Grapplers Enter Season With New Faces, New Maladies

Things keep adding up for the Harvard wrestling team.

With two stellar freshmen, Nick Cianciola and Joe Biland, joining the roster, and all of the returning wrestlers showing the fruits of another year of experience, things are looking A-OK. Sure enough, the Crimson knocked off favored Boston University, 20-13, last month, and nabbed fifth place in the Coast Guard tournament last weekend.

Spirits are high. Confidence is soaring. The Crimson is shooting for the Ivy League title. Things are falling into place.

But...

"Injuries could be disastrous for us," Harvard Coach Jim Peckham said.

After the Coast Guard tourney, the squad is minus three for at least their next match, on Saturday in New York City with NYU, WPI and UNH.

There seems to be a Crimson voodoo doll with pins in its legs.

The Crimson has lost Co-Captain Kelly Flynn, a steady heavyweight, and Ted Stachtiaris, the starting 142-pounder, to knee injuries. Stachtiaris will miss a few weeks, and Flynn may miss the entire season.

A leg infection gone wild has left 134-lb. Sam Cole in the hospital with a systemic infection. Cole is recovering speedily, and should be ready to practice next week.

Injuries aside, the team is looking up this year.

Even without two wrestlers from last season's 10-8 squad (3-3 Ivies), Alex Konovalchik at 190 lbs. and Scott Beck at 142 lbs., the Crimson has ample young talent to fill in their wrestling shoes.

In the lower weights, the Crimson counts on Cole and Cianciola for automatic points this year.

"From a technical point of view," Peckham said, "Sam Cole and Nick Cianciola are the most impressive two on the mat."

Cole was Ivy Rookie of the year last season and was undefeated until his last match when, suffering from a rib injury, he fell to an inferior Brown opponent. Cole is aiming for possible All-America honors this year.

If the C-C combo has other Ivy teams quaking, the J-J combo in the higher weights is almost as lethal.

Sharp-shooters John Willoughby at 170-pounds and Joe Biland can scare the tights off any wrestler in these here parts.

Biland, the heavy half of the freshman duo, pegged fourth place in the Coast guard tournament, and still has time to improve.

"I think he's going to be a force to be reckoned with by the time he's a senior," Peckham said. "We just kind of lucked out in having him here and having him grow like he is."

Willoughby, a senior, has completed his growing, and is now harvesting, He also had a banner weekend, taking third place in the tournament. According to Peckham, he has been "almost heroic" this season.

Senior Co-Captain Tim Kierstead has led the young team, but his personal turnouts this year have been frustrating. Still, the 158-pounder has shown in the past that he can score points for the squad.

With strength up and down the line, the Crimson seems to have balance pinned this year. But depth remains a problem.

"We only have one 177-pound and 190-pound [wrestler]," Peckham said. "We don't have any depth at all in the heavy weights. I need more numbers."

A lack of depth transforms problematic injuries into major tragedies. Without back-ups, hurt players mean heavy point losses.

"Some teams, say the Cornells of the world, are able to lose somebody and replace them with someone that is almost their counterpart or their equal," Flynn said. "We can't do that. We don't have that consistency throughout the line-up."

The wrestlers are hoping for their first-ever Ivy League title. But Peckham doesn't seem quite as optimistic as his team.

"It will be difficult, if not impossible, for Harvard to win the Ivy League," Peckham said.

Why such a doubting Thomas?

"I've been discovering inequalities that exist within the league." Peck- ham said. "Differences favor some schools to atremendous degree."

Larger universities have an advantage oversmaller universities, with a greater pool ofathletic talent. Also, other schools havedifferent admission policies for athletes. Somehave lower standards that allow more athletes tocompete.

"Lordy, Cornell admits students with SAT scoresthat I wouldn't think of suggesting to my advisorsfor fear of offending them," Peckham said.

Still he hopes to improve his Ivy League recordover last years' blank.

The Challenges this winter will be Brown andCornell.

"It's definitely in the cards to beat both ofthem," Flynn said, "and we're planning on it."

But Harvard doesn't plan to lay back, takethings easy, and sip pinacoladas in the sun.

"As the season goes along, our team's going tohave to pick up the intensity," Cole said. "But,that's something that develops over a season.