BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Following a break for final exams and the holidays, No. 20 Lehigh returns to the mats at the 51st Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern Sunday and Monday at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Mountain Hawks entered the break for exams with four consecutive dual wins, most recently a 21-12 triumph at Penn on December 6.

 

Lehigh returns to one of the college wrestlingÂ’s premier in-season tournaments with a full squad for the fifth straight year. The Mountain Hawks are expected to have as many as 15 wrestlers compete, including several of who will compete unattached. Lehigh had six wrestlers place at last yearÂ’s Midlands with three of the six slated to compete this year. Sophomore Mason Beckman returns after placing fourth at 133, while sophomore Randy Cruz and junior Nathaniel Brown placed last year and will compete unattached at this yearÂ’s event.

 

The Midlands is a national invitational/open event for outstanding college teams, clubs and individuals. It is one of the premier wrestling events in the nation, annually drawing 350 of the country’s best wrestlers.  This year marks the 51st Ken Kraft Midlands Championships with Lehigh sending a contingent of wrestlers to Evanston for the fifth straight year. More than 30 colleges will send wrestlers to this year’s Midlands. Defending champion Illinois returns to the Midlands along with runner-up Virginia Tech. Lehigh makes it three of last year’s top six finishers at the Midlands, while 2011 champions Iowa return following a one-year hiatus. As a team the Mountain Hawks finished sixth last year.

 

It is believed to be the 33rd time in 51 tournaments that Lehigh will have at least one wrestler entered in the Midlands. Last year, Lehigh had four attached wrestlers place including three runners-up, while six men with Lehigh ties placed in total. Robert Hamlin captured Lehigh’s fifth undergraduate Midlands title at 184 two years ago. Hamlin joined Zach Rey (2010), Jon Trenge (2002 and 2004) and Darryl Burley (1981) as Lehigh wrestlers who have won undergraduate Midlands titles. Burley was also a three-time finalist. Tihamer Toth-Fejel ‘76 was a five-time Midlands placer as a post-graduate competitor and also won a Midlands title.

 

Four Mountain Hawks are ranked in the latest Amateur Wrestling News poll with freshman Elliot Riddick moving up to No. 15 after winning his last five bouts at 174. Beckman is LehighÂ’s highest-ranked wrestler at No. 2 at 133. Five Mountain Hawks are ranked by InterMat, with freshman Mitch Minotti (No. 18 at 149) joining Beckman, Riddick, sophomore Laike Gardner (141) and senior Joey Napoli (157). Lehigh also has five wrestlers ranked by W.I.N. Magazine with junior Nathaniel Brown replacing Minotti.

 

Lehigh wrestlers have competed in three open tournaments so far this season - the Clarion Knight Point Open, the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open and the East Stroudsburg Open. Gardner (Clarion) and Brown (East Stroudsburg) have claimed open tournament titles while Mountain Hawk wrestlers have earned 15 places in tournament competition.

 

Seeds and brackets for the 51st Ken Kraft Midlands Championships are expected to be announced Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Pre-seeds were announced Monday with seven Mountain Hawks recognized. Beckman and Napoli are pre-seeded third at their respective weight classes, while Riddick is fourth at 174. Gardner and Brown are pre-seeded sixth while Minotti is seventh at 149 and sophomore John Bolich earned the No. 9 pre-seed at 197.

 

Competition begins Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (CT) from NorthwesternÂ’s Welsh-Ryan Arena. Action continues all day Sunday and Monday with the finals slated for an 8 p.m. start Monday night. The Midlands finals will be televised live on the Big Ten Network, Monday at 8 p.m. (CT).

 

 

 

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Steve Lomangino
Media Relations Director - Lehigh University Athletics
sjl304@lehigh.edu
610-758-3174