Yardling Wrestlers to Seek Tenth Win In Saturday Match With Hapless Elis

A talented freshman wrestling team takes on a depleted Yale squad at 1:30 p. m. Saturday in the IAB with an excellent chance of improving its 9-3 record.

The Yardlings boast two undefeated grapplers-Tony DuBon at 167-177 and captain Richie Starr at 177-190. Two-thirds of the team have won more than half their matches. The hapless Elis will forfeit four matches and present such "little problems" that coach Bob Fehrs will not wrestle his four best men.

"We've got a very good group of freshmen," said John Lee, varsity coach. "But the lack of lightweights and a heavyweight wrestler have been automatically costing us points." After piling up seven straight wins at the beginning of the season, the freshmen began to feel the handicap and dropped three of their last five matches.

In addition to DuBon's and Starr's undefeated status, Bill Stewart (159) has been "a pleasant surprise" to Fehrs with a 10-1-1 record, John Peters (150) and Dave Lhowe (134) bolster the team with 9-3 records respectively, while Frank Morgan (167) and Jerry Hall (142) have maintained winning results, despite going in and out of the lineup.

In the lightest weight class Bob Ecob (118) has found himself not big enough; he wrestled 103 in high school. At 126 Dave Kries "has had a frustrating year-he outwrestled most of his opponents, but he makes too many costly mistakes," Fehrs said.

At heavyweight the Yardlings have been forced to forfeit, giving up five points every match.

The freshmen lost their first match to Springfield a perennial Eastern wrestling power, and after a win over highlyrated Columbia, the Crimson was trounced by Rutgers.

Ironically, three days later the Yardlings whipped Princeton which had demolished Rutgers. Penn, Princeton, Rutgers, and ourselves all have comparable freshman teams." said Fehrs.

Yale's strong point is in the middle weights. The Elis's top grappler, Charles Chan, will take on Lhowe at 142, while Hall and Chafee (158) will challenge Don Downshorough and Max Abercan.

Although the freshmen have a good team it will be difficult for very many of them to break into next year's varsity lineup.

The varsity will only lose three men by graduation, and two of these slots will probably be filled by transfers who have been sitting out this year. Next year's varsity will have tremendous depth at the middle and upper weights, but still will face the chronic lower weight problem and the lack of a heavyweight.

Look to the Future

"We're looking toward the future for our lower weight positions," said Fehrs. "Several top wrestlers who could wrestle 118 or 126 are very interested in coming here next year." One is a two-time Oklahoma State champion, who is favored to win a third championship this year. Also several mid-Western standouts are excellent Harvard prospects.