FALL/WINTER 2025 | 33 ATHLETICS NOTES REA JOINS STAFF Prior to kicking off its first season as a varsity program, Lehigh women’s wrestling added Guesseppe Rea as an assistant coach, joining head coach Brazel Marquez on the staff. Rea, a Division II NCAA All-American for Wilkes University who competes internationally for Ecuador and has competed in freestyle at three Senior World Championships, has spent the past seven seasons at Muhlenberg College, where he coached three All-Americans, 20 NCAA qualifiers and 12 Centennial Conference champions. He is a three-time Ecuadorian national champion and earned bronze at the 2024 Pan-American Championships. Rea was nationally ranked throughout his collegiate career and rose as high as No. 2 in the NWCA rankings. ALL-STARS For the first time since 2015, Lehigh men’s wrestling had multiple representatives at the NWCA All-Star Classic. In early November at Rutgers University, Sheldon Seymour ’26 and Max Brignola ’26 became the first Mountain Hawk teammates to attend the annual exhibition event together since Mason Beckman ’15 M’17, Mitch Minotti ’16 M’18 and Nathaniel Brown ’15 M’18 all competed. Seymour fell 4-0 to Virginia Tech’s Eddie Ventresca in a rematch from the 2025 NCAA fifth place match at 125, and Brignola fell 4-1 to Hunter Garvin of Stanford at 165. Connor McGonagle ’24 was the last Mountain Hawk to compete at the event, defeating Virginia Tech’s Sam Latona in 2023. CEREMONIAL BELL RING Selected guests of honor rang the bell on Lehigh’s sideline prior to the game, just as cheerleaders and players do after the Mountain Hawks score or force turnovers. ATHLETICS New Football Traditions In 2025, Lehigh Athletics adopted a number of new traditions and policies. Here are some of the things football fans were treated to: ALCOHOL SALES Attendees who are 21 and older can now purchase alcoholic beverages inside Goodman Stadium. Numerous brands were available, but local offerings in 2025 included Weyerbacher Brewing, Colony Meadery and Lost Tavern Brewing. ALUMNI NEST A membership program, Alumni Nest, was created exclusively for Lehigh alumni. Perks included access to complimentary food and beverages, an exclusive alcohol point of sale inside Goodman Stadium and special sideline access during games. FOOTBALL AT FARRINGTON Thursdays before all home games, pop-up pep rallies were held at noon either at the Bethlehem Farmers’ Market or just south of it near the flagpole at the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall. Events featured music, giveaways and interactive fan activities. Max Brignola Sheldon Seymour
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