Recruiters' haul

Recruiting is the name of the game in college athletics today, and Dartmouth coaches are learning to play the game as well as anyone.

Most people are aware of the special challenges presented by recruiting in the Ivy League. There are the high academic standards applicants must meet, and, of course, there are no athletic scholarships to hand out.

That's why coaches at Dartmouth are placing importance on getting as many recruits as possible admitted through the College's Early Decision plan. By doing so they are, effectively, taking highly-recruited athletes off the market. The other seven Ivies honor Dartmouth's Early Decision plan, and any student-athletes accepted at the College cannot attend another Ivy school. They can, however, still accept scholarships from non-Ivy schools. Once a recruit is accepted through the Early Decision plan, coaches can turn their attention to other student-athletes.

Under the Early Decision plan, students apply to only one college in the fall of their senior year in high school, and they are told by December 15 if they are going to be accepted. This year, there were 1,400 Early Decision applicants to Dartmouth and more than 400 were accepted. Here's a look at how some of Dartmouth's athletic programs did under Early Decision this year:

Men's Basketball

With nobody on the 1984-85 team taller than 6'5", first-year coach Paul Cormier and his staff have been putting most of their recruiting energies into finding "big men." They think they've found one in Rick Hall, a 6'7 1/2" power forward from Mount Prospect, I11., a suburb north of Chicago. Hall was accepted under the Early Decision plan, and Cormier expects him to provide immediate help next season. "He's a very good rebounder, and he's a good shooter from the 12- to 15-foot range," says Cormier.

Assistant Coach Dave Faucher was the first to spot Hall at a basketball camp last summer. "When I first saw him, I knew he would be a good Ivy League player," says Faucher. "He plays hard all the time and he has the ability to hit the outside shot. He has an excellent attitude, and we expect him to contribute right away."

Hall was heavily recruited by Pennsylvania, while Brown and Cornell also showed interest. One snag, however, has developed. In late January, Cormier learned that Hall did not receive any financial aid and that his parents were concerned about their ability to foot the entire bill. At last look, Cormier was calling alumni in the Chicago area to see if they could help find Hall a summer job where he could earn enough money to pay some of his college expenses.

Although Hall was the only Early Decision recruit to get accepted, Cormier says, "We're still involved with some other very good players." At the top of Cormier's priority list was Jason Lobo, a 6'10" center from Southwick, Mass. Lobo has been recruited by the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, the U.S. Naval Academy, and St. Anselm's, a Division II school in New Hampshire.

Another top recruit is Jim Barton of Memphis, Tenn. Barton, a 6'4" guard, is considered by Cormier and his staff as an ideal backcourt mate for freshman Bryan Randall of Buffalo, N.Y.

Cormier and Dartmouth's other coaches will learn by mid-April if their other recruits will be coming to Dartmouth next fall.

Women's Basketball

While the men's baketball team is looking for inside players, Dartmouth's head women's coach, Jackie Hullah, needs help in the guard department.

Marie Polaski, a 5'9" point guard from Leland, Mich., appears to fit Hullah's needs perfectly. Polaski, who was accepted under the Early Decision program, turned down offers from several scholarship schools. She was recruited by Michigan State, Northwestern, and Purdue. A player with "excellent scoring ability," Polaski first caught Hullah's attention four years ago. Hullah, a Northwestern assistant at the time, was recruiting Polaski's older sister for the Wildcats when she spotted Marie. "I've kept an eye on her since she was a freshman," Hullah says.

Nancy Fitz of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was also accepted under the Early Decision program. Fitz, a 6'1" power forward, was pursued by Northwestern, Stanford, Cincinnati (a Top 20 school), and Cornell. "We were fortunate," Flullah says. "She visited here during one of the first football weekends, and she fell in love with the campus."

Men's Ice Hockey

First-year coach Brian Mason and his staff also did very well in the Early Decision department. They successfully recruited three premier prep-school players who are expected to provide immediate help. "The players we've got are all forwards, and they will help us," Mason says.

Tom Finks of Choate in Connecticut appears to be the top prize. He was recruited by numerous big-time hockey schools, including Harvard. Finks made recruiting visits to four other schools before deciding to apply Early Decision to Dartmouth. He is the son of Jim Finks, former president of the Chicago Cubs and general manager of the Chicago Bears.

Andy Donohue of Belmont Hill. Mass., and Ed Cepuran of Barrie, Ontario, were also accepted Early Decision and have announced they will be coming to Dartmouth in the fall.

Mason and his staff are concentrating on defensive players at this stage of the recruiting season. "We still need two or three blue-chip defensemen," he says. "And there are some defensemen out there who can help us. It seems this year the best players in the market are Ivycaliber students. But they are such good players, the scholarship schools are after them, too."

