Lehigh wrestlers prepared to battle in the EIWA Tournament

The stakes are high as the Lehigh men’s wrestling team prepares for its ultimate test — the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association postseason tournament. 

Hosting the tournament at Stabler Arena between Friday and Saturday, the Mountain Hawks have strong expectations for themselves as they look to dominate and secure their spots at nationals.

While the team finished its regular season with a 7-4 record, the focus now shifts to individual wrestlers aiming to qualify for nationals on March 20. But in order to qualify, wrestlers must first succeed in the Eastern Intercollegiate tournament.

The tournament is considered one of the oldest wrestling conferences in the NCAA. It also serves as an automatic qualifier for nationals for those who win their weight class.

“Winning the tournament is a must as a team,” assistant coach Zach Rey said. “But then trying to get as many of our guys as possible individually to nationals is the most important thing.”

Rey said having the home field advantage will be helpful, as it minimizes travel and can keep the wrestlers consistent in training patterns leading up to the tournament.

However, the road to nationals will look different this year. 

In the past, the Eastern Intercollegiate tournament included the Patriot League, the Ivy League and other schools. But in 2023, the six Ivy League schools in the tournament announced they would be competing under their own league, beginning this past season. 

As a result, Lehigh will now face different and challenging opponents, including Army, Navy, Hofstra University and Drexel University.

Junior Caden Rogers said since this is the first year the team will not face Ivy League opponents in the tournament, they are expecting more from themselves. 

Despite being a junior academically, Rogers is still a first-year in terms of wrestling eligibility. Because of this, he holds a high standard for himself and the team.

“I expect myself to win and qualify for nationals,” Rogers said. “Then, being on the podium at nationals has been my goal since I learned what an All-American was when I was four years old.”

The last time the Mountain Hawks won the tournament as a team was in 2021, when they had four individual winners, capping a four-year winning streak. 

Fifth-year Malyke Hines contributed in 2021 by winning his weight class at 133 pounds. 

“The last tournament we won was during Covid, and our team was really stacked,” Hines said. “We worked really hard that year, and I’m confident that we can do the same this year with the same results.” 

While Hines has competed in the NCAA championships each year he’s wrestled at Lehigh, first-year Matthew Lopes is preparing for his first Eastern Intercollegiate tournament and hopes to qualify for the championships. 

Lopes said the Lehigh wrestlings coaches do a great job of physically preparing the team for big matches and tournaments by prioritizing rest when necessary.

However, since the team has set ambitious goals for itself, the athletes are preparing for the postseason both mentally and physically. 

Preparing mentally also includes doing things to keep the mood light, Rogers said, like playing dodgeball just for fun as a team. 

Lopes said wrestling requires strong mental endurance, both in maintaining weight and outlasting an opponent during a match. He also said it’s an intense experience to compete with the crowd watching and cheering while giving maximum effort on the mat.

Rogers echoed Lopes’ sentiment, as he said the wrestling team has a long season that can bring both highs and lows. 

“I think your mind goes through ups and downs, but right now every single practice is important,” Rogers said. “You have to imagine yourself in the finals or the tournament every time you step onto the mat.”