsh Ironman… competed in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic.
Personal: Son of Randy and Heather Cruz… brothers Randy ‘17, Justus and Mateo… Randy was an EIWA Champion and All-American for Lehigh… enjoys juggling and singing.
CAREER RECORD
In 2017-18: Capped stellar career by going 30-2… became three-time All-American with fifth place finish at 125… won third consecutive EIWA title… won Fletcher Trophy for most career points scored at EIWA Championships… had six falls and finished season with 18 bonus point wins… had 50-bout win streak snapped in NCAA semifinals… won first 29 bouts of season… earned No. 1 seed at NCAA Championships… won Southern Scuffle title in early January… posted 100th career win with fall in opening round of Southern Scuffle… tied for second in school history with his 120 career victories… won Lehigh’s Outstanding Athlete award for second straight year at annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner.
In 2016-17: NCAA Champion at 125… went 5-0 at NCAA Championships to win Lehigh’s 28th national title… was seeded fourth at NCAAs and defeated No. 13, 12, 1 and 6 seeds on way to the championship… named EIWA Wrestler of the Year… finished season with 31-2 record and 21 bout winning streak… won second straight EIWA title… scored bonus points in three of his four bouts at EIWAs… finished with a team-best six falls and added 15 bonus point wins…posted five wins over 2017 All-Americans at 125… won his pool at Journeymen Collegiate Classic… finished third at Southern Scuffle… won Lehigh’s Outstanding Athlete award at annual Lewis Wrestling Dinner.
In 2015-16: EIWA Champion at 125… finished one win shy of earning second All-America medal… went 31-7 with 18 bonus wins, leading Lehigh in both categories… won title at Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open in early November… finished fifth at the Southern Scuffle… posted four wins over 2016 All-Americans… had four wins by fall and tied for team lead with nine major decisions.
In 2014-15: Deferred eligibility… went 22-3 competing unattached in open competition to earn Lehigh’s Deferred Eligibility Wrestler of the Year award… won three open tournament titles, capturing the East Stroudsburg Open, Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Classic and Edinboro Open… placed in two other tournaments… recorded five falls and ten bonus wins… went 1-2 at the Southern Scuffle… bumped up to 133 for his Shorty Hitchcock Classic title… finished second at 57 kg at University Nationals in freestyle in late May.
In 2013-14: Became Lehigh’s first true freshman All-American since 1980 with seventh place finish at 125… battled back from first round loss as unseeded wrestler to go 5-2 at NCAAs… finished third at EIWA Championships… went 21-5 after January 1… finished with three falls and eight bonus victories, including two falls at EIWA tournament… scored late takedown to defeat Sean Boylan of Bloomsburg for first dual meet win… won Franklin & Marshall Open in early January… competed at FILA Junior World Team Trials in late May.
In high school: Two-time Pennsylvania AA state champion and a three-time place winner… finished third as a sophomore in 2011… amassed a 153-8 career record that included an 84-3 mark over the last two years… three-time District XI and Regional champion… four-time Beast of the East place winner and a two-time champion… owns two top-three finishes at the Walsh Ironman… competed in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic.
Personal: Son of Randy and Heather Cruz… brothers Randy ‘17, Justus and Mateo… Randy was an EIWA Champion and All-American for Lehigh… enjoys juggling and singing.
CAREER RECORD
| Overall | Dual | PCT | Bonus | Tournaments | |
| 2013-14 | 28-9 | 10-5 | .757 | 8 | 7th NCAA, 3rd EIWA, 1st F&M |
| 2014-15 | Deferred | Eligibility | 1st ESU, 1st Millersville, 1st Edinboro, 3rd Binghamton, 5th/6th PSU | ||
| 2015-16 | 31-7 | 13-3 | .816 | 20 | 1st EIWA, 1st Binghamton, 5th Scuffle |
| 2016-17 | 31-2 | 13-1 | .939 | 15 | 1st NCAA, 1st EIWA, 3rd Scuffle |
| 2017-18 | 30-2 | 14-0 | .938 | 18 | 5th NCAA, 1st EIWA, 1st Scuffle |
| Total | 120-20 | 50-9 | .857 | 61 |
Lehigh 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
