May 21, 2003

Four former Lehigh athletes have been elected to the Roger S. Penske Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame. Basketball standout Ed Cahn '55, swimmer Pete Harding '70, wrestler Joe Peritore '67, and softball standout Meri Wall '94 make up the Class of 2002-03 and were inducted on Saturday, May 10.

Ed Cahn has been named to the Hall of Fame for his strong work on the basketball court. Cahn was the first player in Lehigh history to score over 1,000 career points. He finished his career with 1,054 points, a mark that still ranks in Lehigh's all-time top 20. A native of Allentown, Pa., Cahn graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955.

A 1970 graduate of Lehigh, Pete Harding was ranked as one of the top ten in the world by Swimmers World magazine. Harding, a former team captain, was undefeated for three years in dual meets in both the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke. At one point in the 1969-70 season, Harding established new pool records in the 200 breaststroke in three consecutive meets.

Joe Peritore was dominant on the wrestling mat, capturing two EIWA championships at 130 lbs. He was a two-time NCAA runner-up, with three of his five career losses coming to NCAA champions. Peritore was a key part of the Lehigh wrestling program that was 30-4 in dual meets during his career. He earned his bachelor's in Industrial Engineering in 1967.

Meri Wall was a softball star in her time at Lehigh. The 1994 graduate is often credited with building the Lehigh softball program into a winner. She helped lead the squad to its first ever Patriot League title in 1993, and another in 1994. The 1994 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year holds Lehigh single season records for strikeouts and innings pitched.