2020 proved to be a successful, but unfinished, year athletically for the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Many seniors suited up in brown and white uniforms for their last games without even knowing it. Though seniors are leaving, teams can look to underclassmen to help anchor the future. The Brown and White compiled a list of standout underclassmen to watch out for in 2020-2021.
Jack Bush: Rising sophomore, football
Bush was thrown straight into action with the football team this past season as a freshman. He appeared in 11 games and was named to the first team All-Patriot League Special Teams Non-Specialist team (STNS). He was all over the field, appearing on kickoffs, kickoff returns, punt and punt return units. Six of his nine tackles came on special teams, with four tackles on kickoffs and two on punts.
Reed Fenton: Rising sophomore, men’s basketball
Fenton made an instant impact for the men’s basketball team. Named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team, he became the most recent Mountain Hawk to do so since Kyle Leufroy in 2015-2016. Fenton scored a career-high 19 points in a win against Loyola, along with notching a career-high five rebounds against Saint Mary’s. He played in every game, starting 27 of them and averaging around seven points per game. He also led the team in charges taken with eight. It’s these intangibles Fenton shows in his game that proves he has a chance to anchor the Mountain Hawks in the upcoming years.
Josh Luchini: Rising junior, men’s soccer
Luchini has been a go-to player for the men’s soccer team since arriving on campus. As a freshman, he started every game except one and earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week twice. As he moved into his sophomore season, his numbers continued to speak for themselves. Luchini led the team and the entire Patriot League in goals, and he was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and a Division I All-American — only the 15th player in program history to accomplish that feat. More importantly, Luchini and the men’s soccer team brought the Patriot League Championship back to Bethlehem. Luchini has two more years at Lehigh and could establish himself as one of the all-time Mountain Hawk greats.
Emma Grothaus: Rising junior, women’s basketball
Grothaus has been a major contributor since coming to Lehigh, playing as a forward. This past season, Grothaus finished second on the team in scoring and third in rebounds. She shot around 40 percent from the field and had 15 double-digit scoring games. Her number of minutes played has also increased, having played close to 10 more minutes this past season than her freshman year. Lehigh made a deep run into the postseason, making it to the Patriot League Tournament Semifinal, but the season was abruptly canceled due to COVID-19. Grothaus played a large role in the team’s journey and will likely hold a similarly important role in future seasons.
Katia Carnevale: Rising sophomore, women’s lacrosse
The Lehigh women’s lacrosse team was in good form this season before it was canceled, boasting a 6-2 record whilst on a four-game winning streak. While the upperclassmen spearheaded this success, the freshmen class — including Carnevale — helped take the team to the next level. Carnevale was third on the team in points with 22 goals and six assists. She scored about one goal for every three shots she took and hit the cage 75 percent of the time. Defensively, she forced 10 turnovers. She vacuumed loose balls off the turf with 11 ground balls and was overall a powerful offensive presence. Carnevale will hope to continue her success in 2021.
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