Dedicated Grappler Has Bright Future

"Wrestling is the type of sport where most people can be as good as they want to be if they are willing to put in the time," says Paul Widerman, freshman standout on the Harvard wrestling team. It was Widerman's willingness to commit the time that first attracted him to the sport.

At the beginning of his freshman year at Huntington High School in Huntington, New York, Widerman met Coach Lou Giani, a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team. The seriousness with which Giani approached wrestling impressed Widerman, who decided to forego his other sports interests and dedicate himself to wrestling.

Widerman quickly demonstrated his willingness to work hard and listen well, as he soon proved to be a vital member of the Huntington squad and one of the best wrestlers in perenially strong New York. In his junior year he won the state championship in the 101-lb, weight class, and in his senior year moved up to the 108-lb, division, where he notched another state title.

When it came time to pick a college, academics took precedence to wrestling, so Widerman chose Harvard over Lehigh, the Eastern wrestling powerhouse.

He was a welcome addition to the Harvard team, filling the gap in the bottom weight class. His 13-2-2 record for the season was impressive as the 118-lb. weight class continued to be one of the toughest in the East.

"For Paul to be the top level competitor that he is in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) which includes top wrestling schools like Lehigh and Syracuse and to be a Harvard student is a demonstration of his dedication to wrestling and his intelligence," Bill Mulvihill, co-captain of the Harvard wrestling team says.

Unfortunately Widerman's worst match of the year came in the first round of the Easterns. He got behind Cornell's Paul Pietropolo 4-1 when Pietropolo scored two quick takedowns. Widerman fought back to a 10-7 lead with 30 seconds remaining, when Pietropolo picked up three points on a controversial holding call and a takedown, tying the score at 10-10. Pietropolo went on to win the match 2-0 in overtime on a takedown.

"If Paul can use his loss at the Easterns as a springboard toward correcting the deficiencies that caused it, he will be right in the thick of the battle at 118 lbs. in next year's Eastern championship," said coach Johnny Lee.

Widerman's major problem this season was the strength difference between himself and his opponents. While Lee says that pound for pound Widerman is probably the strongest man on the team, he points out that most of his opponents were much bigger.

Widerman usually weighs between 121 and 123 lbs. so he has no trouble losing a few pounds to make weight, preferring to do so by working out more rather than eating less. One of his two losses came against Springfield's Matt Hawes whose normal weight is about 140 lbs. Hawes was able to make weight and then gain it back between weigh-in time and the match. The extra pounds give Hawes and others like him a significant advantage over Widerman.

As far as skills go, Lee wants to see Widerman improve his defense on his feet.

Progress can only be made through tedious drilling, but the extra commitment won't bother Widerman.

"When it comes to competitive match situations you have to rely on reactions, and the only way that a wrestler can expect to develop the proper reactions is through knowledge and drilling and Paul Widerman is learning to combine the two successfully," Lee said.

This spring Widerman will drop down to 114 or 115 lbs. to compete in men's open freestyle competitions against older and more experienced wrestlers. This will give him a chance to test himself before entering the National AAU meet which will be held in April at the University of Iowa.

"I almost compare wrestling to gymnastics and ballet where you need complete control of your body and must be able to make certain moves with precision," Widerman says.