Men's Wrestling
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- cta2@lehigh.edu
Chris Ayres enters his third season as an assistant wrestling coach at Lehigh, after spending four years in the Brown and White wrestling room as an undergraduate. The 1999 Lehigh grad had much success at Grace Hall during his career, and he continues to bring that knowledge and experience to the current group.
“Ever since I came to Lehigh, I’ve wanted to have a Lehigh product coaching on our staff,” head coach Greg Strobel says. “Chris brings that Lehigh perspective to the table that the rest of us can’t speak to. Plus, he has a great feel for wrestling.”
Ayres joined the wrestling squad as a walk-on, where he made an immediate impact. While at Lehigh, Ayres established a new school record with 120 career victories. In his junior season Ayers also amassed the most wins in a single season for a Lehigh wrestler – 39 – in 1998. Ayres exploded onto the scene in his first season on the mat as a Mountain Hawk, picking up wins in 11 of his first 13 bouts. Over his four year career, Ayres never missed a dual match. In the summer of 2001 Ayres placed fourth in the U.S. Senior Open Nationals and fifth at the 2002 U.S. World Team Trials.
Prior to wrestling for the Brown and White, Ayres wrestled at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where he won 69 bouts. In his senior season Ayres was a District Champion and a regional runner-up at 135 pounds. With a model work ethic, he went on to become the first Lehigh Wrestler in 38 years to achieve all-american status without winning a medal at the state championship level.
