Wrestlers Should Scare Rutgers

The Harvard wrestling team will venture south this weekend to take on Rutgers and Columbia, but the Crimson may will have to produce its best performance of the season to milk even a single win from the road trip.

"They're both very strong teams," said Harvard Coach Bob Pickett. "This is going to be a real rough weekend for us, coming out of exams."

Of the two teams, Columbia is the most likely victim for Harvard. The Lions' undefeated record in the Ivy League is deceptive, since their wins, though all by large margins, came over the league's three weakest teams, Yale, Princeton, and Brown. However, Columbia defeated Franklin and Marshall earlier this season 17-14, and F & M edged Harvard 15-14.

Several other factors appear to be on Columbia's side. The Lions will be on their home mat Saturday, always a definite advantage, and their confidence and championship ambitions have been reinforced by the three straight Ivy victories.

Foes in the Stands

In addition, Pickett expects the Columbia team to be in the audience when Harvard wrestles Rutgers tonight. The Lions will be able to familiarize themselves with the styles of their Harvard opponents. Columbia will know what to expect the following day; Harvard will not. The element of surprise will be one-sided.

The Lions' two best wrestlers are Captain Arnold Lesser at 123 pounds and Louis Locascio at 137, both of whom won decisions last year in Columbia's 16-14 loss to 'Harvard.

Rutgers, in Pickett's words, "is perhaps stronger than Columbia." In four years, Harvard has never beaten the Scarlet Knights, who last year came within three points of upsetting Lehigh, one of the nation's top five teams. Rutgers also trampled Harvard 26-3 and stopped Columbia 25-10 last season.

Top wrestlers of Rutgers are Co-captain Sam Gramiocioni at 130 pounds, Gane O'Donnell at 147, and heavyweight Paul Goble.

For Harvard, Pickett plans to start Howie Henjyoji at 123, Bing Sung at 130, Tom Gilmore at 137, Howie Durfee at 147, Ed Franquemont at 157, Jeff Grant at 167, Chris Wickens at 177, Captain Ben Brooks at 191, and Tack Chace at heavyweight.

Mindful of the strength of his opponents and the inevitable loss of conditioning during Harvard's long exam period, Pickett was cautious in his appraisal of the team's chances. "If we wrestle well, we can beat both of them," he said, "but we'll have to wrestle very well."