Wrestling Team

TWO SOPHOMORES ORGANIZE SPORT AND COACH MIXED SQUAD OF 25

Dartmouth college has an organized team in nearly every sport except wrestling. In the deep past, however, there was a team, but for one reason or another it was dropped. Since that time numerous half-hearted attempts have been made to revive the sport with little or no results.

Last winter, through the initiative of Ralph Tyler '45, another team composed of freshmen was organized. Tyler's father, Ralph Tyler Sr. '16, was captain-coach of one of Dartmouth's early hockey teams. Through notices in The Dartmouth and personal contacts he secured enough men to form a small squad, and they worked out for many long winter weeks in a back room of the gymnasium. Every man on the squad had had some previous prep school experience, and therefore by pooling their wrestling knowledge and assisting one another they were able to manage without a coach. Three meets were scheduled and after proving their worth in the first, they were officially recognized by the DCAC. But because of the DCAC's already overworked budget and the newness of the sport, the team members bore their own expenses and no sweaters were awarded.

This winter a team composed of freshwhich men and upperclassmen was organized, this time under the tutelage of Tyler and Howard Sawyer, another '45. Tyler and Sawyer were classmates at Phillips Exeter Academy where they led Exeter's team to a successful season. This year's squad of twenty-five is considerably larger than that of a year ago. With a squad of this size it would be possible to carry a freshman team as well as a varsity, but since the war has brought about a revision in eligibility rules the squad is consolidated into one team composed of about half freshmen and half upperclassmen. A pre-season meet was held with St. Johnsbury before Christmas and was won handily 28-0.

Because of the increased time and effort required of Tyler and Sawyer to coach the squad, a manager has been assigned to assist them in their various duties as well as to carry on correspondence with other schools. Already a tentative schedule of meets with Harvard, Williams, Exeter, Tufts, M. I. T., and Andover has been arranged. The team members this year are, according to the eight weight classes, Doc Savage '46 at 121, John Shannon '45 at 128, Howard Sawyer '45 at 136, Steven Hull '45 at 145, Ralph Tyler '45 at 155, Phil Lewis '45 at 165, Joe Quig '46 at 175, and Don Drake '46 at heavyweight.

Unless the war makes intercollegiate competition too difficult, Dartmouth's first official wrestling team in seventeen years has a most promising future.