Matmen Are Fourth In Season's Opener

Senior Paul Padlak, wrestling at 160, captured his class championship, and led the varsity wrestling team to a fourth-place finish in the weekend's Coast Guard Academy Wrestling Tournament at New London, Conn.

Harvard, which finished tenth in the same tournament a year ago, took 46 points in the overall scoring, trailing powerful Maryland (91), Army (86), and East Stroudsberg (56).

Padlak easily defeated Army's Greg Smith in the 160-pound finals Saturday, 6-1. He scored his points on two take-downs, an escape, and riding time.

Crimson Finalists

Other Harvard finalists in the tournament were Howie Chatterton (177), second; Danny Naylor (130), third; and sophomore Jeff Seder (137), third. Chatterton lost, 4-3 in his final Saturday to Army's Jim Hunter, who finished fourth in last spring's NCAA wrestling championships.

Future Harvard wrestling opponents in the tournament were Yale, tied for sixth with 31 points, and M.I.T., which finished tenth with 17.

In separate action Saturday, the freshman wrestling team kicked off its season with a 26-17 victory over the University of Connecticut at Storrs. UConn reeled off five straight victories, including a pin, to take an initial 17-0 advantage, only to have the Yardling wrestlers capture the final six matches, including four pins.

The varsity opens its dual meet season this Saturday at the IAB against Franklin & Marshall, a team that beat Harvard a year ago, 21-15. F & M defeated Columbia's wrestlers Saturday.