University of Virginia Library

Wrestlers Drop Big One,
Place Second In ACC

Three heartbreaking losses in the
final round ruined Virginia's
chances for its first ACC wrestling
championship ever, Saturday, as the
favored Cavaliers dropped a close
88-85 decision to perennial
champion Maryland in Raleigh,
N.C.

Three Cavalier matmen won
individual ACC championships, but
two close losses, both of them in
overtime, and one default because
of an injury in the finals, kept the
Cavaliers from the title.

Kim Hatcher, Shelley Zablow,
and John Pegues won titles in three
of the first four weight classes to
give the Cavaliers an early lead, but
losses by John Pitas, Lynn Housner
and Paul Boehm brought an end to
hopes for the championship.

Pitas, a 126-pounder, lost a 1-0
overtime decision to Maryland's Ed
Doebler in the finals. Pitas had been
previously undefeated in ACC
competition and had easily beaten
Doebler in Virginia's dual meet win
over Maryland.

Housner was forced to default in
the 158-pound final as he suffered a
dislocated elbow with only 37
seconds gone in the match when
defending ACC champ Curt
Callahan of Maryland slammed him
to the mat.

Virginia's final hope for the
crown went down the drain in the
190-pound match when Paul
Boehm took North Carolina's
Frank Willis into overtime before
falling 3-1.

A win by Virginia in place of
any one of the three final round
losses would have brought the title
to Charlottesville and ended
Maryland's 16-year domination of
the ACC tournament.

Wayne Hoffman lost on a pin in
the final round of the 150 pound
division, and Ted Moore was
decisively defeated in the finals of
the 177 pound class, as both
contributed second place finishes to
the Cavalier cause.

Heavyweight Bill Farrell and
167-pounder Kevin Michaels came
back from semi-final round losses
to win the consolation round and
third place in the championships.

Both Virginia and Maryland
placed eight wrestlers in the finals,
with both scoring two pins en route
to the final round to keep the
competition extremely close
throughout the meet.

Virginia had two wrestlers in the
consolation round as compared to
one for Maryland to pick up some
advantage.