Sophomore Luke Stanich advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships on March 20, with three other Lehigh University wrestlers set to compete for All-America honors Friday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
The event is significant for Lehigh wrestling, as multiple athletes remain in contention for national recognition and team points. Stanich secured his second career All-America medal after defeating Iowa State’s Anthony Echemendia 6-4 in the quarterfinals at 141 pounds. He overcame an early deficit, taking down Echemendia in the third period and maintaining control for the final minute and a half. Stanich will next face top-seeded Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, a two-time defending NCAA champion, in the semifinals.
Graduate student Sheldon Seymour (125 pounds), senior Max Brignola (165), and junior Rylan Rogers (184) will all wrestle Friday evening for a place on the podium. Seymour lost his quarterfinal match to Oklahoma State’s Troy Spratley but remains eligible for his second career All-America honor as he faces Stanford’s Nico Provo. Brignola won two matches Friday afternoon, including an overtime victory against Penn’s Sean Seefeldt and a close decision over Drexel’s Cody Walsh; he will meet Arizona State’s Nicco Ruiz next. Rogers also claimed two wins with strong third-period performances and is set to face Eddie Neitenbach from Wyoming.
Two Mountain Hawks saw their seasons end during Friday afternoon’s consolation rounds. Sophomore Logan Rozynski lost to Little Rock’s Javion Jones at 157 pounds, finishing his season with a record of 14-5. Senior heavyweight Nathan Taylor was defeated by Ohio State’s Nick Feldman despite leading after two periods; Taylor ends his season at 17-5 but retains another year of eligibility.
Lehigh concluded Session 3 with 22 points, placing them twelfth overall heading into Friday night’s championship semifinals and All-America round of matches. The session will be broadcast on ESPN2 with streaming available on ESPN+.
Looking ahead, Lehigh wrestlers continue their pursuit of national honors as they compete in key matches that could further elevate both individual careers and the program’s standing.