Matmen Take Seventh Place At Coast Guard Tournament

In losing three Olympic-caliber members to graduation, the young and inexperienced Harvard wrestling team figured to have a rough time in the early season.

This weekend's Coast Guard tournament did nothing to dispel those thoughts.

With 37 3/4 points, the Crimson finished tied for seventh with Salisbury State in the two-day tournament in New London, Conn. Southern Connecticut won the 16-team meet, accumulating 67 1/2 points, just enough to edge second-place Columbia.

After dropping its season opener to a strong Boston University squad and pinning down its first win over Plymouth State just last week, the weekend tournament proved the first important test of the Harvard campaign. But after the seventh-place finish, team members explained that it will take time to gain match experience before it can duplicate such efforts as last year's third place finish in the Coast Guard tourney.

With only one senior and three juniors--including captains Sean Wallace and Barry Bausano--the team's lack of experience proved costly in the Coast Guard tourney. Acknowledging the team's youthful nature, Wallace explained that "we didn't do all that well, but it is something to build on."

Wallace expects the team to improve as the season progresses, and that the experience gained from matches such as this tournament will enable the Crimson to have a shot at their major target, the Ivy League title. The first Ivy competition, though, doesn't begin until February.

The captains led the way in the weekend meet, as only three Crimson wrestlers finished in the top four of their respective weight classes. Bausano placed second in the 177-lb. division, losing to Bill Inbell of Columbia, 7-3, in the finals. Wallace took third in his class, while the only other man to place was junior Dan Medalie, who finished fourth in the 134-lb. class.

Senior Ricky Beller (126-lb.) and sophomore Kevin Wattles (heavyweight) each made the final six in their categories, but dropped disappointing losses in the final rounds. Wattles said he was unhappy with his own performance, but encouragingly observed that "the performances of Wallace and Medalie were some of the best wrestling I've ever seen from them."

Another bright spot was the strong showing of freshman Kevin McGinty in the 167-lb. class who Wallace said "did very well but just didn't have the experience."

While wrestling does not have the same team importance as football, Wallace said, the wrestlers are more "like a family, sharing common goals and weaknesses." Team members admit this family atmosphere may be needed as the many sophomores and freshmen who comprise this team take time to grow and develop as the Crimson struggles through the early season.

The next match is this weekend as Harvard hosts Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the University of New Hampshire and a strong William and Mary squad at the IAB at noon.