Kansas faces strong foes in big 8 wrestling title bout
By David Finch
KU's head wrestling coach, Gary Duff, is anything but optimistic about the Jay hawk grapplers chances in this year's Big Eight wrestling championships Saturday at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan.
Duff said in Robinson Gymnasium day that he expects the KU team to pick up 10 points, which would represent progress over last year's total of zero.
"IT'S REAL tough," Duff said, taking a moment off from coaching his wrestlers who were grappling with each other on the big red mat. "Oklahoma a State is ranked number one in the nation, Oklahoma is ranked second, Iowa State is third, and Colorado is 11th. It'll be like an NCAA final."
Last year KU finished last in the meet, and Duff sees no prospects of finishing higher this year. "Missouri finished just above us with one point, then Nebraska with 16, but this year Missouri has attracted some talented men by giving scholarships for wrestling,
while Nebraska has two really good boys."
Duff sees the 137 weight and the heavyweight divisions as KU's best chances of picking up points. Marc Ryan, Salina junior, at 137 pounds has been improving throughout the season.
OKLAHOMA STATE, who won last year with a record breaking score of 110, is expected to win again this weekend. They have won the meet five straight years and have three returning champions. These are Tadaaki Hatta, 115 weight champion; Yojiro Uetake, last year's NCAA winner, at 130; and Bill Harlow at 191 pounds.
Oklahoma also has a defending NCAA and conference champion in Greg Ruth, who wrestles at 167 pounds. OU is favored in the heavyweight, with Luke Sharpe, and in the 160 weight with Bill Lam. In addition, the Sooners are co-favorites in the 137, 145 and 152 weights with Mike Sager, Jerry Stanley and Wayne Wells, respectively.
Iowa State has the 137 weight champion in Bob Buzzard, but he will be wrestling at 152 pounds this year. Tom Peckham, NCAA champion at 177 pounds and runner-up in the 165 conference meet, is also back for ISU.
PRELIMINARIES for the 35th annual meet will be held today, and the semifinals and consolation finals will be tomorrow. The scoring system will be one point for an advancement (to the next round) one point for a fall, 10 for 1st place, seven for 2nd, five for 3rd and three for 4th.
Duff does not see much chance for KU to climb off the bottom in the foreseeable future. KU has no scholarships for wrestling, and he said, "The boys who take part are enthusiastic but inexperienced. They do it for the love of the sport."
Duff doubts that KU will grant scholarships for wrestling for a long time yet. Until then, KU must languish at the bottom of the Big Eight, he said.
Prep fives play hot ball in Class AA tournament
Comebacks were the order of the day yesterday in the first round play of the state Class AA high school basketball tournament at Allen Field House.
Three of four losers saw big leads turn to deficits and defeat in one of the most closely contested first rounds of action in years.
OVERCOMING deficits to win were Garden City, Shawnee Mission North, and Pittsburgh.
Only Wichita East, a 55-50 winner over Leavenworth in the first game of the evening, was able to lead down the stretch and they were challenged at the finish.
There were 3,500 fans on hand in the afternoon, and 6,000 more at night to witness the high tension prep games.
Garden City was trailing Manhattan 25-11 with about five minutes left to play in the first half when they started on their comeback trail. By the end of the half they had cut the Indians' lead to four, 31-27.
GARDEN CITY continued its overcoming effort in the second half and finally succeeded in taking the lead at 38-37 with 3:48 to play. The lead changed hands several times after that but Garden City was on top when the game ended, 46-45.
Shawnee Mission North was behind Wichita Southeast, 36-23, late in the third quarter when they began their move to victory.
Semifinal action begins today at 7 p.m. with Garden City playing Wichita East in the first game and Shawnee Mission North going against Pittsburgh in the second. All four remaining teams, win or lose, will advance to tomorrow night's play for the championship and third place contests.
Daily Kansan Friday, March 11, 1966
Jayhawks chase —
Continued from page 1
Bob Begert, 6-6, at forwards and Bob Jones, 6-3, and Denny Holman, 6-3, at guards.
KU HEAD COACH, Ted Owens said that he was particularly impressed with the play of Beasley and Hooser and that SMU has a well-balanced team.
The Mustangs hold the highest shooting percentage in the Southwest Conference with 48.9 per cent and have never shot worse than 30 per cent in any games this season.
Tonight marks the seventh time in KU's history that the Jayhawks have gone to the NCAA. The Jayhawks have a 14-5 national tournament record including a national title in 1952 and three second places in 1940, 1953, and 1957. The Big Eight Conference has a 53-36 overall NCAA tournament mark.
ACCORDING to SMU assistant coach, Bob Prewitt, the Mustangs are definitely concerned about the KU squad as a whole, and Walt Wesley in particular.
"Wesley is as fine a big man as I have seen this year," said Prewitt. "He has long arms and creates quite a problem if you
drive for the basket and try to get inside him; he's agile and moves real well."
Prewitt's concern over Wesley is well-founded as this year "Big Walt" has averaged 20.5 points a game and has also led KU in rebounding and has blocked 100 shots.
THE JAYHAWKS will begin the game with their regular starters: Wesley at center, Al Lopes and Ron Franz at forwards and Delvy Lewis and JoJo White at guards.
Defensively, the Jayhawks are the fifth best team in the nation as they have allowed no more than 61.6 points a game to the opposition. KU has averaged 76.8 points per game this year.
Every man in the Jayhawk starting line-up has averaged in double figures this year and three of the top substitutes, Rodger Bohnstiehl, Bob Wilson, and Riney Lochmann, sport scoring averages over five points per game.
PREWITT SAID. "To beat KU we'll have to be hitting, do a good job of rebounding, and cut down on the turnovers."
According to Prewitt this means the Mustangs will have to play their best game.
Nine Jayhawkers to run jump in NCAA track meet
In addition to the varsity members, Coach Bob Timmons has announced that freshmen Jim Ryun and Bob Steinhoff will be entered in special events.
Kansas will enter nine varsity athletes in the NCAA Indoor Track Championships this weekend at Detroit, Mich.
in the meet with the following performers: Gary Ard, long jump; Steve Ashurst, mile relay; Gary Barr, shot put; Art Cortez, long jump and high jump; Dou Dienelt, mile relay; John Lawson (team captain), two mile run; Ralph Light, high jump; Lowell Paul, 1,000 yard run, mile relay; Dwight Peck, mile relay; Jim Ryun, invitational mile; and Bob Steinhoff, invitational pault.
Kansas, winner of the Big Eight Conference Indoor Track Championships, hopes to compile points
3
TRAVEL during SPRING BREAK
Arrange Your:
Flight Home (ask about student rates)
Resort Reservations
Skiing Accommodations
Other Break Reservations
Saturday night, win or lose,
KU will play either Cincinnati or
Texas Western. Both of these
teams are noted for playing a
wide open, fast breaking game
and are considered about even
in their contest tonight.
A "welcome home" rally will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the south end of the Allen Field House for the team as it returns from the tournament.
The Malls VI 3-1211
Students, houses and organizations can send pre-game telegrams to the team addressed as follows: Kansas Basketball Team, care of Coach Ted Owens, Country Inn Motel, Lubbock.
A television will be set up at 8:45 p.m. today in the Forum Room of the Kansas Union to enable students to watch the game being televised on BIBW-TV.
Sat., March 19 at Hoch Auditorium Tickets on Sale at 9 a.m.
at
Kansas Union, Information Booth. Also The Sound and Bell's Music $1.50,$1.75,$2
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