A popular athlete and alumnus inducted into the Lehigh Hall of Fame in 2001, Eddie Hamer spent a number of post-graduate years on campus as assistant wrestling and head golf coach.  But he will always be most remembered for his NCAA title won in 1959 at 167 lbs.  For the first half century of national tournaments, he was the only NCAA champion ever to defeat two former champs to claim a win.  His four wins came in succession over opponents from powerhouse teams Iowa State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh.  In the second round he edged defending NCAA 3rd Jim Ferguson, 2-1. In the semi-finals, he defeated defending champion Duane Murty, 5-2 (who finished 3rd), then in the finals he whipped 1957 NCAA champ Tom Alberts of Pitt, 4-0.  This brought his final two-year record at Lehigh (slowed by academic hurdles) to a sparkling 22-1 (.957) to go along with his two EIWA titles and a career dual mark of 31-1-2. Neither league finals bout was close, winning 7-0 in 1957 over Cornell’s tough Dick Vincent (a two-time finalist) and Harvard’s Bob Foster (another two-time place winner), 9-4. The versatile Hamer won bouts for his team at five weights — 157 to heavyweight — beating or tying EIWA finalists who placed at four weights (147-177). His brilliant collegiate career was remarkable — he never placed in high school in the Pennsylvania state tournament. Thus, he and Chris Ayres are the only non-medalists in high school to become Lehigh All Americans.

Dual Meet Record