THURSDAY. JANUARY 5.1 Crap Seas < Penn State—long ’ season at home Saturd, Six letterwinners represent the nucleus around which Coach Charlie Speidel hopes to build another title contender in wrestling. Leading the array of returnees, of course, are the two co-captains—Bill Oberly, of As bury, N.J., and Joe Krufka, of Plymouth. Oberly won the National Collegiate heavy weight title in 1955, and Krufka was second both in the EIWA and NCAA’s Sid Nodland, probably a shoo in for the 123-pound job this year, went undefeated in that weight last year as a sophomore. He tied once in 'the regular season and then lost twice in post-season tournaments. He was third in the 1955 ETWA championships. Dave Adams, another junior, who opened the season with a good start last year, wound up with a 5-2 slate in dual meets, and then won three out of five tournament battles. He’s also ex pected to be a regular in hand ling the 147-pound class. State College will have three contributions vying for a spot on the eight-man lineup with Hal Byers, 130-pounder who sat out last year’s season; Dick Baker, working to enter either the 157 or 167-pound classes; and Joe Hum phreys, who saw action last year, also at 157 pounds. Ed Pasko, 167-pounder who al so wrestled last year, is again out for a starting berth. He and Hum phreys will each expect competi tion from Baker and Dick Phe lan of Washington. Byers will face the challenges -of Johnny John ston of Clearfield at 130 pounds. Speidel’s most telling losses from last year’s team that posted a 5-2 record and placed second in both the Eastern and National tournaments, will be the absence of Larry Fomicola (137) and Cap tain Bob Homan (130). Speidel will also face an old problem—the same one that con fronted him in 1955—in the 157 and 167-pound weight classes. Solid strength in the other weights, however, should surely give him a solid outlook for 1955. These include Nodland (123), By ers (130), rugged John Pepe (137), and Dave Adams (147) in the lightweights and Krufka (177) and Oberly (heavyweight) in the top weight divisions. Humphreys, Phe lan, Baker, and Pasko will be bat tlers for the two middleweight classes. Speidel will lead his matmen against Cornell in the opener at home Saturday, then Lehigh (away, Jan. 14); Navy (away, Jan. 28); Ohio State, (away, Feb. 4); Syracuse (home, Feb. 11); Illinois, (away, Feb. 17); Maryland (away, Feb. 25); and finally Pitt (home, March 3.) The EIWA champion ships will he March 9-10 at Le high, and the NCAA’s March 23-24 at Norman, Okla. Last year’s record included wins over Cornell, 17-11; Maryland, 25-5; Syracuse, 22-8; Army, 28-8; and Lehigh, 15-13. The Lions lost to Pitt; 19-8, and Navy, 16-12. Pitt copped the Eastern title over the Lions, 22-21, but the Lions rebounded with more pow er in the Nationals to land a solid second with 31 points behind Ok lahoma A and M with 40. Pitt was third with 28. Cross-Country Manager Donald Byerly. of West Milton, has been named manager of the 1956 Penn State cross-country team, succeeding Richard Seng, of Pittsburgh. 3 Returning Matmen Who Won Wilkes Crowns Joe Xnfts tiers Open n Saturday By BOY WILLIAMS he scourge of its collegiate wrestling opposition—will open its 1956 ly when it hosts Cornell. Four Matmen Victorious ki Holiday Tournament Four Penn State wrestlers —three of whom will be returning to the ranks Saturday when the Lions open with Cornell at home— won championships during the holidays in the 24th Open Champion ships at Wilkes College. Had the four Lion matmen been competing as a team, they would have easily taken team honors. As a result, Pitt piled up points .in the early rounds and coupled them with a first place to regain the team title, j Pitt scored 69 points followed by Michigan (59), Syracuse (45), Cornell (29), Lock Haven State Teachers (22), and Lehigh (19). Penn State was the only school to have more than one winner. Larry Fornicola, who won the 137-pound title, was awarded the Outstanding Wrestler Trophy by Billy Sheridan, “Dean of Ameri can Wrestling Coaches.” Forni cola was judged the tourney’s top performer from among 293 entrants in balloting following j the final