LEWIS IDOL OF WRESTLERS DESPITE DEFEAT BY YALE

Last Saturday a 17-6 defeat by Yale broke a string of five straight victories for the University wrestling team and brought what was hoped to be the first really successful season in eight years to an unsuccessful close. For although the curtain will not officially drop on the 1924 season until after the New England Intercollegiate Championships at Providence Friday and Saturday, the Eli victory last week came as the climax of the year.

Looking back over the series of Crimson triumphs which led up the Yale meet, an observer is impressed with the tremendous difference between Coach Lewis' team and those of the past few years. With no stars or sure winners to rely upon, and hampered by the ineligibility of two members of last year's team, Coach Lewis built up a team chiefly of 1926 wrestlers, whose showing has been the best of any team in eight years, despite its final defeat. If another year under Coach Lewis does not bring a victory over Yale the Crimson might well have real cause for worry.

Looking forward to next year, the Crimson prospects seem on the, whole to be rather good. B. J. Goldberg 26, who had scored a fall and five straight decisions before meeting Finally of Yale, will be given a hard battle for the 115-pound berth by B. C. Turner '27, the undefeated Freshman lightweight. The 125-pound class job will probably go again to Carl Stearns '26 who has won two falls and three decisions out of seven matches, but the graduation of Morris Michelson '24 and Captain George Karelitz '24 will leave a hole in the line-up not easy to fill. F. B. Hill '26, the scrappiest fighter on the team can take Karelitz's place in the 145-pound class if he can beat out Captain H. R. Wood '27 of the Freshman team, while D. H. Campbell '27 or H. H. Moody '27 may fill Hill's shoes as the 158-pounder. The logical man to replace Michelson is J. C. Hinckle '27, who showed great power in winning an overtime decision against Lipson of Yale.

F. H. Hayne '26 in the 175-pound class is one of the cleverest and certainly the most powerful wrestler on the squad. The only man to come through the season undefeated, his record of three falls and three decisions, scored against such men as Eckstein of Brown and Tuttle of Yale, leaves little to be feared next year.

The heavyweight class is perhaps the most difficult for Coach Lewis to fill. C. H. Bradford '26 has given some fine performances in this class and although always outweighed by from 20 to 40 pounds, has succeeded in winning decisions in three of his five bouts. Uncovered he will probably hold the heavyweight job again next year.

The large number of candidate this year, and especially the enthusiasm and confidence of the squad in Coach Lewis argues well for the Crimson's chances next year. From the five veterans, seven members of the Freshman team, and the small body of rapidly improving substitutes, a winning team should be constructed next year.