BETHLEHEM, PA – The Hall of Fame Committee of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), college wrestling's oldest conference, is proud to announce that five new individuals have been selected for membership.
The Class of 2026 inductees are Mark Fergeson of Cornell, Steve Fittery of American, Dave Lehman of Franklin & Marshall, Zach Rey of Lehigh, and Rich Santana of Syracuse. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Meltzer Sports Center on the grounds of American University in Washington, DC immediately prior to the finals of the 122nd EIWA Championships.
Committee Chair Natanya Levioff stated: "With this latest nomination cycle bringing in a significant number of new, highly qualified candidates, the Committee had quite the selection task this year. Our newest inductees span decades of EIWA wrestling history, representing eras from the 1960s, through the 1990s, and into the 2010s. As a group, they are united in their outstanding accomplishments and the significant impact they have had both within the wrestling community and beyond the mat. We are honored to introduce these gentlemen as our Class of 2026."
Dave Lehman – Special Achievement
Franklin & Marshall College, Class of 1968
Dave Lehman was one of four children in a Pennsylvania Dutch farm family in Southern Lancaster County, Pa. He came to wrestling relatively late competing for Solanco High School, but Roy Phillips, notable wrestling coach at F&M, took a chance and recruited him. While there, Lehman competed in freshman and varsity wrestling and football for all four seasons. He was a stalwart on the undefeated freshman wrestling team and had a successful varsity wrestling career competing at the 1967 EIWA Championships. Lehman, a Geology major, was awarded F&M's Alumni Junior Medal, which is given to the outstanding scholar-athlete in the junior class.
After graduating, Lehman served as a U.S. Army Artillery Officer in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Upon completing his military service, he attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences. After a successful career as an executive at ExxonMobil, he started up and subsequently sold three independent oil companies.
Lehman never forgot the role of wrestling in his education and in finding his chosen profession. His charitable contributions, especially to wrestling, are legendary. Among Lehman's most significant gifts is the $5 million endowment to Franklin & Marshall College's Division I wrestling program, for which the F&M Lehman Open—an annual tournament that draws more than 30 Division I teams from across the country—bears his name. Lehman extended his philanthropy to USA Women's Wrestling, becoming its largest financial supporter through a $1.5 million donation to advance the development of young American women wrestlers, helping propel the United States to the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide. He is also the founder and major benefactor of Beat the Streets Lancaster, a wrestling and life skills program for underserved youth which reaches over 350 boys and girls in the Lancaster, Pa. area each year.
Lehman was inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Franklin & Marshall Hall of Fame in 2023. He currently lives in Denver, Colo. and has one daughter, two stepsons, and three grandchildren.
About the EIWA Hall of Fame
The EIWA Hall of Fame is the only NCAA Division I Wrestling Hall of Fame in the country. As part of the oldest collegiate wrestling division in the nation, the Committee works tirelessly to induct into its Hall of Fame individuals who have excelled as competitors or coaches, have contributed to the sport in unparalleled ways, have had impactful lives beyond the mat, and most importantly, embody the traits of character, resilience, and determination. The nomination cycle runs from November 1 through September 15 each year.
