Matmen to Tackle Franklin & Marshall With Five Sophomores Slated to Start

Two undefeated members of last year's strong freshman team and three other sophomores will start for the varsity wrestling team when it takes on Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn. today in the season opener for both squads.

Mammoth 225-pound Tom Tripp, twice winner of the Minnesota High School State Championship and captain of last winter's freshman squad, will be wrestling in the unlimited class, and Pat Coleman, also undefeated last year, will fight in the 152-pound class. Coach John Lee said of Tripp: "Tom is the brightest heavyweight prospect I've seen at Harvard in the past 10 years."

Lotta Beef

Dean Sheppard (145), Bart Harvey or Mark Faller (160), and Tony Rayner (177) are the other sophomore starters. Rayner, who normally competes at 167, will be replacing John Irmie at the heavier weight. Irmie, whom Lee considered the standout among the freshmen last year, injured a knee two weeks ago and though recovered, is now overweight due to the layoff. Franklin & Marshall's regular 177-pounder, however, is also injured.

Captain Howie Chatterton will wrestle at 167, and either Bob Panoff or Howie Freedman is slated to compete in the 191-pound class. Three other veterans will handle the lightweight classes. At 123 will be either Jon Moss or Tom Schnorr, and in the next division will be junior Bruce Goodman. Tom Catinella, who was 5-3 last year, will handle the competition at 137.

Dullest Ever

In last year's meet, an injury-plagued Crimson team succumbed to defensively-oriented Franklin & Marshall 21-12 in what Coach Lee called, "the dullest match I've seen in my 12 years at Harvard. Their style of wrestling beat us." Only Chatterton and Panoff won matches for the Crimson.

The grapplers will be trying to better last winter's 2-8 record and seventh place finish in the Ivy League. They have yet to win the Ivy championship, though they have been second or third for five of the six seasons.