Recruits-2022

[TMH]

Dante Frinzi committed to Harvard correct?

Yes, he reports that he is committed to Harvard's admission process.

Why do I suspect that a disproportionate % of Lehigh Valley students at Ivy League schools are wrestlers?

As you wrote on another thread, TMH, sometimes you have to change with the times. It seems that the Ivy League teams are changing so as to become more competitive. Is LU keeping pace?

I'm not sure what point you are making. Reviewing the roster of just Princeton, Harvard and Cornell, there are 8 wrestlers from the Lehigh Valley with at least one more being grey shirted and Frinzi coming in next year. The valedictorians from both of my son's classes were rejected at those schools. (3 of the 8 on Ivy rosters are from the same HS). I have no idea how many LV graduates go Ivy each year but I assume wrestlers make up a disproportionate amount.

I suspect Lehigh recruits those same young men and I believe they can get in at Lehigh too. We still have significant trouble competing with the academic reputation of the Ivy League schools.

What are you saying that Lehigh should be doing differently to keep pace?

[D3 for LU]

What are you saying that Lehigh should be doing differently to keep pace?

... uh, put more ivy on their buildings?

D3

[whiz wit]

TMH, you seemed to imply that admission standards at those Ivies have become more "flexible" vis-a-vis wrestlers.

[Mountain Hawk]

Not just wrestlers, any sport they decide target. For some it’s lax, for some it’s wrestling, for others hockey.
In some cases the bar gets lowered significantly in the name of fielding highly competitive teams.

Anyone who doesn’t believe that simply not paying attention.

[Oracle]

Agree 100%

[bkcbrau]

In two years, Hayden Garcia of Notre Dame Green Pond (Phillipsburg) is headed to Princeton

[gimpeltf]

In two years, Hayden Garcia of Notre Dame Green Pond (Phillipsburg) is headed to Princeton

Holden (Better get it right- his father wrestled for Pburg in the 90s and is now the chief of police here in Lopat!)

[drd5748]

>>> It seems that the Ivy League teams are changing so as to become more competitive. Is LU keeping pace?

Depends on the definition of 'keeping pace' - by definition, an admissions offer from an Ivy ranks ahead of almost everyone else except Stanford & Duke. Raising to their level isn't possible, so the only realistic way to keep pace with their new competitiveness is to lower our standards (which, in fact, has been suggested by some fans re: the new health school). No self-respecting academic school likes that idea, at least among its trustees.

The solution is usually "the exception" - 1-2 athletes sub-standard who can't possibly hurt the overall rank. This method was used in the Ivies in the '50's in football (how else could they fill Franklin Field?), then by the Quakers in wrestling in the '90's - which greenlighted the Big Red after 2000 ("hey, we can't let Penn sweep both the Ivies AND the EIWA!). It took awhile for the Ivies to realize they couldn't take CU lying down, but so far only Princeton has taken the invitation seriously from Cornell: "If you can't beat us, join us."

I'm aware anecdotally on the inside that Lehigh definitely HAS fought to become more competitive over the years, on that very basis: if CU can do all that as Ivy we have the right to respond. We've done very well to stay among the top 12-15 with the double-edged sword of Power FIve PLUS increased Ivy competition. Among those moves were (obviously) NCAA grants starting in the '90's; major investments in L-T and the Caruso Complex; vast amts of funding for recruiting, operations, staff salaries and the LVAC/LVWC funding (massive compared to all but 6-7 schools).

A hitch: it's always a moving finish line, since some of the Power 5 competition is going nuts promoting the Olympic sport. You might ask yourself what Oklahoma & Iowa State are doing in more clearly failing to keep pace. They're 2 of the 4 original super powers which almost always ranked way above us historically

[drd5748]

>>>TMH, you seemed to imply that admission standards at those Ivies have become more "flexible" vis-a-vis wrestlers.

Those of us who've graduated '70 or later don't imply it, we simply say it. It's not a crime, although it's a stretch if an Ivy denies their 'occasional' exception as a policy. I chatted with a Penn bartender who seemed to be 'in the know' about Quaker wrestling but he proudly stated that the coach "would never go below 1150"; then there's the famous Drexel recruit whom Jack Childs was trying to squeeze into DU in the 1990's at sub-1000-- famously telling Jack on the phone: "Don't worry about me, Coach - I'm going to Cornell!!" Jack confirmed the details to me at NCAAs 7-8 yrs ago; I 1st met him when I was DU's alumni dir 1986-89

The most famous East exception was "The Bellino Curve" at Navy. According to legend, if your test grade was higher than A/A RB Joe Bellino '60, you were guaranteed to pass the exam. On a research mission about a decade I asked another Mid A/A from the '60's if he cared to confirm it. W/out hesitation he avowed it was his understanding that it was true. Obviously both Army & Navy were the cat's meow in national football 'back in the day' but play at a different level today, both athletically & academically. Not coincidentally

[LU808]

What are you saying that Lehigh should be doing differently to keep pace?

... uh, put more ivy on their buildings?

D3

Add more pronouns....