University of Virginia Library

Maryland Tonight

Grapplers Shoot For ACC Crown

By Tom Bell
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Photo By Bob Gill

Bill Gerry And Chip Case Struggle For Rebound In 71-69 Virginia Win Over Maryland At U Hall

Cavaliers Try For Win Number Ten At Maryland Tomorrow Night For Sixth Place Finish In ACC

Virginia's wrestlers climax their
regular season schedule when they
take on Maryland in an encounter
which will decide first place in the
ACC, tonight in Memorial Gymnasium.

Maryland has never been beaten
in an ACC dual meet, and has
compiled a 3-0 conference record
with easy victories over North
Carolina, N.C. State, and Duke. The
Cavaliers also have a 3-0 win mark,
having beaten the same three
schools.

Coach George Edwards is looking
for a big crowd for the match,
which is being held in Memorial
Gym because of a high school
basketball tournament in University
Hall. "The backing of a big home
crowd could really turn the tide,"
according to Edwards. "A big
crowd, typical of the old crowds
that used to pack Memorial Gym
before University Hall was there,
can really make it tough for an
opponent. It could turn a couple of
matches our way, and those could
really make a difference."

The Cavaliers should be at full
strength for the meet. Co-captain
John Pegues has recovered from
injuries that kept him out of last
week's match against VPI and will
almost certainly wrestle tonight,
according to Mr. Edwards. Heavyweight
Bill Farrell, who entered the
lineup for the first time last week
after only four days of practice and
showed strength for the first
period, should be ready to go for a
full eight minutes in the match that
could ultimately decide the outcome.

Three wrestlers dropped weight
classes for last week's match, and
after a week of adjusting to a lower
weight should be at full strength.
Shelley Zablow has dropped to 134.
pounds, Pegues to 142, and Wayne
Hoffman to 150 in a move which
Edwards feels will strengthen the
overall team. This lineup allows him
to use both Hoffman and 158pounder
Lynn Housner.

The ACC recognizes no official
regular season champion, but the
match is still important, because
the results of dual meets will
determine the seedings for the
conference tournament next weekend
in Raleigh, N.C.

John Pegues, Left, And Shelley Zablow, Right, Are Healthy And Ready For Unbeaten Terps

Grapplers, 3-0 In ACC, Engage Maryland, Also 3-0 In ACC, Tonight In Memorial Gymnasium

Also, there is a psychological
factor involved. "A win would give
us a psychological edge for the
tourney," says Edwards, and a
defeat of Maryland, whose ACC
win streak has stretched from 1954,
would certainly give the team a
boost.

Virginia's 9-3 overall record is
better than Maryland's, but Maryland
has faced formidable opposition,
losing to six of the nation's
top ten teams. A tie with fifteenth ranked
Michigan has been the
season's high point.

Comparative scores show that
Maryland beat N.C. State 24-12,
and Duke 25-9, while the Cavaliers
beat State 17-15 and Duke 31-3.

Virginia's young lineup will
include six first-year men, one
second-year man, and three third year
men, with co-captains Ted
Moore and John Pegues leading the
way.

Mr. Edwards is confident that
the Cavaliers will come up with a
good showing against the Terps, in
the match which the team has been
pointing for since the start of the
season. He also has hopes for a
large, loud crowd in the old gym.
"We hope everyone will come out
to watch us wrestle," he says.
"Filling Memorial Gym could make
a big difference."