Notre Dame-GP’s Ryan Crookham chooses Lehigh
The Notre Dame-Green Pond junior wrestler announced Saturday on Twitter that he committed to compete for coach Pat Santoro at Lehigh.
Ryan Crookham, halfway to becoming Pennsylvania’s 14th four-time PIAA wrestling champion, won’t have to focus on where he’ll spend his four college years.
The Notre Dame-GP junior announced Saturday afternoon on Twitter that he committed to compete for coach Pat Santoro at Lehigh.
“Proud to announce that I will be representing Lehigh University at the next level! #GoLehigh #Mountain
Hawk,” he tweeted.
Crookham has 100 career wins in his first two varsity seasons for coach Matt Veres’ Crusaders, which has him on pace to break the state record (199, by Upper Perkiomen’s Zack Kemmerer).
“Ryan has a lot of comfort with Lehigh having been to the camps there over the years,” Veres said. “Plus, the relationship with [Lehigh coach Pat] Santoro also being from Hellertown was good.
“He can see himself winning NCAA titles at Lehigh. He wants to be close to home. It’s a great fit for him all around — wrestling, academically, socially still being in the Lehigh Valley and having contact with family and friends.”
Crookham is among three local wrestlers scheduled to compete in October in FloWrestling’s annual Who’s No. 1 event in Texas. It pits two of the nation’s best at each weight class.
He is facing Wyoming Seminary’s Nik Bouzakis, who is one of three to beat Crookham in his high school career. Bouzakis’ 4-3 comefrom-behind win in the 2019 Walsh Jesuit Ironman final highlights Crookham’s focus in getting better in the next two seasons.
“He wants to have more offense,” Veres said. “He has great attacks, but he’s looking for different ways to get to his leg attacks. He wants to get to point where he can put points on the scoreboard and be non-stop motion. He wants to have that relentless mindset.
“For a kid at his level wanting to constantly improve says lot about his mindset.”
Crookham has worked out his in home gym throughout the coronavirus pandemic, but also is running a lot to improve his conditioning to help him take that next step on the mat — especially against other national elite high school wrestlers.
“Sometimes Ryan holds back,” Veres said. “I don’t know if he’s as confident with his attacks as he can be. He’s just got to wind up, let go, pull the trigger. Don’t overthink situations.”
Crookham is one of a handful to have won a Super 32 tournament title as an eighth grader.
Northampton’s Jagger Condomitti and Stroudsburg’s Lenny Pinto ( just added this weekend) are other locals competing in FloWrestling’s Who’s No. 1. Both seniors are headed to Nebraska in 2021.
Local Lehigh recruits from the 2020 class include Nazareth’s Connor Herceg, Dieruff’s Karam Chakiff, Pocono Mountain East’s Steven Storm, Emmaus’ Caden Wright and Wyoming Seminary’s Drew Munch (Stroudsburg resident).
Current Mountain Hawks from the Lehigh Valley are Bethlehem Catholic’s Luca Frinzi, Palisades’ Nathan Haubert and Northampton’s Dan Moran, plus Phillipsburg’s Brandon Paetzell and Brian Meyer.