First year wrestler reaches national status going 13-1

It is no easy feat to complete a high school wrestling season with a record of 125-10. 

For true first-year wrestler Luke Stanich, high school was just the beginning. He’s cutting down 20 pounds to move weight classes to be the starting 125-pound first-year against competing schools. 

As of late, nutritional labels have been his choice of literature. His drink of choice, a gallon of water. In his headphones, Katy Perry’s upbeat music helps to soothe the pressures of facing the mat. 

Early into his collegiate career, Stanich finds himself ranked fifth in the nation by FloWrestling for his weight class with a 13-1 record.

“Everything I did with wrestling, I did because I wanted to,” Stanich said. “I didn’t have too much pressure from my parents growing up, so I did everything for myself.”

Stanich has always considered himself a competitive character. He immersed himself in varying sports growing up, but after encountering wrestling, he says he never looked back. He watched wrestling on ESPN throughout his adolescence and knew he wanted to be where he is now — a NCAA wrestler. 

During his freshman year of high school, Stanich’s record was 35-6. During his COVID year as a sophomore, it was 19-2, and as a junior, it was 33-1. 

His senior year of high school, Stanich did not experience a single loss. His record was 40-0. 

“Wrestling is 90% mindset. Kids can go into college with all the skills in the world and never amount to what they’re predicted to do,” he said. “With discipline, preparation, practice, and staying consistent with your diet, success becomes easier to achieve.” 

A variety of factors contribute to Stanich’s grounded perception of success. He said that other wrestlers must think of themselves as ‘the man’ when they get on the mat. 

First-year teammate Matthew Repos acknowledged how dedicated Stanich is to being a successful asset to the team. 

“He’s always pushing himself in practice but also out of practice. He’ll always be running or doing conditioning by himself — -he’ll just go and do it,” Repos said. “He’s really motivated to be the starter for the 125-pound category.” 

Although Stanich’s character may seem machine-like, he still considers himself a teenager. A teenage boy who adores his food, especially, when it comes to a quintessential El Jefe’s bowl, with white rice, black beans, steak, lettuce, guacamole, cheese and sour cream.

Stanich knows what he’s trying to achieve is ambitious. He recognizes that pushing himself to such high extents does wear him out and he can not operate with such drive all the time. 

“When I get home from practice, I know that no part of me wants to get up and go find somewhere to study,” Stanich said. “I’d rather just do it right on my desk.” 

Stanich’s ambitious lifestyle does not go unnoticed by his teammates. 

“It’ll be 8 p.m. and some of the guys and I will be in the student-athlete lounge just doing homework or hanging out. Then Stanich will show up and go to the wrestling room and start running, you know, eight miles or something like that. And then he’ll work on some wrestling by himself,” Repos said. 

Stanich came to Lehigh with home friend and fellow first-year Jack Monti by his side. Monti said “he’s a really determined wrestler who is disciplined on and off the mat.”

While Stanich continues to focus on moving weight classes, he says in the meantime he’ll be listening to Taylor Swift songs sipping on the gallons of water that will be refilled and continuing to work hard and stay focused.