Mark Lieberman
Mark Lieberman
Year: '79
Team: Lehigh

MARK LIEBERMAN, Lehigh ’79, if combining all styles, is Lehigh’s greatest-ever wrestler. From 1973-1980, he won two national high school titles, the Junior World Trials (4th at Worlds), National AAU, University Nationals, University World Team Trials, World Cup, Pan Am Games and three senior level U.S. National Opens. As an undergrad , he pinned 1976 Olympic Champ, John Peterson, in the 1978 finals of the National Open to clinch the USA’s top freestyle wrestler award (most points, all tourneys). In freestyle, he also pinned Wade Schalles, World Champion Chris Campbell and Olympic champ, Ed Banach.

      Mark earned a rare 4-page feature in Sports Illustrated and became one of three Lehigh grapplers with two straight unbeaten seasons. The others (Caruso, Eichelberger) are in the National Hall of Fame. Retiring as NCAA 2,1,1 with an 85-6 record , Lieberman owns Lehigh’s top season bonus pct (20 of 21, or 95%); most pins (43); 2nd-best win streak (43); best pin pct in 50 years and 5th-best win pct all-time (.934). Part of a family known for advertising achievements, Mark and a sister helped build an initially tiny airport advertising firm into one of the world’s largest (InterSpace, now owned by Clear Channel).