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Lehigh freshman Ryan Crookham leaves no stone unturned to make it to the spotlight through his staunch combating prowess in his beloved arena. After defeating NCAA and World champion Vito Arujau in the finals of the Journеymеn Collеgiatе Classic held at Frееdom High School last year, he is on the glorious rise.

Wrestling icon, Ryan Crookham has not only left the crowd in awe with his splendid performance but he also clinched victory in the 133A bracket. Crookham was also in the limelight for achieving the Hammer Award for his remarkable performance. Despite garnering several accolades in 2023, the three-time Pennsylvania AA state champion in high school is now looking forward to notching another milestone in the future.

Ryan Crookham’s wrestling aspirations

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After earning a monumental triumph over the reigning NCAA Champion Vito Arujau, the Redshirt freshman Ryan Crookham’s expectations turned high. Crookham’s confidence and belief regarding obtaining success in the future have been boosted.

Flo Wrestling took to its official X handle to share the video of the rising wrestling champ where 2022 Lehigh Valley Live Wrestler of the Year, Ryan seems to disclose his expectations regarding future endeavors. The post caption reads ”Ryan Crookham expects greatness from himself”. 

Ryan Crookham shared his elation after trouncing Vito Arujau and Aaron Negao and stated, ”Yeah, I feel like those were my expectations. The people that wrestle with me every day, my coaches, my partners, my family, all believed that I could do this, this year. I think I could accomplish this last year too, although injuries derailed me in those goals.’’ 

 

Apart from that, Ryan Crookham also expressed his feelings about achieving his goal, “But yeah, every day I wake up and that’s my goal, that’s what I believe I can achieve every single day. So just going out and actually achieving it, it’s kind of what I expected more or less. So I’m just using that as fuel going forward for the rest of the season,’’ he said.

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Crookham’s spectacular wrestling feat

In a breathtaking victory, Ryan Crookham outclassed Vito Arujau with an 8-4 victory. In the high-stakes showdown, Crookham’s marvelous clash was a back-and-forth battle imbued with nail-biting takedowns and escapes. In the third period, the second takedown helped him clinch victory.

Read More: Incredible Upset as Freshman Sensation Takes Down Reigning World Wrestling Champion Vito Arujau at Journeymen Collegiate Classic

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The earlier victories of Crookham against teammate Connor McGonagle and a dominant 18-3 technical fall win over Jacob Cox have established Crookham’s rising star status. Ryan Crookham has proved his talent and tenacity on the wrestling mat with his triumphs and now he is girding uphis loins to clinch more victories in the 2024 season.

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