Faller Leads Seeded Crimson Matmen In Eastern Tournament at Penn State

The Harvard wrestling team makes its final appearance of the season today and tomorrow at the Eastern Championships at Penn State.

There is no chance of a Crimson victory at the Easterns-the highest Harvard finish to date was seventh in 1967-but Harvard coach John Lee hopes that the madmen can do better than last year, when they wound up ninth in a field of 16.

Penn State, Lehigh, and Navy are the strong favorites to win the tournament, while lvy champion Princeton has an outside chance.

Individual Hopes

Individually. Harvard hopes rest almost entirely on Mark Faller, captain Paul Catinella,, and Pat Coleman. Faller, who compiled a 14-0-1 record in dual meets during the year, is seeded third at 167. He could go at 158, but it is doubtful.

Catinella and Coleman, who both dropped a weight class in the latter stages of the season to 134 and 142. will be seeded either fifth or sixth. No other Harvard wrestler is seeded.

While noun of the Crimson threesome has been particularly outstanding of late. Faller has had his best practices of the year this week, and Lee thinks than any one of them could surprise the field.

"This is the place to shine," he said Wednesday. "If they can do a job here or win their weight class-it's worth five dual meeis."

Both Faller and Coleman were Eastern semifinalists as sophomores last year, and Catinella must be considered a threat at 134.

Crimson wrestlers who place in the Easterns are eligible for the NCAA championships in Evanston, III., on March 27 and 28.

But Harvard will not enter the NCAA's as a team, especially after Dean Sheppard, an outside hope at 150, tore cartilages on two ribs against Yale last Saturday.