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The Top of Their Class

Barry Bausano

If you looked carefully last Fall, you might have seen Barry Bausano--one of the toughest wrestlers in recent Harvard history--down on the football field.

But, he wasn't playing linebacker

In fact, he wasn't playing anything at all.

He way cheerleading.

Then again, for Bausano, it seems as though anything is possible.

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Tri-captain Barry Bausano, one of the three Harvard wrestlers to make it to the NCAA National Tournament this year exudes a quiet confidence that is typical of successful athletes, and despite facing some of the toughest competition in the nation, he is not unnerved, probably because his opponents usually have more to worry about than he does.

Depite the impressive credentials he has compiled over his four year Harvard wrestling career, his final season ended on a disappointing note, as he failed to advance in the this week's NCAA National Tournament in Oklahoma City.

Bausano, however, in an interview before the tournament had a realistic view of his chances, stating that it would have been a "minor miracle" to place in his 167-1b weight class.

Bausano, however, has nothing to be down about, as his four year collegiate won-loss ratio reads like a Celtics season record; be is 72-12, and his achievement neither begin, nor end, with college.

In high school Bausano won his league title three times, his district twice, a not his region twice. He came in fourth in his home state, Michigan, once, won the junior freestyle tournament of Michigan, came in second in the nation in the junior freestyle tournament of Michigan, came second in the nation in the junior freestyle category, and was the alternate on the United States junior world freestyle team.

In more recent years he has been named to the All-Ivy team three times, and won three matches in the regional Olympic trials last year before being knocked out.

Although some of the top wrestling schools, such as Northwestern 'and Michigan recruited Bausano heavily when he was a senior in high school he decided that there is life there is life after the mat and he made Harvard his choice.

"Success in wresting can be a very ephemeral thing One injury can ruin a career." Bausano says, and although he concentrates intensely on his wrestling the economics concentrator keeps other opportunities in minds as well.

"I'm doing a lot of interviewing with investment banks right now." Bausano says, but also adds. "I want to come back to wresting if it works out," referring to wrestling clubs situated in many major U.S. cities.

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