Track And Tank Teams Favored To Win Big Ten Titles

Track And Tank Teams Favored To Win Big Ten Titles

Michigan Enters Four Relay Tests

Three Squads Leave Today For Chicago

Wrestlers Also Compete In Conference Meet This Week-End

Three University of Michigan squads departed today for the Chicago area where they will seek titles in the annual Big Ten meets this week-end. Coach Ken Doherty herds his track squad to Chicago while the Wolverine swimmers and wrestlers continue on to Evanston for their two-day competitions, starting tomorrow.

Michigan is favored to return with both the track and tank titles while Coach Ray Courtright’s wrestlers cannot be counted out of the running for the conference mat crown.

Should Win Easily

Coach Matt Mann’s squad is a top-heavy favorite to sweep to victory in the swimming meet with only Ohio State expected to offer much opposition. The Wolverines have beaten the Buckeyes in two dual meets this season and Coach Mike Peppe recently lost two of his potential first-place winners when the Army grabbed Jim Coun-silman, breast-stroker, and Miller Anderson, fancy diver.

Coach Mann predicts that Michigan should win seven of the nine first places in a meet which probably will see records set in five events. The feature race appears to be between Capt. Jim Patten of the Wolverines and Neo Nakama of the Buckeyes at the 220-yard distance.

Four Strong Teams

The track meet looms up as a four-way battle with Michigan favored over Ohio State, Illinois and Wisconsin. Ohio is the defending champion but Michigan recently licked the Buckeyes in decisive fashion in a dual meet. Michigan should win points in 10 of the 12 events.

Wisconsin is strong in. the field events, the Illinois strength is in the mile and two-mile while the Buckeyes have a well balanced team in case Dallas Dupre, star sprinter, hurdler and broad jumper is able to compete. He missed the recent dual meet with Michigan.

Dick Kopel at 121-pounds and Capt. Manley Johnston at 145 are Michigan’s greatest hopes in the wrestling meet, although Johnny Green, who has competed in the heavyweight division all year, will represent the Wolverines in the 175-pound class in the hopes of winning an additional first.

Coach Ken Doherty said today that he plans to send some of his University of Michigan track men to at least four indoor relay carnivals this month.

Quarter-miler Bob Ufer, half-miler Dave Matthews, and the Wolverine two mile relay team will run in the K. of C. games at New York March 13. They will be joined by other squad members a week later for the Chicago relays.

A delegation will go to Cleveland March 26 for -the K. of C. games there and on the following day the Wolverines will compete in the Purdue relays at Lafayette.

TRAINING FOR BIG TEN MEET: In the recent Michigan State College relays, Bob Ufer, Michigan's quarter-miler, hit his head on a steel beam in. the Spartan field house while warming up for the medley relay.

He has no recollection of running the half mile part of the relay in 1.55.1 which ties the Michigan indoor half-mile record. He also ran a 49.1 quarter and 300 yards in 31.4 that night.

Coach Ken Doherty figures that if Ufer is so speedy while semi-conscious that it may be a good idea to hit him on the head with a post-maul just before he goes to the post this week-end in the Big Ten meet at Chicago. The coach and his pupil are shown above getting in some practice for the event.