TROY GRADUATE SEYMOUR HAS WILD FIRST YEAR AT LEHIGH (2021-03-31)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Every freshman year is a unique experience, the first year is almost always the most memorable. But for Troy graduate Sheldon Seymour, his first year at Lehigh will definitely be one he'll never forget.

“It was exciting,” said Seymour, who wrestled at 125 pounds. “It was good to get down there, have somewhat of a season. It was good we got to be able to wrestle.”

Though the plan for Seymour was to acclimate himself to college wrestling slowly, due to Covid-19 he was able to actually get in the line-up a couple times.

“It was amazing,” said Seymour. “The first time I got a little nerve struck.”

That showed against Binghamton as he lost his match 8-2 on January 30. However, he was also in the line-up the next day against LIU and pinned his kid to help them get the team victory, making a fall his first collegiate win.

His first exhibition match came on January 9 against Pittsburgh where he lost 7-4 in tie-breaker. He then lost a 6-4 exhibition match against Navy on January 16. In his final exhibition match against Rider on February 7 he won 5-3.

“It was a good experience,” said Seymour. “This year was a free year, and I just soaked it all in, and wrestled as good as I could.”

He backed up Southern Columbia graduate Jaret Lane when not in the line-up, but with Covid-19 popping up throughout the season, he had to be ready at a moment’s notice.

“Covid hit us pretty hard,” explained Seymour. “There wasn’t a lot of positives, it was just contract tracing. The third, fourth string had to be ready to go. You didn’t know what was going to happen with the season, it threw a damper on some of our matches a little.”

Four of their dual meets were cancelled because of Covid-19 precautions.

“It was kind of exciting, and nerve racking at the same time,” Seymour said about having to be ready at a moment’s notice. “One day I was in the line-up, the next day I wasn’t.”

Going into next season Seymour knows there are a few things he has to work on.

“A lot of top and bottom,” he said. “That’s where I struggled the most. I feel like I could wrestle there, but definitely top and bottom.”

Seymour plans on doing some freestyle wrestling this summer, then transitioning into some folk style tournaments before going back to school.

“I want to get as much work as possible,” he said. “Knowing the things I have to work on in the summer, I want to throw it all out there.”

CUTLINE: Lehigh's Sheldon Seymour wrestles against Binghamton...PHOTO COURTESY OF LEHIGH ATHLETICS/HANNAHALLY PHOTOGRAPHY