Improving Wrestlers to Tackle Bruins

Things may be looking up for the Harvard varsity wrestling squad. At least, the future is not as dim as many think it is.

Last week, the Crimson matmen opened their Ivy League season with two tough losses to league powers Cornell and Columbia. Currently, Yale leads the pack with a 5-1 record, followed closely by the Big Red and Lion teams, each sporting 4-1 records.

It is apparent, since the Ivy wrestling season spans only seven league contests, that Harvard again will not emerge as one of the contenders for the crown. However, judging from last years 1-5 showing, the object is not to win the title, but to rebuild.

"We started the season hoping to break even," Crimson coach John Lee said yesterday, "and with a 5-7 record overall and five matches left to go, we may just do it."

Harvard's improvement this year has been noticeable. "We are much better now than we were last year," Lee said, "and the cycle is on an upward swing."

Without a doubt Lee's biggest problem this year is injuries. Carl Biello, in the 134-lb. class, has been lost for an indefinite time due to a spinal injury suffered in a match against UMass. Another important team member, freshman Jim Gebhard, was also sidelined with an elbow injury, but is now back in action.

"Gebhard's loss has been particularly difficult on us because he is one of the few good men we have in the 158-lb. middleweight class," Lee said.

In addition, Stewart Sundlin, who joined the squad in January, sprained his ankle in last week's action and is a question mark for this weekend's contests.

This afternoon at 3 p.m. at the IAB, the Crimson squares off against Ivy League cellar-dweller Brown, who is 0-5 for the year. The relative optimism Lee is approaching this match with--"We should beat them"--is a contrast with his outlook on tomorrow's IAB meeting with the Eli of Yale.

"Yale is exceptionally strong, expecially at heavyweight, and will obviously be very tough to beat," Lee said. The Harvard team is weakest in the 190-lb. class, while the Eli have Tim Karpoff, last year's ECAC champ.

Lee is, however, by no means conceding victory to the Yale team, which is looking to clinch its first Ivy championship. "Despite their power at the far end of the lineup, I think we have a chance to upset them," he said. And there is nothing that could bolster Harvard's hope for the future more than playing the role of the spoiler in Yale's title drive.

Lee is also looking forward to Tuesday's match with 0-3 Dartmouth. The Big Green is still smarting from slaughters at the hands of Cornell and Columbia, and according to Lee, "rank as another team that we should beat."

Next Year

With regard to next year's squad, Lee said, "We only have one senior now, captain Dan Blakinger. His loss will undoubtedly hurt us, but I think we'll have a pretty good team."