Men's Soccer

Although he has announced he won't be back next season, coach Tom Griffith is still spending a lot of time on recruiting.

"I'm still trying to get some letters out, and I'm making some calls," he says. Griffith said one Early Decision recruit was accepted. Anil Shah of New Rochelle, N.Y., is a midfielder who, Griffith thinks, could have an impact as soon as next season. "He doesn't have as many credentials as some guys, but he comes highly-recommended by some of the top coaches in the East," Griffith says.

Griffith plans to remain at the College until June, and his replacement isn't expected to be named until spring or early summer.

Football

Coach Joe Yukica and his staff have been concentrating on recruiting running backs, receivers, and defensive backs. Or, as Yukica says, "people who handle the ball." Ten players have been accepted through the Early Decision plan. "This is the best Early Decision group I think we've ever had," says Yukica.

Chris Pollard of Greenfield, Mass., is one of Dartmouth's prime Early Decision catches. He's a 5'10", 180-pound running back, who broke Deerfield (Mass.) Academy's single-season rushing record last fall. Pollard rushed for 733 yards in 1984. "We liked him on film, and we've heard nothing but good things about him," says Yukica.

Jeff Lambert of Twin Falls, Idaho, is another running back who comes highly-recommended. Lambert, 5'11", 190 pounds, gained 780 yards as a senior at Twin Falls High School.

Brendan Lesch of Staples High School in Westport, Conn., has been recruited to play both football and baseball. Yukica plans on using him at either running back or wide receiver.

Other Early Decision recruits include Randy Hobbs, a defensive back from Longmeadow, Mass.; Matt Walko, 6'4", 195-pound defensive end from Rensselaer, N.Y.; and Chris Rich, a punterplace kicker from Califon, N.J. Rich's brother, Joshua '87, is a defensive back for the Big Green. Stanton Green, an outside linebacker from Jacksonville, Fla., and Carl Muller, a defensive back from Dallastown, Pa., are two more Early Decision recruits.

Two other key Early Decision acceptances went to Marc Osgoodby, a 6'3" offensive tackle from Allenwood, N.J., and Matt Ridenour, a 6'5" tight end from West Lafayette, Ind. Ridenour caught 46 passes as a senior, including 22 in his final two games. Both Os- goodby and Ridenour were recruited by scholarship schools but chose Dartmouth.

Yukica and his staff will continue recruiting through the spring. Although NCAA rules limit the role alumni can play in recruiting, Yukica says there is something alumni can do. "The best thing alumni can do for us is identify players," Yukica explains. "If we don't know about a guy, there's nothing we can do. We really need to know about the kid who is a good athlete and also might be president of his class or on the honor roll. We appreciate any help alumni can give us in identifying players."

Baseball

Coach Mike Walsh has recruited six players this year through the Early Decision program.

Jeff Carlisle, a right-handed pitcher from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is the son of W. Scott Carlisle 111 '63. Jeff is a three- sport standout at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. "He's an excellent athlete who should provide depth to our pitching staff," says Walsh.

Jim White of Short Hills, N.J., is another right-hander with a great deal of promise. As a junior, White was thirdteam all-state and first-team all-state, group II. He had a 12-1 record with a 1.81 earned-run average last year. He was also an all-county selection in soccer this fall as a fullback. His dad is Bill White '54.

Still another pitching prospect is Chris Hildenbrand, a right-hander from Englewood Cliffs, N.J. "He's not an overpowering pitcher, but he's been effective in a very competitive league," Walsh says.

Walsh also likes the looks of Mike Grebe, a shortstop from Mequon, Wise. Grebe hit .375 as a junior and has stolen 38 of 39 bases in his high school career. Jack Strauch of Shaker Heights, Ohio, is another outstanding shortstop prospect. Strauch has made his all-league team the past two years and batted .477 with eight homers and 17 stolen bases as a junior. As a pitcher, Strauch had a 5-1 average with a 1.31 ERA. Lesch, the football-baseball recruit from Westport, Conn., is a "good defensive catcher with a live arm."

Walsh has been happy with the way recruiting has gone this year. "We're beginning to get some quality athletes," he says. "The Admissions Office has been very helpful. If a coach presents a reasonable list of candidates, he can expect to do well in admissions."

Dartmouth has made a sweep of the men'sand women's "Ivy Rookie of the Year" titlesin basketball, with Bryan Randalland Bev Hagerdon,

Both copping thehonor. Randall has been a leading scorer forthe Green, and Hagerdon was selected despitebeing sidelined with an injury for ninegames.

Sophomore goalie Mark Hoppe makes a save while senior defenseman Jeff Leonard guardsthe slot during one of this season's hockey contests on home ice in Thompson Arena. Selectedin early January as Co-Ivy Player of the Week, Hoppe had an impressive .904 save percentageagainst ECAC teams halfway through the season.