Fencers Silence Lions' Roar, Win 15-12 as Vastola Stars

Jimmy Carter is not the only person to have been re-born recently. The second birth of foil fencer Gene Vastola led the Harvard swordsmen over Columbia, 15-12, Saturday at the IAB, in the Crimson's last dual meet of the season.

Vastola, considered one of the experienced anchors of a largely inexperienced squad at the beginning of the year, has had increasing difficulty in meets in the last part of the season. After he lost all three bouts against the admittedly powerful Penn foilsmen, coach Ben Zivkovic said, "Vastola, he's a puzzle. Earlier today he had his best lesson of the year and then he gets six touches in three bouts."

Lion Tamer

But Saturday against Columbia, Vastola delivered the kind of stalwart performance Zivkovic had depended on, limiting his opponents to five touches and capturing the 14th bout--which clinched the Crimson's victory.

Vastola sliced the Lion's Wayne Miller, 5-2, in his opening battle, then breezed past Harold Cataquet, 5-2, gaining the last touch by disengaging his blade from Cataquet's before touching the Columbian's upper right shoulder.

He then whitewashed Leonid Smuckler, 5-0, in his last bout, clinching Harvard's overall victory by diving for a low touch in the pit of Smucker's stomach.

No other Crimson fencers won all three of their bouts, but two victories each from sabremen John Chipman and Robert Homer, foilsman Dave McClees and eneeman Bob Tillman gave the Crimson an early 12-6 lead that Columbia, try as it might, could only close.

By conquering Columbia, the Crimson, last year's Ivy co-champion, lifted itself out of the foot of the Ivy standings to finish fourth with a 1-3 inter-league record.

They will carry a much better overall record of 7-4 into next weekend's ECACs, which unbeaten Penn figures to dominate.