Wrestling

This weekend in all the House Dining Halls and the Union, members of the wrestling team circulated petitions asking major sport status and a Jayvee team for wrestling. Their case has definite merit.

In 1942 wrestling meets were held in the small practice room on the third floor of the Indoor Athletic Building; the squad was less than twenty; the team lost every meet. Since then, audience popularity has moved the meets to the basketball floor with capacity crowds at every match; the squad has increased to 30 selected men; and last year's team record of six wins and three losses, was surpassed only by two squads at Harvard and the Freshman wrestlers were the only Crimson team to go through undefeated.

At present the squad is two or three deep at every position and has the material for winning teams for the next few years--if the men on the squad are kept our for wrestling. Only adequate recognition will maintain a high degree of competition on the Varsity level. Only the formation of a Jayvee schedule will keep the second and third strings out for practice.

As in the past, the criteria for major sport status should be student support through petition and audience participation, alumni support through organized correspondence, and finally a winning record of the team this season.

At Harvard winning teams and appreciative audiences do not come easily. Only through use of their powers can the directors of athletics prevent the atrophy that has already weakened their entire sports system from vitiating an active team. If the wrestling squad continues to fulfill the criteria, the Committee for the Regulation of Athletic Sports should seriously consider bypassing tradition and recognizing a growing team.