THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 18. 1<?54
BOXING ON THE UPSWING?
“The best laid plans of mice and men oft’ gang agley.” That’
the way the. Scotch say it. In plainer words —some days a guy can'
make a nickel.
Syracuse’s Roy Simmons found that out Saturday when he
brought his power-laden boxing squad to Ree Hall. Eastern inter
collegiate champions for five years running, and heavy favorites to
repeat again this season, the Orange, to all appearances, were to
have no trouble with Eddie Sulkowski’s Nittany Lions.
Simmons, however, wasn’t taking any chances. Maybe he realized
that a little ring experience can make a lot of difference with a team,-
even though it hasn’t won a match, or maybe he just wanted to make
certain that his top middleweight, Bruce Yancey would get his vic
tory. Anyway, Yancey was moved from the 177 pound class into
the heavyweight division.'Simmons evidently figured Yancey didn’t
stand a chance against the Lion’s powerhouse Adam Kois. The brutal
Eastern Champion pounded Yancey twice last season.
In regular duel-meet competition he scored a convincing 30-24
decision and then in the EIBA finals he blasted the Syracuse
gridder like a clay pigeon. A savage fury of sharp lefts and sledge
hammer rights in the third round almost drove the glassy-eyed
Orangeman to the canvas.
So on th.e surface, Simmons’ move ; Saturday was a sound one.
With Yancey, a very good boxer and slugger fighting heavy, Sim
mons felt he would be assurred a victory in that division. Since Kois
was almost a sure bet to whip him in the 177 go, why not switch
him into the heavyweight class and be sure of a win there?
Simmons, however, probably felt that there would be no need
for a win by the time the match reached the final bout. And it
looked as though that was the way it was going to be. The Orange
won the first three bouts on the card before Lion Sophomore Jack
Stokes counter-punched his way to a three round decision. Then
another of Sulk’s many sophomores took over. One hundred-fifty six
pounder Don DeMay battered his Syracuse opponent, Joe McCourt,
to the canvas twice in the first round. The second time McCourt
went down, he failed to get up. Under intercollegiate rules there is
no such thing as a knockout. But it didn’t matter, the Nittanies had
narrowed the count to 3-2. --
The Lion's Frank Breidor losi his fight in the 165 pound
match and then Adam'Kois entered the ring for his fight with
Sam Alexander, who had replaced Yancey in the lineup. Kois
belted Alexander for three rounds to win as expected and the
score stood at 4-3. The Lions needed the last bout to tie the meet.
At this point it looked as though Simmon’s strategy was going
to pay off. Sulkowski had picked Frank Della Penna, a strapping
inexperienced sophomore, to fight in the heavy spot. With only one
fight behind him, a 30-27 loss at Maryland, Della Penna’s chances
appeared slim against the ring-wise Yancey. The pair exchanged
punches, evenly in the first round. In the second it looked momen
tarily as though Yancey was beginning to find the range.
Suddenly Della Penna's sharp left began to connect and a
hard right cross snapped Yancey's head. The big Lion was on the
attack. He back-peddled Yancey to the ropes and continued the
pounding. By the lime the bell rang the Orangeman was unable to
get his hands up and Della Penna's big arms were working like
pistons.
Frank stayed on the offense in the third round hut it was evi
dent that he was tired. For an instant it looked like Yancey was
going to come back, but Della Penna stayed with him and soon had
him on the ropes again. His hammer-like fists were • still landing
with murderous accuracy when the final bell sounded.
The Lions'had tied the match, 4-4. They stayed toe to toe with
the team regarded as the best in the east. It represents a big gain
for Sulkowski and a gross miscalculation for Simmons. It might
mean, since most of Sulk’s lineup is made up of sophomores, Syra
cuse’s eastern dominance might be seriously threatened in the
near future.
AERO
CIVIL
MECH
ELECT
ENGINEERING OPPORTUNITIES
The Glenn L.. Martin Company representa
tive will visit the campus on March 3 and 4,
1954 to discuss opportunities for graduating'
seniors of the school of engineering.
Contact your placement office for
appointment and further deiails.
THE GLENN L. MARTIN CO.
BALTIMORE 3, MD.
By
DICK McDOWELL
Assistant Sports Editor
THE DAILY CQILEGiAN. STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
Freshmen
To Wrestle
Saturday
Penn State’s freshman wres
tlers have the home show all to
themselves this weekend.
The frosh will take on plebes
from the West Chester State
Teachers College Saturday after
noon at' Kec Hall, and the 2:30
match is the only home sports
event-of the day.
The Lions tallied an impressive
23-11 victory over Lock Haven
Monday night, and will be out to
make it win No. 2 against the
strong Rams. West Chester an
nually turns out some of the best
small college grapplers in the
East. Last year at Rec Hall, for
instance, Ram heavyweight
Charles Weber reached the NCAA
finals before bowing to State’s
Hud Samson.
Don Watkins, who has been aid
ing Coach Charlie. Speidel with
the Lion matmen, indicates his
boys are particularly strong in
lower weights. This was well-ver
ified on- Monday night, as Penn
State men in the first four match
es pinned their Lock Haven foes.
