Wrestlers To Meet Indiana In Biggest Dual Meet Of Year

Wrestlers To Meet Indiana In Biggest Dual Meet Of Year

By Min Marsh

This is the 14th year that Coach Cliff Keen has tried to interest local fans in intercollegiate wrestling at Michigan. Cliff has turned out some great teams and some good boys. Right now his Wolverine grapplers are the defending Big Ten champions. Yet nobody seems to care.

Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Lehigh, Penn State, Franklin and Marshall, Oklahoma and Oklahoma A. & M. lure fans by the thousands to collegiate wrestling matches. Yet Michigan fans are only luke-warm in their interest toward one of the most masculine of sports.

This, despite the fact that the students are admitted on their coupon books and the admission fee for others is only 25 cents. When Michigan was at Lehigh last year the down stairs seats sold for $1.65 and the balcony for $1.00. Four thousand fans saw the match and at least 4,000 more were turned away. Why doesn’t Michigan support wrestling?

NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE

Tomorrow night at 7:30, the Michigan wrestlers engage Indiana in a dual meet at the Yost field house. Last year Indiana was the only team to defeat Michigan in a dual meet, 16 to 13. Later Michigan gained revenge by nosing out Indiana for the Big Ten team title. Yet nobody seemed to care much.

This meet tomorrow night will be the outstanding dual meet in the midwest this season. It is the climax of the season at the very start of the campaign. Yet Michigan authorities have seen fit to book two counter attractions. Coach Matt Mann has a state A.A.U. swimming meet which will start at the same time as the wrestling meet— 7:30. And the Michigan Union is staging an ice carnival at the Michigan ice rink, starting at 8 o’clock. It is little wonder that Keen and his boys are getting discouraged at trying to put wrestling '‘across’’ at the University of Michigan.

EVERY BOUT WILL BE HARD FOUGHT

If you have never been to an intercollegiate wrestling meet, don’t miss this one tomorrow night. Coach Billy Thom of Indiana claims that he has the greatest squad in the history of the Hoosier school. Indiana is strong in every weight. Michigan is weak in the lighter divisions but strong in the heavier divisions. Every match will be a hum-dinger. And under the new wrestling rules there will be no stalling at any time.

The meet probably will start off with Indiana winning the first two bouts. Bob Antonacci, former Chicago city champion, will be favored over Tom Weidig of the Wolverines at 121 pounds.

Andy Livovich of the Hoosiers should win from Andy Sawyer, Ann Arbor boy and son of the local attorney, in the 128-pound class. If Michigan can escape falls in these first two bouts, It will help the Wolverine cause.

At 136 pounds Indiana has Joe Roman, who last year defeated Capt. Earl Thomas of the Wolverines in both the dual meet and Big Ten meet. He will be favored over Jim Mericka of the Wolverines.

MICHIGAN STRONGER IN HEAVY DIVISION

But starting with the 145-pound division, Michigan will concede nothing to the Hoosiers. Capt. Harold Nichols of the Nichols meets Seymour Weiss of Indiana. They have met twice before. Weiss bested Nichols in last year’s dual meet and Nichols reversed the decision in the Big Ten meet.

Frank Morgan of Michigan meets John Keeler at 155. Dick Tasch of Ann Arbor opposes Chauncey McDaniel at 165 pounds. The Hoosier was runner-up in the Big Ten last year. Don Nichols of Michigan and Chris Traicoff of Indiana, who battled to a draw in the recent A.A.U. meet at Chicago, will be wrestling for the gold watch which was the prize in the Chicago tourney. These boys are light heavies.

GRID PLAYER IN FINALE

The last bout of the evening—and the one which may decide the meet—will pit Forrest Jordan, Michigan football player, against Sarny Hyde of the Hoosiers.

The meet is decided on five points for a fall and three points for a decision. The point system will be used in determining the winner of a decision. The meet will be held under new rules. In awarding points this year two points will be given for take downs. Two points for reversing position on the mat. One point for an escape from underneath. One point for each accumulated minute of advantage. Three points for a near fall.

The referee, however, can penalize for stalling at any time and award a fall in case of flagrant stalling by the man underneath.

Give the wrestlers a break—this is their biggest meet of the year. Go down to the field house and watch them perform.