Grapplers Fall to Yale, 26-11; End Season in Tie for Third

"Once again it was our inability to cut it at 118, 134, and 142," Crimson grappler coach Johnny Lee said yesterday in summing up the matmen's 26-11 loss to the Yale Elis on Saturday at New Haven.

After the first four bouts the Crimson was down, 6-10, with sophomore Milt Yasunaga at 126 supplying a pin to account for the Harvard tally.

Yasunaga, whose 9-3-2 personal slate puts him in strong contention for a seed in the Easterns, has been the Crimson's lone lightweight grappler able to provide scoring punch.

Grapplers Mitch Silverman and Bill Haley lost one-point decisions at 118 and 134, respectively, and 142-pounder Kelly Jensen dropped a decision to Jim Bennett, a stalwart on the Yale squad.

"You just can't give away that many points at the start of the meet and expect to come back and win the thing," the frustrated Lee said. "Those three weight classes have accounted for only five decisions all season," the Harvard mentor added.

Mike Dee, sporting his form of old, brought the Crimson to within one with a decision in the closing minute over 150-pound Eli Cliff Wilson, but the meet would never be that close again as Yale's superior depth in the higher weights proved to be too much for Harvard.

Yale's Marty Schwartz decisioned 158-pound Jim Corcoran, while Jim McEwan cradled a disbelieving Bruce Johnson at 167 for three more Eli points.

Jim Strathmyer, who should be joining Yasunaga at the Easterns, could only muster a the against his Yale opponent at 177. Teammate John Keough was not as fortunate as he dropped the decision to Yale's 190-pound captain, Neil Breidel.

Crimson heavy Kip Smith was nipped by Ken Stuart to round out the scoring. Yale 26, Harvard 11.

The loss dropped the Crimson to a fourway tie for third in the Ivy League, behind champion Princeton and runner up Yale