Houston Finishes Tourney as East's 3rd Best Heavyweight

Howie Houston is the third best college heavyweight in the East. He was decisioned by Homer Barr, who went on to win the class championship, Saturday afternoon in the eastern intercollegiate wrestling semi-finals at Ithaca, then decisioned Cornell's Bob Clark, 5 to 3, to gain third place. Meanwhile in Cambridge, the Athletic Committee again turned down the proposal to make wrestling a major sport.

Barr, of Penn State, was a pre-tournament favorite to take the heavyweight title. In his first season of college competition, the 208-pound sophomore won five out of seven bouts by falls, and yielded only one point in scoring two decision victories. After beating Houston, he stopped Lehigh's George Lasasso in the finals.

In team competition, Syracuse dethroned Lehigh as eastern champion, 35 to 34. Navy trailed the two leaders with 16 points, followed by Cornell and Penn State (15), Princeton (12), Franklin and Marshall (11), Army (9), Yale (6), Penn (5), Harvard (2), Columbia (1), Virginia, Dartmouth, Temple (0), and Brown (-5).

The Committee stated that "the proposal was considered in relation to the over-all athletic program and the ruling was made in the best interests of all concerned." According to action taken by the Committee a year ago, a minor sports H is awarded to any wrestler participating in the NCAA or eastern intercollegiate championships. A man who wins an eastern title or places first, second, third, or fourth in the nationals is awarded a major H in minor colors.

Wrestling breathes its absolute last for the year after the House championships, which start today.