Wrestlers Nab Third Place At Coast Guard

The Harvard wrestling team had something to prove at the Coast Guard Wrestling Tournament over the weekend, and they went out and did just that, placing third in a tournament of 18 teams, narrowly losing to the leaders. Harvard finished one-half point behind Columbia, which placed second, and two points behind the tourney winner, Hofstra College of Long Island, with 70 points.

Coach Johnny Lee was particularly pleased with the team's performance, with many individuals faring quite well. "Each guy got an acid test," Lee said, happy that his team had proved it had the mettle to excel in the East this season Harvard actually had a chance to win the competitive tournament but fell just short.

Two third-year wrestlers, Andy McNerney and Jim Phills, actually won their respective weight classes, overpowering their opponents in the finals quite easily McNerney, one of the outstanding wrestlers of the whole tournament, dominated Hofstra's Mike Arena, 7-1, in the final of the 134-lb. Weight class. McNerney is rapidly proving that he is one of the top wrestlers in his weight class in the East and will play an instrumental role in Harvard's quest for the Ivy title. Phills achieved his usual impressive performance, handily defeating Tim Connors, 8-2, in the finals of the heavyweight class.

One of the great surprises of the tournament was the performance of Harvard freshman Sean Wallace, competing in the 190-lb. weight class. Wallace lost, 7-6, in the finals to Tom Lanzatella of St. Lawrence, who had won his weight class in this tourney the three previous years and was Division III champion last year.