George Smith, at 123 pounds,
137 pounder John Pepe, 147 pound
grappler Dave Adams, and 157
pound man Dan Gray scored the
falls. Pepe was particularly im
pressive as he defeated Tom Mus
ser, highly touted first year man
from Bellefonte.
Adams, a teammate of Musser
last year and PIAA ‘champion in
1953, has also impressed and look
ed strong against the Bobcats.
The probable lineup against
West Chester, besides the afore
mentioned four includes Sid Nod
land at 130, Jack Hazen at the
167 pound slot, Jay Livesey at
177 pounds, and Sam Markle, who
will take care of the heavyweight
chores.
The freshmen will close their
season a week from Saturday
when they meet the Pitt fresh
men at Rec Hall.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 17 (TP) —
Outfielder Richie Ashburn has re
turned his signed contract to the
Philadelphia Phillies and received
a raise, the club announced today.
“FLASH
TWO-H
BROTH
certain Sophomore named Brown acquired the
appellation “Flash,” not because he was lightning on the
gridiron, but just because he was never without an answer.
You’d pass him on the quadrangle and say "How’s it goin’,
Flash?” He’d answer, “Air Express.” Get the pitch?
Brown often referred to his “two-headed brother” in
conversations. One day a few men in his fraternity were
needling him.
“Your brother’s two heads must present quite a few problems."
“Not really. The only problem was his neatness,” said Flash,
“Neatness?” "Yes,” answered Flash, “he'worried about it.
Said he couldn’t find a shirt that didn’t wrinkle around the
collar. You see, he was often looking in two directions
at once, or eating and talking on the telephone.
Hard on a collar.”
“What did you do?” They Knew he did something about ii
“Simple. I got him the Van Heusen Century shirt with the
exclusive soft collar that won’t wrinkle ever! I got him
different collar styles and colors. $3.95 for the white,
§4.95 for the colors and superfine whites. You should have
seen the grins on his faces when he saw how those collars
stayed neat all day and night without starch or stays.”
“I guess he can really hold his heads up now,” said one.
“Yep. He figures he gets-four dmes more wear from Century
than from other shirts. Of course, he actually only gets twice
the wear. He just figures in both heads.”
One of the men visited Brown at Christmas, and found
it was all true.
Winless
To Face
I The Nittany boxing squad swung into its first of four scheduled
road trips last night when it left .for Madison, Wisconsin. Coach
Eddie Sulkowski and his eight mittmen left at 8 p.m. for Altoona on
the first leg of the 830-mile trip.
Badger Coach, John Walsh,
although Wisconsin faces the
Lions in its season opener.
Last year, the Badgers had the
National Collegiate boxing crown
knocked from their heads by Ida
ho State College. Wisconsin, how
ever, still maintained a strong
second place with 19 points, just
six behind the 1953 Collegiate
champs,
Wisconsin, long renowned as
the collegiate ring powerhouse,
has defeated the Lions 17 times
out of the 19 times since the two
team ! s first meeting in 1936. Penn
State has copped a meager two
wins, the first in 1937, and the
Itaest in 1951, 5-3.
Walsh has an enviable record
with the Badgers. In' eighteen
years, Wisconsin teams have won
109 matches, lost 12, and tied 11
times. Walsh has produced six
NCAA team champions, and all
29 individual titles won have re
sulted from his leadership.
Last year, the Badgers dumped
Penn State 5 Vs, went un
defeated in seven dual meets, and
outscored their opponents in sea
son dual meets, 39-17.
Wisconsin, the Lion boxers old
est rival, get fabulous attendances
at dual meets. In nine Lion meets
at Madison since 1936, 51,000 peo
ple have witnessed the bouts; the
largest crowd for a Lion-Badger
match at Wisconsin was 9300 in
1936.
In comparison, San Jose State
has visited the Madison field
house just five times, but has
drawn over 70,000 fight fans, the
largest single crowd being 15,000
in 1949.
Although the Badgers open their
season against the Lions, they are
by no means “in the dark” as far
as not having ring experience.
Each year before the start of
the boxing season, Wisconsin
holds tw;o individual meets, simi-
Ringmen
Badgers
By BOY WILLIAMS
will boast a veteran ring team.
Wichita Okays
NIT Cage Bid
NEW YORK, Feb. 17 (JP) ■ —
Wichita University, second-place
team in the Missouri Valley Con
ference and currently ranked 15th
in the nation by The Associated
Press Poll of sports writers and
broadcasters, today accepted an
invitation to play in the National
Invitation basketball tournament.
Wichita is the fifth team in the
field for the tournament at Mad
ison Square Garden, March 6-13.
Those previously invited were
Western Kentucky, Duquesne,
Dayton and Louisville.
lar to Penn State’s intramural
ring program.
These two tournaments, the an
nual Contenders’ Tournament and
the All-University Boxing Tour
nament, not only produce numer
ous, but also talented prospects
for Badger ring teams.
Such boxers as Ray Zale, 178-
pound NCAA champ last year,
Bob Meath, Badger ring captain,
and Bob Morgan, 1952 147-pound
NCAA champion, have been
“found” in such competition.
JACK HARPER
Casual Comfort
This Jack Harper sweaier
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It's hand-fashioiled in the
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Easy fitting ribbed crew
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K*YVE« TA*i.O®
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