TWM Blog: 11 Things You Need to Know About The History of Lehigh Wrestling

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The 2009-10 college wrestling season is upon us. While teams are gearing up for competition on the mat, TWM takes a look at some interesting tidbits and facts about teams on and off the mat in this new blog feature. This blog takes a look at the History of Lehigh Wrestlng.

By Matt Krumrie
TWM Senior Editor
info@thewrestlingmall.com

Lehigh officially opened its 2009-10 season with nine bouts in the annual wrestle-offs, held Friday night inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. While the lineup for the 2009-10 season is being finalized, we take a look back at some intriguing tidbits about a Lehigh program that is one of the most storied in the history of college wrestling.

In the latest installment of the TWM Blog, we look at 11 things you need to know about the history of Lehigh wrestling, thanks in part to Lehigh wrestling’s human encyclopedia, Denny Diehl, who helped compile the information.

This is the second in a new blog series that’s goal is to get more information to fans about the programs they follow both on and off the mat. The first blog was posted last week (with a link below), on the Arizona State wrestling team.

Here are those facts and details about Lehigh

Lehigh ranks 5th all-time in individual NCAA titles won (26), behind only "the Iowas & Oklahomas"; also 9th in All-American medals (127).
In the four decades from 1946-84, the program averaged over 2,800 fans per home dual meet, top three in the nation when the enrollment was barely 3,000. Until 1980, the facility used was 2,800 seat Grace Hall -- which routinely squeezed in 3,500 while adding a thousand upstairs on closed-video TV to reach a record 4,650 for the Navy dual in Feb. '67, covered by Sports Illustrated.
Grace Hall's famed nickname of "The Snake Pit" was bestowed by rival Penn State fans, due to its hostile resemblance to the 1948 movie by the same name -- about an insane asylum. LU fans happily embraced the name ever since.
In the 98 years as a member of the 105-tourney EIWA Conference (nation's oldest), LU's 34 titles lead next-best Cornell's 17 (Penn State 16).
The Bethlehem, PA wrestling tradition has an affinity for attracting media coverage since the 1950's, including articles in TIME-Life; Newsweek; Sports Illustrated; USA Today; The New York Times and Wall St Journal.
The Santoro family ranks 7th in family All-American medals: father Dick was NCAA 3rd in '58; his sons were Rich LU '84 (3x A/A at 118/126) and current Lehigh head coach Pat (Pitt '89) who is Pitt's sole 4-time AA at 142 (NCAA 6,2,1,1). Pat was also Olympic alternate in 1996 and co-founder of the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club.
Colin Kilrain '83 (NCAA 3,3,3; four-time EIWA champ) is one of two EIWA wrestlers to win at 3 different Conf. weights; he's currently Commander of all East Coast U.S. Navy Seals and is married (4 children) to retired NASA Shuttle Commander Susan Still-Kilrain.
Ed Hamer '59 won just one medal at Nationals -- a championship at 167 in which he became the only titlist from 1929 through 1983 to win by beating two defending NCAA champs back-to-back. He did it in the semis and finals.
In 1965, Lehigh U president Deming Lewis took a slide rule and calculated for Sports Illustrated how many years ahead of the laws of probability his school was in the number of undefeated dual meet seasons. In a true example of the SI Jinx, it hasn't happened since.
Peter Likins (LU president 1982-97) is believed to hold the record for most NCAA Wrestling Championships by a university president (16 and counting). Alumni and administrative support like that has helped raise over $16 million toward the facility improvement and endowment for the sport.
From 1951-1993, little Lehigh led the nation in most times hosting Nationals (5); the record of six is now held by Iowa and Iowa State. Lehigh alumni are also tied for first in most career achievement inductees into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.