Washauer, Nielsen, and Cavanagh Vital As Rebuilding Tennis Team Goes South

"I don't see any reasons why we should not go undefeated this year after we get back from Miami." Princeton tennis captain Bobby Goeltz said last week. "This just has to be the best team in at least five or six years."

Unfortunately Goeltz is probably correct, Harvard, which has shared the EITA title with the Tigers for the past two seasons, lost the top four men from last spring's 12-5 squad, and faces an almost impossible task if it hopes to catch Princeton again.

John Levin, Rocky Jarvis and Terry Oxford, who occupied the first three positions on the ladder last year, have all graduated. And the fourth man, senior Larry Terrell has decided to forego the sport this season. That leaves only juniors Bill Washauer and Chris Nielsen and a rusty Joe Cavanagh as experienced performers, and presents coach Jack Barnaby with a considerable patching job next week, when the Crimson goes South for seasoning.

Harvard has split its squad for the eight-day journey sending a first and a second unit against 13 different opponents. The first group, which will most likely include Washauer, Neilsen, Cavanagh, sophomore Dave Fish and captain Butch Kawakami, will face the Country Club of Virginia, South Carolina. Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia, playing a match a day.

The second group, probably consisting of senior Bill Ball, juniors Bill Brock and Fred Barton, sophomore Ed Devereaux, and several other reserves will play against the Westwood Club, the second South Carolina unit, Presbyterian, Furman and Davidson.

The Crimson, which traditionally experiences considerable difficulty on this particular trip will scarcely find this year's journey any different.

"Those Southern squads are already well into their seasons by the time we get there," Barnaby says, "and our lack of match experience hurts us." Last year, Georgia ripped Harvard twice, by 8-1 and 9-0 counts, and the Crimson lost badly to Clemson as well. This year, with Washauer and Nielsen thrown against talent that they have rarely had to face before, and untested material filling in the remainder of the ladder, the Crimson can hope for little better treatment.

But when Harvard returns North for early games against M.I.T. and Navy, it should fare relatively well.

Last fall, Harvard placed second to Princeton in the ECAC tournament, which included most of the East's top squads. Barring collapse. The Crimson could equal that finish in the League, and defend its New England title as well. But Washauer, Neilsen and Cavanagh will have to come through, and the lower ladder will have to firm up.

Princeton quite definitely, is out of reach in the EITA race, but the Crimson could battle Penn, which lost half of its ladder to graduation, for the second spot. Army, which defeated Penn last spring, and has five of its six singles players returning, will also be a contender.