PAGE SIX West,Mid west Pose Aggies Lose Champ Threat to Gymnasts A quick glance at the list of gym teams collecting in Los Angeles Friday and Saturday would be the surest way of disproving any beliefs that Penn State’s NCAA title-defending gymnasts will have an easy time of it when they undertake the weekend task of winning successive title number three. Gene Wettstone’s Eastern champions will leave campus late tonight en route to Pitts burgh. where they will take a midnight plane for the journey to California. Tomorrow afternoon they will go through light workouts in preparations for prelimi nary action slated to get under way at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Such perennial gymnastic pow erhouses as UCLA, the host team, Illinois, Florida State, Michigan State, lowa, Southern California, Louisiana State, Texas, and Cali fornia will be at full strength in an attempt to disrupt the NCAA crown’s two-year stay in the Cen tre County hills. West's Entries Henry Due to the traveling element, the West Coast will have the heaviest concentration of repre sentatives at UCLA, but the Mid west, which contributed a host of runners-up in last year’s tourney, will once again be a strong re gional contender. And representing the East Penn State. Although several Eastern standouts such as Syra cuse’s Corky Sebbo and Milan Tmka, Navy’s Larry White and Steve Arnold, and Army’s John Funkhouser, will make the cross country journey, the Lions will be the only Eastern team invad ing Los Angeles with a full squad. Biggest Threats UCLA. Illinois, Florida State, and Michigan State appear to be the Nittanies biggest threats in keeping the Lions from a repeat win. Coach Ralph Borelli’s Bruins, who own a decided advantage with the tourney right in their own back yard, sport no less than four performers who could go all the way in their respective events. Russ Alee will be Nittany cap tain Karl Schwenzfeier’s strongest UCLA hurdle to clear in all around competition. Alee, versa tile Bruin who does his best on the side horse, will be backed by Bob Hammond, the nation’s fastest collegiate rope climber, Don Faber, fine calisthenics man, and Mel Robin on the flying rings. Hammond scales the 20-foot hemp in 3.2 seconds. The Illini are expected to field a stronger team than last year when they took runner-up honors, and Florida State is probably in its best form since capturing the national title three years ago. Jeff Austin on the mats and the trampoline and Tom Gardner on the side horse will be the top Hlini entries. Gardner is also iit contention for all-around honors. Florida State will offer Don Holder and Raefael Lecuona, two top all-around contenders, and Jim Fadigan on the trampoline. 10 Win Handball Matches Nine fraternity men and one independent emerged victorious from intramural handball singles play Monday night at Rec Hall. In the fraternity contests, Dave Adams, Delta Upsilon, stopped Don McKittrick, Delta Sigma Phi, 21-12, 21-9; Sheldon Amsel, Beta Sigma Rho, trounced Doug Hen derson, Phi Gamma Delta, 21-8, 21-5; Jim Caldwell, Theta Chi, took two consecutive games from Charles Darragh, Acacia, 21-10, 21-11; Paul Dierks, Phi Delta Theta, humbled Harry Holm, Pi Kappa Phi, 21-3, 21-6; Bill Taber, Sigma Pi, defeated Walt Steven son, Phi Sigma Kappa, by identi cal scores of 21-6, .'H-6. Fornicola Eyes NCAA Mat Crown By ROY WILLIAMS On Friday Penn State’s wrest ling teatn will enter the 25th Na tional Collegiate Athletic Associa tion tourney at Cornell. But the Lions will have only one man on that eight-man squad who has laid claim to a 1955 Eastern Inter collegiate Wrestling Association title. That one man is Larry Forni cola—the Lions’ scrappy 137- pound regular who finally topped the pinnacle of a four-year wrest ling carer by copping the EIWA crown although he was the tour ney’s second-seeded 137-pounder. Fornicola had no easy task be fore him when he walked onto the practice mats in making a bid for a spot on one of Speidel’s teams. Worked in Lemyre's Shadow For three years Fornicola was forced to work under the shadow of one of the Lions’ all-time greats —Dick Lemyre, a three-time East ern champ. Fornicola not only had stiff competition in Lemyre, but he also had a double-duty task stacked on top of this first prob lem. Hie Bellefonte senior held a job—and still does—that has kept him moving at a fast pace when coupled with his studies and his wrestling interests. In 1954 he shared the wrestling chores With Lemyre and scored three victories. In 1952 he staged a scoreless batle with Lehigh’s crack Ken Faust and later deci sioned George Matthews of Pitt, 7-5. Fornicola has proven his ver satility ag an athlete in showing his keen interest for competition and a spirited appetite for stay ing in first-rate physical condi tion. Switch to Ring Last year he made an unpre cedented switch from the wrest ling