University of Virginia Library

Terps Lose Wrestling Champs

Reprinted from the Diamondback.

Two seniors, both defending
Atlantic Coast Conference champions
in their weight class, have left
the wrestling team under somewhat
strained circumstances.

Heavyweight Ralph Sonntag and
158 pounder Joel Haan have quit
the squad according to wrestling
coach "Sully" Krouse.

Krouse noted that Sonntag had
taken off before the Jan. 31 match
with Penn State without notifying
anyone.

The Terp coach further explained,
"He (Sonntag) did come
back and apologize and asked for a
second chance, which he received.
After being allowed to practice
again, Sonntag then informed a lot
of people that he would soon sign a
contract with the Washington Redskins.

"This, of course, would make
him ineligible for college wrestling
and I went and asked him to turn in
his gear," said Krouse.

Sonntag concurred that he
turned in his gear at Krouse's
behest, but offered an explanation
for his plans to drop wrestling.

"I don't feel that my knee was
strong enough: it locked on me the
second day of workouts after I was
allowed to come back," remarked
Sonntag.

The core of the issue, however,
seems to be the condition of
Sonntag's knee. Several sources
have hinted that Redskin coach
Vince Lombardi told Sonntag not
to wrestle and to just work on
strengthening the knee.

However, neither Sonntag nor
Krouse would confirm whether
such an order was given.

"All I know is that Doctor Levin
said the knee was O.K. and that
Sonntag could wrestle if he wanted
to," Krouse said.

Sonntag disagrees with his former
coach on this. "Levin said after
the operation that the knee had
been worse than he had thought.
Also when I worked out the knee
did bother me. This knee still isn't
strong."

Following Sonntag's departure,
Haan left the team.

"He just walked out of practice
one day and just quit," Krouse said.

"Curt Callahan called Haan the
next day to find out the reason but
Haan refused to give one and
refused to talk," said Krouse.