Sophomore Luke Stanich finished third for Lehigh University at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, which concluded on March 21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Stanich secured his podium spot after winning matches against Carter Nogle of Air Force and Brock Hardy of Nebraska, ending his sophomore season with an 18-1 record.
Stanich’s performance contributed to Lehigh’s overall 16th place finish in the tournament, where the team earned a total of 26.5 points. The event saw all six of Lehigh’s NCAA qualifiers win at least one match, with Sheldon Seymour, Max Brignola, and Rylan Rogers each coming within one victory of reaching the podium.
In the consolation semifinals on Saturday morning, Stanich defeated Nogle with a score of 9-4 by securing two takedowns in the first period and another in the third. This win advanced him to face returning finalist and No. 3 seed Hardy. After a scoreless first period against Hardy, Stanich responded to an early escape by his opponent with two takedowns in the second period and accumulated over a minute of riding time, resulting in a final score of 7-2.
Stanich is now recognized as a two-time All-American, having previously placed fifth at 125 pounds in 2024. His results this year included victories over Pierson Manville (Arizona State), Tyler Wells (Oklahoma), Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State), and Carter Nogle (Air Force), before falling to Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) in the semifinals.
The broader impact for Lehigh Wrestling includes continued strong performances from its athletes on the national stage. The program will look ahead to future seasons as it builds on these achievements.