THE SPORTING SCENE

For a supposedly inexperienced team, this year's sophomore-laden varsity wrestling team showed signs of power which stamp it as an Ivy powerhouse for at least the next two years. The varsity won six of its ten meets, including three of six against Ivy opponents.

Like a good gravy, wrestlers improve with seasoning; this year's powerhouse becomes next year's juggernaut. For the varsity loses only captain Bob Gilmor, who won eight of ten at 177. All the others are sophomores.

On the other hand, only Cornell of the varsity's Ivy opponents figures to be much stronger next year. The Big Red, Princeton, and Brown handed the varsity its only league defeats. Princeton should be at about the same strength next year, in which case Crimson improvement would reverse this year's 15 to 11 Tiger win. Brown, on the other hand, will be much weaker, as it loses three standouts, with little replacement in the offing.

Of the teams the Crimson has beaten, only Penn, the doormat of the league, and Columbia, its close companion, should improve; but then, what else could they do?

Coach Bob Pickett would be hard-pressed to pick a starting lineup, if he were forced to at the moment. For he is luxuriating in two and, at some weights, three nearly equal men fighting for a starting position.

Dave Skeels, at 123, who won seven of his ten matches during the year, may have tough competition in freshman Bob Kozoln. At 130, Paul Striker will be hard-pressed by Yardling captain John Watkins, with Mike Abramowitz a strong third. Bob Crook and freshman John Vernaglia at 137 appear nearly equal, while Joe Noble at 147, one of the most vastly improved of the sophomores appears to be one of the few definite starters. At the weak 157 position, Jack Eastling and King Holmes, as evenly matched as any two men on the team, will be joined by another peer, freshman Serge McKhann.

At the 167 and 177 positions, only one thing is certain: undefeated captain-elect Bob Foster will wrestle at one of them. At the other, any one from among Ed Sullivan, undefeated as a freshman, but injured this season, junior Ted Raymond, and freshmen Steve Weddle and Pete Rogers could fill the position admirably.

Undefeated freshman Ted Robbins faces the difficult task of ousting Al Culbert from the heavyweight division. Pickett refused to hazard a guess at which one would win a wrestle-off.

All-in-all, only Cornell, and Springfield, among the non-Ivy opponents, should down this year's precocious sophomores-turned-juniors, and with a little luck, who knows?