M. Wrestling Slips at Easterns

The Harvard men's wrestling team concluded its season last weekend at the 90th Annual Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship (EIWA) in Ithaca, New York. Despite an outstanding performance by senior tri-captain John Drosos in the 177-pound division, the Crimson grapplers finished a disappointing 12th out of 14 teams.

"Team-wise we were a little weak," tri-captain Steve Aoki said. "We were expecting to do a lot better."

Drosos's second-place finish at 177 pounds though, overshadowed the otherwise lackluster Crimson effort and qualified him for the national wrestling championships to be held March 17-19 at the University of North Carolina.

"John Drosos did a fine job," Head Coach Jim Peckham said. "He managed to stay healthy and came through. It's a tremendous feather in his cap."

Drosos, who finished third last year in the EIWA championships, came into the tournament as the second seed.

His path into the championship bout pit him against Cosmo Zaccaro of Rutgers in the quarter-finals. Drosos decisioned his Zaccaro 5-1 and moved into the semi-finals where he beat third-seeded Rony O'Daniel of Army in a 5-2 decision.

By placing into the championship match Drosos guaranteed himself a spot in the national tournament and only a 5-2 loss to top-seeded Navy wrestler Doug Zembiec kept him from the 177-pound title.

"I only had three matches," Drosos said. "The first two were fairly easy before I ran into that last guy."

The EIWA team championship went to Syracuse, whose wrestlers won three weight divisions-those at 118, 150 and 158 pounds. The Orangemen also placed four other wrestlers in the top five placings of their respective weight classes.

"Syracuse was expected to dominate," Peckham said. "All of their wrestlers are on scholarship so its hard to beat them and a lot of the big Division I schools who recruit heavily."

Navy finished second, also with three division winners on their squad and Brown took third.

The Ancient Eight was well represented in the team standings as Brown (3), Cornell (4) and Pennsylvania (6) all finished in the top six in the tournament.

Big Red wrestler David Hirsch also won recognition as the Outstanding Wrestler of the 1993 EIWA and was awarded the John Fletcher Memorial Trophy.

Drosos's three wins accounted for half of the Crimson's total victories, including both the winner's and loser's brackets of the 10 weight divisions.

"I don't think this team was as prepared as it could've been," Peckham said. "A couple of us were still hurt and one wrestler didn't make weight."

Injuries have crippled the Crimson throughout the season and the EIWA championships were no different.

Junior Khris Reina's leg injury kept him out of the 150-pounds bracket and tri-captain Bill Counihan was hampered in this bouts by an injured shoulder.

"For the last three years when we get to February it looks like World War Two just hit us," Peckham said.

In the 126-pound class Aoki managed to earn two wins for the Crimson but was decisioned out of the consolation draw one round before placing.

"I'm a little disappointed in my own performance," said Aoki, "but I'll be back wrestling next years, I think."

Aoki, a transfer from Utah State, although academically a senior, has one more semester of athletic eligibility left and plans to wrestle for the Crimson next season.

Drosos, though, will graduate after this season and the EIWA weekend tournament was the last team event in his four-year wrestling career at Harvard.

"I've had a very good experience," Drosos said.

"Coach Peckham has been very understanding about being able to balance athletics and academics, and it's helped my wrestling all season long."