Fencers Finish Fifth in Easterns

Led by All-American foiler Tom Keller, the Crimson fencing team finished fifth in Easterns Competition held this weekend at the West Point Academy. Thirteen teams participated in the two-day competitions.

Of the three weapons, the Crimson's foil team finished the best, taking second place behind a very strong N. Y. U. squad. The Harvard foilers won 25 of 36 bouts, the epee squad won 17 of its bouts, and the sabermen, 16.

Cointe

Keller won 10 of the 25 foil bouts, placed fourth in individual competition Saturday afternoon, and was awarded the George Cointe Award for Good Sportsmanship. The award, perhaps the most prestigious one given at the Easterns, is awarded to the fencer who best exemplifies good sportsmanship as well as excellent fencing. Not only does a fencer have to be nominated by his fellow competitors, but he also has to be chosen by the 13 participating coaches.

"It was the first time one of my boys has won this award, and I was very happy Tom won it." Coach Edo Marion said yesterday.

Co-captain Larry Cetrulo was even more ebullient over the decision. "It justified the whole tournament. Tom was just beautiful to watch, and this award caps his whole career for Harvard." he said.

Besides winning at the foil. N. Y. U. easily won the Easterns, winning 88 bouts. Columbia was a distant second with 72, followed by Navy with 68, Penn with 62, and then Harvard with its 58 wins. In last year's competition, the Crimson finished seventh.

Harvard might have finished ahead of both Penn and Navy if its saber team had performed as expected. Cetrulo won only eight of his bouts against blistering competition, but Rick Tolbert and Ken Hetzler, fencing lesser competitors, could only win four bouts apiece.

At the epee, the Crimson received strong performances from both Mickey Irvings and Geza Tattrallay. Irvings won nine of his bouts, and placed fourth in individual competition. Tattrallay won seven bouts, "Irvings was a little slow to start with, and I needed to use certain psychiatric exchanges to get him moving, but he responded," Coach Marion said.

Disappointed by his poor performance. Cetrulo was overheard quoting Ecelesiastes on the trip back from New York, as he drove the rented Plymouth Fury close to LBJ's land speed record. "I returned and saw under the sun/That the race is not to the swift/Nor the Battle to the strong/Neither yet riches to men of understanding/But time and chance happeneth to them all," he kept on repeating as he took the turns on the 9W.