Grappling with expectations: Lehigh wrestling ends offseason, sets goals for winter

Coming off of an intense summer and preseason training, the Lehigh wrestling team has begun the official 2016-17 season. The annual Brown and White wrestle-offs are the first showcase of the 43-man roster to the Lehigh community.

“The Brown-White wrestle-offs are inter-squad matches to determine the starting lineup,” assistant head coach John Hughes wrote in an email.

The inter-team wrestle-offs are also the first time for new members of the team to compete in front of a crowd and experience the college wrestling atmosphere in the Caruso Wrestling Complex.

But even before the official season started, Lehigh’s wrestlers logged extensive hours of lifting, running and training.

“In the summer we had lifts three times a week with Eric Markovcy, who is the strength coach,” senior Matt Bonshak said.

In addition to working with the university’s strength coach, players wrestled three times per week and had conditioning training twice per week.

“Once the season began in the first week of October, we started with six days a week, two times a day,” Bonshak said. “So they keep us pretty busy.”

After a 13-3 dual season record, ranking 14th in the NCAA and placing second in the EIWAs, the team has a solid mix of both young talent and experienced wrestlers.

“The underclassmen are a solid bunch of guys and will make considerable noise in the EIWA and NCAAs.” Hughes wrote in an email. “The Cruz brothers and (Mitch) Minotti are returning All-Americans and should do very well again this year.”

Returning wrestlers such as sophomore Jordan Kutler, junior Gordon Wolf and junior Scott Parker, among others, have solid NCAA contention.

“The coaches work with us diligently,” Wolf said. “Morning workouts are more personalized and really hone in on specific techniques.”

The combination of new internal training adjustments with rookie and returning talent puts the squad in a position to shine this season.

Referring to the EIWA conference tournament and the national tournament at the end of March, the team hopes to put up consistent matches all season as a culmination to the intense tournaments that month.

“It’s all about working to get better each day, so you’re at your best when March comes around.” Bonshak said.

But before the tournaments in March, the wrestlers have to get through the dual season. Kicking off against Bucknell on Nov.11 at Grace Hall, the team will have some tough competition on the road to EIWAs.

“Cornell has always been one of our biggest rivals,” Wolf said. “Penn State is our biggest in-state opponent. We’re going to be wrestling at Penn State in early December, and that’s going to be a good match.”

With competitors such as Navy, American University, Drexel University, and Virginia Tech in addition to Cornell and Penn State the team will be more than ready to fight for their spot at nationals. Wolf highlighted Virginia Tech as a must-see matchup this season. The Hawks will host the Hokies at Stabler Arena on Jan. 17.

To start the year, Lehigh is ranked at No. 16 by InterMat but the team hopes to end up in the No. 1 spot once the season ends.

“Our goal as a team is to be national champions,” Hughes wrote.