The Cavalier daily :: Friday, February 9, 1973 :: University of Virginia Library

Fresh off a sweep in a
quadrangular meet last
Staurday in Charlottesville,
Coach George Edward's squad
will try that route again, taking
on Big Ten power Ohio State
along with State rivals Old
Dominion and Virginia Tech.

Ot the three, the Buckeyes
can be expected to provide the
Cavalier grapplers with their
stiffest test. Although not
much information has been
coming out of Columbus about
OSU mat fortunes recently,
the Bucks' strong showings in
early-season tournaments make
it easy to see that they will be
the class of the meet.

"I would rate them just
below Michigan and Michigan
State among Big Ten teams,"
Edwrrds comments. Michigan
State took second in the
NCAA Championships last
year, as Ken Elzinga is fond of
recalling.

Biggest of the Bucks is
134-pounder Mike Humphrey,
whose accomplishments
include a third-place finish in
the NCAA last year.

ODU, Gobblers Look Soft

ODU and Tech, however,
look like good prospects to pad
the grapplers' 5-3 record,
although neither is totally
helpless. The Hokies have a win
over N.C. State to their credit
and the Monarchs will
challenge the Cavs' in at least
the first two weights with
118-pounder Mike McCarthy
and 126-pounder Steve Perdue.

McCarthy is remembered as
the only grappler not from
William and Mary or Virginia
to win his weight class in the
State Tournament held here in
December, while Perdue
pushed the 'Hoos Dave Wendell
in the Wilkes-Barre Christmas
Tourney before dropping a
one-point decision.

The task of tarnishing
McCarthy's crown will fall to
the Cavs' new 118-pounder
Tom Byrum. Byrum, a product
of Granby H.S. perennial
Virginia high school wrestling
titlist has turned in creditable
performances in his first
semester of competitive
wrestling in over a year.

Rematch In Offing

For Wendell, whose season
has been nothing short of
tremendous, a re-match with
Perdue is in the offing along
with an undoubtedly tough
match against Ohio State. A
victory from the Pittsburgh
native seems a must if the
Wahoos are to have any chance
of foiling the Buckeyes.

First-year man Mike
McConnigal, who has been
battling Steve Schmidt for the
134-pound spot, finds he has
won the job and the
not-too-attractive assignment
of tangling with Humphrey.

Denis Bittenbender has
moved down from his
customary 150-pound position
to try the 142-pound class on
for size and Paul Terschel has
taken over his duties at 150.

The remainder of the
line-up lists Tom Derrickson
at 158, Captain Kevin
Michaels, who has moved down
from 177, at 167, Jeff Curzi at
177, Bill Voliva at 190 and
Ken Mahon at heavyweight.