matches. In taking the 137-pound crown, Fornicola defeated Vic DeFelice, 5-0, in the semi-finals, and then stopped Frank Hirt, Michigan. Fornicola —along with return ing lettermen Joe Krufka, Bill Oberly, and Sid Nodland—copped individual honors. Fornicola, who won the Eastern Intercollegiate crown and then the National Col legiate Athletic Association titles last year while a senior matman for Coach Charlie Speidel, will graduate in February; conse quently Speidel will be without flie 137-pound ace who was among the four men to repeat as champs in the Wilkes tilt. For Oberly, Krufka, and Nod land, however, it will be a differ ent story. Each was successful last year—Oberly won the un limited title in the NCAA's at Cornell in 1955—and each will be expected to carry a heavy load this year. j Nodland copped the 123-pound title. He defeated Mike Krishart, Pitt, 11-1 in the semi-finals, and then went on to knock off last year’s champion from Pitt, Bill Hulings. The scrappy Lion junior pinned Hulings in 8:29 to take the title. Joe Krufka—senior co-captain who was runnerup in both the East and nationals last year first defeated Jack Manchello, Michi gan, with a pin at 8:49, and then went on to win the 177-pound title with an 8-2 decision over Kichard-Dean of the University of Maryland. It. was the fourth crown in Wilkes tourney competi tion for Krufka. | The Lions’ other co-captain Bill Oberly took his semi-final win by a pin over Ed Zabrycki, for i mer Navy grappler wrestling un attached, in 8:33. He then went on to overwhelm Oklahoma A and M’s unattached entry, Tim Woddin, of the Ithaca, ! New York, Grapplers, 12-3. 3 Gymnasts Appear Sunday On TV Show Three Penn State gymnasts— Karl Schwenzfeier, Armando Ve ga, and Gil Leu—were featured on the CBS television program Omnibus .Sunday. The trio per formed gymnastic feats and dis played dazzling artistic ability in the Educational Gym short, which was a part of the hour long Omni bus. The three were selected by Roy Moore, chairman of the NAAU, over a group of other gymnasts because of their great skill and artistic finesse. Schwenzfeier, who last year won Eastern and National colle giate all-around honors, will grad uate this-month, but he plans to remain on campus as a graduate student and compete in the Olym pic trials here in April. Vega, who Coach Gene Wett stone says is “farther advanced as a sophomore than -both Schwenzfeier and Jean Cron stedt,” hails from Los Angeles where he was considered one of the greatest high school gymnasts on the West Coast. The Swiss-born Leu is only a freshman and-will not be eligible for intercollegiate competition. Speidel Issues Call for Frosh Coach Charlie Speidel has issued an "urgent" call for freshmen interested ia wres tling to report today to Rec Hall to supplement the present frosh squed. The Lion Cubs meet Cornell Saturday in a preliminary to -the Varsity contest. Cornell recently de feated Lehigh's freshman team. 14-12. Speidel mid he hoped to have his freshmen ia peak shape for the following two matches with Navy - and Le high. We've been hampered because of the holidays. Spei del, said, and we need non freshmen. Sid Nodland THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA BUI Oberly Penn State Sports— f the i £J§a LINE \JM By ROT WILLIAMS ; Sports Editor JHHI FOOTBALL Penn State's representation of the 24 players and three coaches from the East in the annual East-West Shrine game at Kezar Sta dium was notable. For the first time in Lion history a Penn State coach worked the game. Rip Engle, helping Ohio State mentor Woody Hayes, sat in the press box and spotted the holes that led to the East’s re sounding victory. And what of Lenny Moore? Here’s what: The East rolled 71 yards in 14 plays for its first TD. Moore carried the pigskin on eight of these occasions. His runs netted him 6.5 yards per carry. He then carried from the nine to the one before getting knocked out of bounds. After the East’s score Moore became ineffective on the cross bucks and end around plays that quarterback Jerry Reichow called for. A slippery field—his old nemises—caused him to slip twice— once when he was open on an