Wrestlers Elect Starr New Captain

The varsity wrestling team has elected junior Ritchie Starr as its new captain. Starr, who finished fifth in the nationals as a sophomore, suffered through a series of injuries early this season but still compiled a 6-1-1 record at 177.

The Crimson will formally close its 71-72 season Monday night in a team banquet at the varsity club. In September, Harvard had dreamed of celebrating its first Ivy title this spring, but injuries and close defeats resulted in a disappointing 8-5-2 record.

The highlight of the season was the advancement of seven Crimson wrestlers through the first round of the Eastern tournament. Sophomore Dan Blakinger (118) and freshman Carl Biello (126) placed in the meet. Biello, who qualified for the nationals, did not compete at Maryland last weekend.

Next year's squad could be more successful, and it definitely will please Harvard fans more. While the Crimson had only one home meet, (with Brown, during the school year prior to the anti-climatic Yale match this year), next season, 16 of 18 scheduled challenges will be held at the IAB.

In addition to traditional rivals such as Franklin and Marshall and Navy, the Crimson will add Hofstra and California Polytechnical, five-time national college division champion, to the schedule.

Tough Ivy league competition, which pushed the Crimson down into a fifth-place finish this spring, should be just as demanding next season. Co-champion Penn loses no starters from its varsity line-up, and neither will fourth-place Columbia (10-2 for the season). Princeton, which has won or shared the Ivy title for five straight years, should have enough depth to remain a formidable challenger.

Harvard's line-up will be an unknown quantity. The Crimson can depend upon its lightweights and heavyweights, but the troublesome middleweight bouts will remain an enigma.

At 118, 126, and 134, Harvard will return lettermen Blakinger, Biello, and Josh Henson. Coach John Lee is also expecting a 126 pound state champion to enter Harvard's freshman class next year, so the first four weight classes should be strong.

Starr is planning on moving to 190 next year, replacing senior Dave Scanlon, and Bob Kristoff, who missed the first half of the season, should get a full year of competition at heavyweight. Harvard lost several close Ivy matches in the closing bouts, and that disadvantage should disappear next December with these two starters.

Promising underclassmen and new faces will have to fill the gap between the two Crimson strengths. Lee sorely missed John Keiler, a two-time New York State champion at 150, who did not enter Harvard this year and is not certain to enter next year. Lee is also looking forward to the arrival of a junior college transfer and two freshman prospects to aid the squad.

The biggest help may come, however, from the fast development of Bob Johnson and John Keough at 167. Both wrestlers began as substitutes and finished the season strongly. Extensive spring and summer conditioning and work-outs could produce two more formidable starters.

With the addition of MIT, Lowell Tech, Maine, Rhode Island, and possibly Dartmouth to the schedule next year, the Crimson should improve on its season record. "If we have an injury-free year like we had one year ago, we'll be a threat in the Ivy League," coach Lee added.

With Blakinger, Biello, Henson, and Starr returning to the Easterns. Harvard should be able to place more than two wrestlers in the individual competition.