Freshman Carl Biello: A Determined Wrestler With a Winning Perspective

Last Saturday the Crimson wrestling squad closed its official season with a disappointing loss to Yale. The key decision in the match was the 134 lb. bout.

Freshman Carl Biello, wrestling up a weight class, was leading his opponent 4-3 with 1:20 left in the match. A highly disputable call by the official gave the Yale grappler a two point takedown. With that, Biello was decisioned 5-4 and instead of taking a 12-0 lead in the early going, the Crimson edge was only 9-3.

This difference proved to be crucial, as the two squads were tied going into the last match. Although the final score was 22-16, if Biello had won, as it appeared he would have if there was no takedown, the worst Harvard could have done was to tie the match.

Most Talented

It is not unusual for the key bout in each match to be Biello's. The talented freshman from Newark has wrestled the opponents's best in almost all the matches. And, whatever the outcome. Carl Biello has established himself as a winner.

A three-time New Jersey State Prep School Champ, and a two-time National Prep School Champ. Biello recently placed fourth in the Easterns at Temple, better than any other Harvard grappler.

Yet, this was only the culmination of a fantastic season for Carl. A consistent winner, Biello cites, among his most inspiring matches, victories over the captains from Brown, Columbia and CCNY, and a draw with the Princeton captain. Accordingly, in three of those matches, Carl was awarded the second effort award, given each match to the grappler who comes from behind to win.

But for Biello, these awards just supplement the original joy he obtains from wrestling. He was one of the first out for practice this fall, and is still going strong. This week he is Harvard's only representative at the NCAA's in Maryland, and he plans to continue wrestling for most of the spring.

Psych Jock

A dedicated student, Biello still finds time to participate actively in intramural athletics and is athletic representative for his freshman dorm. His immediate plans are to major in psychology, and he hopes to go to graduate school in the field of education.

As for wrestling, Biello's bright future is one principle reason for Coach John Lee's optimistic outlook for the next four years. Carl ultimately hopes to win the Easterns and become Harvard's second National Champion. And, judging from his outstanding performance at this year's Easterns, these goals are certainly attainable. Biello also plans to continue his involvement with wrestling for his entire life.

Yet, whatever he does, whether in wrestling or in life, Carl Biello will certainly always be a winner.