All-American Michael Beard Lands At Lehigh
All-American Michael Beard Lands At Lehigh
2021 NCAA All-American wrestler Michael Beard will transfer from Penn State to Lehigh.
NCAA All-American Michael Beard announced on social media today that he will transfer to Lehigh University.
The seventh-place finisher at 197-pounds at the 2021 National Championships has three years of eligibility remaining. The Pennsylvania native spent the previous three seasons with the Penn State wrestling program.
The Mountains Hawks did not have a 197-pound qualifier at the 2022 NCAAs. Their last All-American at that weight was Joe Kennedy in 2012, who placed eighth. There was also the legendary Mountain Hawk Jon Trenge who placed in the top three at NCAAs at 197-pounds from 2002 to 2005.
Beard, the #11 recruit from the high school class of 2018, greyshirted and redshirted before starting for the Nittany Lions in 2021, going 10-6 in the covid-shortened season, placing sixth at Big Tens and seventh at NCAAs.
The Malvern Prep was unable to hold on to his starting spot when Max Dean joined the Penn State program after making the 2019 NCAA finals at Cornell. Dean has one more year of eligibility remaining.
Beard faced off against Lehigh 2022 starter at the Journeyman Collegiate Classic, beating JT Davis 22-8, which you can watch in the video below.
Lehigh wrestled at Penn State in a dual during the 2021-22 season. Penn State is expected to take a trip to Bethlehem for a dual against Lehigh in the 2022-23 season.