Wrestlers Drub Brown, 40-12 To Capture First Season Win

The Crimson wrestlers nabbed their first season win last Saturday, nailing down seven out of ten matches against a listless Brown squad and upending the Bruins, 40-12.

Harvard swept the lightweights with two opening round pins by Dan Blakinger (118 lbs.) and Mitch Silverman (126). Carl Biello, (134) recovered from a nagging shoulder injury, mauled Brown's Link Chaffee, 12-1.

"Taking the first three matches pretty easily really helped team morale throughout the meet," Harvard coach John Lee said yesterday. "It was especially good to see Biello doing his stuff on the mat." Biello, who ranked fourth in the East last year, had been out of the lineup since mid-November.

Freshman George Baker, who so far this season has struggled against more experienced opponents, racked up his Bruin foe for the Crimson's third pin of the day.

But Brown countered in the next three middleweight matches. The Bruins trounced Mike Dee (150), 5-2, edged Rock Hinkle(158), 11-10, and pressed John Keough(167) for a pin.

"I can't really offer any excuses for the losses," Lee said. "Both Des and Hinkle worked hard, but they just didn't perform as well as they could have."

Lee said Keough "really hurt" against Brown's Jim Miller, reputed to be the Bruin's best grappler. Keough, who played football at 190 pounds, has been trying to get down to 158 for an upcoming meet against Navy. Although weakened by the weight loss in his match against Brown, Keough led Miller, 5-4, before falling for the pin.

Harvard's heavyweights Jim Strath-meyer (177), Richie Starr (190) and Carl Culig(unlimited) copped three impressive victories to close the meet.

The Crimson, now 1-6 for the season, tangles with Navy, the defending Eastern champ, Saturday. Bruce Johnson is expected back at 167 after nursing an injured rib and Keough should wrestle at 158 to beef up the middleweights. With Biello back to boost the lightweights, the midshipmen can expect a close match.