Wrestlers Face Penn in Key Opener; Coach Confident of Upper Weights

Harvard's varsity wrestling will gauge its chances for its first Ivy League title when the Crimson faces Penn this afternoon. The Quakers have returned four starting lettermen, have advanced four first place finishers from last year's Plebe wrestling tournament, have recruited four outstanding freshman prospects, and rate as a favorite along with Yale and Harvard in the Ivy race.

The Harvard-Penn match will open a quandrangular with William & Mary and Franklin & Marshall, hosted by F & M. The host squad is a very strong team with three college division champions, and F & M should battle the Crimson to a close finish. William & Mary is the weakest of the four squads, but W & M defeated the Crimson by a point last winter.

But the crucial match of the day will be the Ivy contest. Penn is strong in the first four weight classes, like Harvard, so the match should be consistently close down the line. "If we win, we'll be in very good shape in the Ivy League," coach John Lee predicted.

Lee was optimistic yesterday about his squad's chances. "I feel we are stronger in the first four weight classes," he said. "We both drop off a bit in the upper weight classes, but if Ritchie Starr is healthy, we should be strong."

Starr (177) is suffering from a torn cartilage on the sternum of his rib cage. Wrestling does not endanger further injury, Lee said, but the original damage can bother a wrestler for a long time. "He's been running a lot and appears to be ready," Lee said.

The Penn-Harvard match-up will feature several individual confrontations. At 118, Plebe Tournament champion Dan Blakinger will face Eric Walter, who finished third last year at the tournament.

Penn is extremely strong in the middle weight classes. Dave Groverman (126), Jeff Thorne (134), Don Decker (150) and Tom Brennan (158) all won their divisions at last year's Plebe tournament. Harvard will need strong performances from Carl Biello (126), Jerry Kahrilas (134) and Josh Henson (142) in order to stay with the Quakers.

But if the Crimson can stay close through 158, the tide may turn. Letterman Starr, Dave Scanlon (190) and Angelo Mareno (unlim.) are all healed and the Quakers return only Rich Zweig at 190.

"With their heavy recruiting program it's hard to tell what their freshman can do," Lee said. The match should be won or lost on the performance of Penn's six sophomores who placed at the Plebe tournament. Strong efforts from Harvard freshmen Boris Holmas (150) and Tony DuBon (167) would provide unexpected points and ensure a close fight at every weight class.