University of Virginia Library

At Memorial Gym

Grapplers Tackle State

By Tom Bell
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Cavalier wrestlers return
home for the first time in a month
Saturday to take on tough N.C.
State in the first of three straight
Memorial Gym meets.

Head wrestling coach George
Edwards says his team is "expecting
a real tough battle" from the
Wolfpack, whom the Cavaliers
edged last year 17-15 on a last
match pin.

Defending ACC 134-pound
champion Shelley Zablow will
make his first appearance of the
year for the Cavaliers in the
150-pound class, as co-captain John
Pegues will move down to 142 to
make way for Zablow, who
returned to the team at the start of
the second semester, and is quickly
"getting into shape," according to
Mr. Edwards.

Strongest Entry

The Cavaliers will field what
should be their strongest lineup of
the year in the match, as there are
now strong, experienced wrestlers
in every position except at 167.

John Pitas will drop a weight
class from last week to 126, while
Jim Halland will lead off at 118.
Lou Pavia will be at 134, with
Pegues and Zablow holding down
the next two positions. Denis
Bettenbender will stay at 158.

Competitive Spot

Three wrestlers are competing
for the 167 spot. Boo Smith, Jay
Douglas, and Benton Speece have
all had a chance to win the spot,
but none have had much success.

A healthy Ted Moore will
wrestle at 177. Moore, a co-captain
and twice ACC runner-up, has been
hampered by injuries all season.

Kevin Michaels and Bill Farrell
should give the Cavaliers a strong
finish at 190 and Heavyweight.
Michaels has lost only one match all
season, and Farrell is rounding into
shape after wrestling his first match
last weekend at North Carolina.

Pitas, Pavia, Pegues, and
Michaels go into the meet
undefeated in ACC competition
after two meets, and need to win in
order to get top seedings in next
month's ACC tournament at
Memorial Gym.

Mr. Edwards looks for an
"overall team effort" against the
Wolfpack in a match which
promises to be close like last year's
when Cavalier Heavyweight Paul
Bochm pinned his opponent in the
last match to provide a two point
margin.

Starting time for the match is
set for 3 p.m. in the old gym, with
Edwards and the matmen hoping
for a good home crowd.