end sweep. Then, ironically, Moore, did a direct about face and became a defensive standout for the East. Defending along side of the fabu lous Hopalong Cassidy, Moore raced across field once in the second stanza to haul down a West pass receiver with a smashing tackle to delay the West’s eventual tally. Then he helped set up another East touchdown when he rattled Leon Clarke of Southern California as he grabbed a pass. Illinois’ Em Lindbeck scooped up Clarke’s fumble, and raced 34 yards to the six to set up another East TD. And what of Frank Reich and Otto Kneidinger? Here’s what: Reich, co-captain and center for the Lions last year, was switched from center where the East had a host of material to end, where he played a solid defensive game on the right side. Both Reich and Kneidinger played top-notch football both ways, and helped pace the East’s attack. All in all the Lions placed three men among the 24 selected for the tilt from the East. Two of these started. Also, one of the three coaches was from Penn State. And the Lions’ football contri butions didn’t, sit on the bench; they played, and played well. Each of them did. All in all, it was a good day. WREST LlNG—Brother Act? Of the ten champs io the Wilkes Wrestling tourney, two of them were Oberlys! Bill Oberiy, co-captain, saw his brother W. Johnston Oberly cop the heavyweight title. Oberiy won the 191-pound title while his "little” brother-took the heavyweight title. Little brother weighs 235. The 17-year-old high school junior won his semi-final and final matches on pins—the latter over Cornell’s Bill Murray. Both pins were in less than five minutes. WRESTLING—things to com*? Syracuse, Pitt, and Lehigh eventual opponents of Penn State’s matmen this year—each had one champ at the Wilkes tourney. Syracuse, Pitt, and Cornell also had a runner-up spot apiece. Cornell's Bill Murray lost to Johnston Oberiy, unattached, in the finals in the unlimited class. Syracuse’s Don Clar took the 115-pound title, while his team mate George Creason lost to Lehigh’s Leon Harbold by a pin in the 130-pound division. Pitt’s Ed Dewitt won the 167-pound title, and Panther .Bill Hidings was second at 123 behind the Lions’ Sid Nodland. GYMNASTICS—Support it. The Swiss gym team will be in Recreation Hall Saturday, Jan,. 14. Ticket sales—they’ve been on now for . more than a month—. are moving we understand, but not to students! Seems as though most of the reserved tickets in the second balcony have been bought by faculty members and a sprinkling of townspeople. They're still some seats left however. It’ll cost you a buck for an unreserved seat on the first floor. Not much left in the way of reserved seats for $2.00 in the second deck, except for isolated areas. Only 9 days left. BASKETBALL—why? Topsy turvey, that’s the Lions’ cage season thus far. In eight games the Lions have tied their record four times. Now it stands at 4-4. Practice'sessions have become near football fracases with players attempting to win a starting berth. Evidently this hasn’t helped many of the henchmen’s chances of playing because that's where they’re staying during games—on the bench. With foul shooting heavily accented in recent practice sessions the Lions made only 12 of 20 fouls against .Carnegie Tech. Tech was able to walk to the foul lane 27 times. Rough practice sessions where fouls come—and go—are sometimes not easily forgotten when the Lions realize they’re in a game—when you’re penalized for such antics. ! Of course Techs’ A 1 Frank’s didn’t help matters as he hit on all ten of his free throws—six of them in the final half, i THIS AND THAT— | Joe Krufka, four-time winner of a Wilkes tourney crown was interviewed over WILK-TV during the holidays in Wilkes-Barre giving a rundown of the tourney's history . . . Jack Sell, son of sportswriter Jack Sell of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, will be .coming up to the Lion varsity next year. He played end for the ifrosh in ’55 . . Lion trainer Chuck Medlar served in that capacity at the Blue-Gray game for the losing Blue squad at Mont gomery, Ala. PAGE SEVEN
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