FROM THE NEST | FALL 2024 | 41 ATHLETICS NOTES COACHING ROUNDUP Sophia Geier, a former two-time MAC Player of the Year at the University of Akron and assistant coach at Brown University and Kenyon College, has been named the women’s tennis head coach. Several assistant coaches have been hired, including Casey Rother and Nick Fazio (baseball), TJ Haley (men’s lacrosse) and Hayley Hunt ’24 (women’s lacrosse). In basketball, the men’s team hired Manny Adako as an associate coach and Brian Kennedy as an assistant coach, while the women’s team promoted Kait Cresencia to associate head coach. GOING PRO Third baseman Rafe Perich and left-handed pitcher Alex Bouchard continued Lehigh’s pipeline to professional baseball as they were both selected in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. The 19th and 20th Lehigh products, respectively, to be drafted, Perich was taken in the seventh round by the Texas Rangers, while the Boston Red Sox selected Bouchard in the 14th round. Lehigh has had multiple players selected in four of the past six MLB Drafts. Perich and Bouchard join Carlos Torres, Adam Retzbach, Matt Svanson, Levi Stoudt and Mason Black as former Lehigh players who are active in the professional ranks. Women’s Wrestling AUDREY JIMENEZ ’28 The only female high schooler to compete at the 2024 Olympic Trials, Jimenez lost to the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the 50 kg freestyle finals. She served as an alternate at the 2024 Olympic games. Men’s Basketball ZAHIR CARRINGTON ’10 ’12G Carrington was an alternate on Team USA’s 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Team for the sport’s premiere at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Men’s Wrestling BOBBY WEAVER ’83 Weaver won gold during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Assistant wrestling coach Zach Rey ’12 finished second at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. SCAN TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF LEHIGH ATHLETES AND COACHES WHO HAVE COMPETED AT THE OLYMPICS. With Darian Cruz ’18 representing Puerto Rico, competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, here’s a look at a few Lehigh students, alums and coaches who have competed. Marathon Running LYLE O’BRIEN ’13 At this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials, O’Brien placed 18th in a field of 179 runners. It was just the fourth time a Lehigh cross country/track and field alum placed in the top 20 at an Olympic Trial, joining shot putter Lucas Warning ’17 (17th, 2021) and hammer thrower Chris Bryce ’00 (19th, 2008 and 15th, 2012). ATHLETES | ALUMNI ʼ83 ʼ10 ʼ13 ʼ28 Lehigh at the Olympics Alex Bouchard Rafe Perich
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