mats to the boxing ring. The wrestling team was competing in the NCAA’s at Norman, Okla homa, with Fornicola’s weight nailed shut by Lemyre. Instead of sitting back to rest after a grueling mat campaign, Fornicola stepped into the ring at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to face Lou Adler, Beta Sigma Rho, easily defeated Dick Wagner, Phi Kappa Tau, 21-4, 21-12; John Al barano, Theta Kappa Phi, elimi nated George Canaga, Sigma Chi, 21-13, 21-7; Mike .Meckley, Theta Xi, swamped Ken Fry, Chi Phi, 21-3, 21-3; and Bill Frengel, Lambda Chi Alpha, rallied strong ly to take two of three games from Jack Morrison, Phi Sigma Delta, 12-21, 21-19; 21-0. Independent action saw Harry Richman win over George Schim mel by scores of 21-11, 21-2. One other independent contest be tween Joe McHugh and Franklin Trenge resulted in a double for feit when neither contestant •ho-.ved up for the match. fHE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA two-time Southern Conference champ Bob Jackson —a four-year veteran of boxing-minded Louis iana State University. Fornicola dropped his ring en counter by three points losing each round to the champ by only a slim one-point margin. But For nicola has thrived on rugged Richard Greta Arlen Grynt "DEVIL'S HARBOR" —Fealureiime— -2:17. 4:10. 6:03. 7:56. 9:49 CbStkamm o° P ™ 1:15 p.m, 'The Caine Mutiny" Lovers Together Again in . . . "THEY RODE WEST" —Technicolor— Robert Francis - May Wynn Doors mmmSSßrf Open 5 p.m. See two Great Stars Bring to Llfo a Great Horror Classic "Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde" Spencer Tracy - Lana Turner Also Ingrid Bergman For Mat Tourney Oklahoma A and M will enter six crack matmen In the 25th National Collegiate Athletic Association wrestling tour ney in an effort to defend its 1954 crown. But the Aggies have suffered a severe blow that may cut heavily into its claim to retain a title that it has copped 16 times. Ned Blass, the Aggie’s 177-pound champ for two years, has suffered a shoulder injury that will put him on the side lines for the NCAA tilt. The tourney opens Friday afternoon at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. From Coffee Urn to Wrestling Mat opposition. Army’s Pete Fikaris toppled Fornicola in 1952 on. the mats, but the Lion senior reversed the score in their thrilling dual meet contest this year. Faust and Forni cola tied 2-2 in their freshman year, but Fornicola turned the score 7-5 in a return bout. I }\ ii-iIS fill *f i A smartly styled all-purpose coat. P v Oyster shade with plaid lining, it's windproof and guaranteed ( water repellent. Roomy ticket pockets and long center vent mean more con venience and comfort for you. Raglan sleeves. Made of long-staple Egyptian cotton poplin- Regular, long, and shorts at $23.75. Unlink WEDNESDAY. MARCH 23. 1955 But Aggie mat coach, Art Grif fith, will have a well padded line up that will include defending 137-pound champ Myron Roder ick plus Dave Bowlin, 115; Jerry Billings, 123; Dave Simmons, 130: Doug Blubaugh, 157; and Fred Davis, 107. Davis Was fourth last year. Won Big Ten Title Michigan’s Wolverines,- fresh from gaining top honors in the Big Ten race, will make their bid for the team title with a four man group of Big Ten champs including Mak Pearson, 130; Andy Kaul, 137; Don Haney. 147 j and Mike Rodriquez, 157; Kaul earned a fourth-place berth in 1964. The Wolverines defeated Pitt, but lost to lowa and Illinois— who finished in that order in the conference battle. lowa enters one defending champ at 123 in Dick Govig. Terry McCann will wres tle at 115 although he won th 6 conference title at 123. John Winder, a 177 Big Ten champ, will slide into the 157-pound weight. Jerry Salmon, 147; Haf lan Jenkinson, 167, and Ken Lau er, 191, will round out the HaWk eye’s entry card. One Conference Champ Illinois will have one confer ence champ with Larry Ten Pas at 167 pounds plus Frank Kastor at 157, Ed Jackson at 147, John Ontiveros, 123, and Dick Meeks at 115. Oklahoma another Southwest school that thrives on wrestling —enters the NCAA tourney with four Big Seven individual champs. Headed by National AAU champ Dan Hodge at 177 pounds they are Bobby Lyons, 130; Don Hart, 137; and Lee Ypung at 14 1 ?. lowa State Teachers College— a little school that has proven its capabilities of maintaining' high ideas about wrestling—may give the “bigger” schools some trouble with Bill Weick, 157-pound champ in 1952 before he entered army service. The Teachers—who won the tournament in 1950 and were second in 1952—a150 will enter Ed Masteller, 123; Dick Forman ek, 167; and Gus Gatto, 191, With hopes of figuring in the final tab ulations. Soccer Candidates Candidates for spring soccer practice are to report to coach Ken Hosterman in 110 Rec Hall to secure physical checkup cards. ALLIGATOR "Coacher"
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers