Matmen Relax Against UMass, 28-17, Ready for Saturday Meet Against Yale

In the wrestling team's final tuneup before the showdown for the Ivy League title against Yale, Harvard solidly beat the University of Massachusetts, 28-17, to pad their dual meet record to 14-3 and gain momentum for the contest this Saturday. Harvard coach Johnny Lee says his team is "set" as it works toward the biggest day in Harvard wrestling history.

The Crimson is making the most of everyday, and the meet against UMass particularly helped a few members of the team maintain the sharpness that had carried them through the season. After the pressure-packed meets against powers Cornell and Columbia over the weekend, the matmen relished the chance to flex their muscles in a more relaxed matchup.

After 118-pound co-captain Paul Widerman won on a default, the Crimson dropped 10 consecutive points in the following two weight classes to fall behind 10-6. Freshman Phil Kline was entangled in a tight 7-7 match when he suffered a pin, and Harvard's Dan Medalie, pitted against one of UMass' strongest wrestlers in Doug Johnson, succumbed to a 16-7 decision.

UMass kept up the scare in this non-league match as the Harvard team was only able to pull away on the strength of the upper weight class contestants. While Andy McNerney put on his usual fine performance in the 142-pound weight class. Fritz Campbell failed to demonstrate the intensity he will need on Saturday against Yale, as he lost a disappointing match, 12-3.

However, continuing the pattern established throughout the year, the upper weight class wrestlers overpowered their opponents in the final matches and the team enjoyed the satisfaction of strong performances to settle the score. In the 158-pound class, Sean Haley put the Crimson on top to stay with his second strong performance in a row, a gutsy 7-6 triumph over a strong Doug McDonald.

With satisfying superior decisions by Barry Bausano and Sean Wallace in their respective weight classes, the Harvard team put away the same UMass squad that humiliated the Crimson in the IAB last year.

The team is certainly ready to face Yale for the title; in fact, Lee has been waiting for this day since he took over the helm of the wrestling squad. Harvard has never won the league, and has not come close in recent years, suffering humiliating losses at the hands of league foes.

But in the year since, the team has come of age, with experienced team members and new faces shoring up last year's weak spots. The team seems to have found the answer; against Yale on Saturday, we will see if they have found the solution.