The Crimson wrestling team traveled to Ithaca Friday with their hopes high and returned to Cambridge Saturday with their faces red. Instead of handing Cornell's wrestlers their first Ivy League loss in four years, the Harvard grapplers got murdered--33-0.
It was just one of those days. A good Cornell team was at top form for the meet while a Harvard team that should have been just as good wasn't quite ready.
191-pounder Ben Brooks came as close as any one to salvaging some honor out of the debacle. He dropped a close, one-point decision to rugged Mike Wittemberg, who is unbeaten this year.
The meet started badly when 123-pounder Mike King and 130-pounder Brian Smith were pinned, the latter on a fluke. It got worse when Howard Durfee (137) dropped a close decision. Brian Conley (147) was pasted. 13-0, and Jack Mamana (157) lost a decision.
And it reached a climax of complete horror when Captain Fred Pereira lost his first match of the year to sophomore Jeff Stevens, and 177-pounder Lamar Fertig was disqualified after a referee called him three times for running off the mat.
Heavyweight Tack Chace wrapped up the meet by dropping a close decision.
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