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Athletic board to give wrestlers heave-ho?
By NORM REILLY
Sparti editor
A December recommendation by the executive committee of
the athletic board could dissolve the Georgia wrestling program
after this season if the motion is approved at the regular board
meeting later this month
The announcement, which athletic director Vince Dooley calls
"both economically and competitively sound in my judgment"
and freshman wrestler John Pemer says is like “throwing 25
athletes out on the street." came at the most inopportune time.
Just days before, the Bulldogs had won their first-ever first place
trophy at the Loch Haven (Pa.) Invitational Tournament and the
team was going to present it to Dooley in his office
The termination of the program being recommended by the
executive committee is based on three factors 1) only five
Southeastern Conference schools currently sponsor wrestling as
an intercollegiate sport; 2) the dramatic increase in the women's
athletic program; and 3) the consistently poor performance of
the team in the nine-year history of the SEC championships
With the approval of the athletic board the wrestling program
would become the first casualty of Title IX, the federal
regulation which requires equal athletic opportunity for men and
women students The number of men and women's sports team
would be even a! nine apiece (excluding football) if the wrestling
team is dropped
“It is certainly with mixed emotions that I concur with the
recommendation of the executive committee," Dooley said. He
cited the rapid expansion of the athletic program in other areas
and the history of wrestling at Georgia and in the SEC as being
influencing factors in the decision.
"The committee felt the need for evaluation of the wrestling
program especially with the growth of the athletic program in
other areas," said Reid Parker, athletic director for
administration "We must always be making critical analyses of
all programs with the idea of either cutting back or eliminating
programs if the need arises. We chose to eliminate because by
cutting back, we would reduce the effectiveness of the sport to
compete Our commitment is to provide competitive sports at
Georgia," Parker said.
Naturally, the announcement hit the wrestling team members
like a brick "I'm just having a hard time believing they could do
something like this," Perner said. "They have shattered all our
lives. Why not take an equal amount of money away from all the
programs instead of totally eliminating one program?”
Bulldog coach George Reid was as upset as his wrestlers "I'm
extremely disappointed," he said. “I feel the timing is bad since
we're on the verge of having an outstanding wrestling program
at Georgia. The program in the past has obviously not had a good
showing, but I honestly believed we were on the verge of having
a winning program Last year, we had two freshmen
AU-Americans (Matt Skove and Chris Johnson) and this year we
had another pair of outstanding freshmen. We had the potential,"
Reid said.
If the wrestling program’s dissolution Is passed, wrestlers
currently on scholarship would be provided for and any wrestler
within one year of graduation as of June 1980 will have his
scholarship honored for that additional year. Under NCAA rules,
any wrestler wishing to transfer to another school may do so and
be eligible immediately.
Though it looks like a lost cause, the wrestlers have said
they're not just going to sit back while the final decision is made.
“I'm going to try to do something," senior Matt Morris said.
"I'm going to call everybody I know—coachsc, 'tudents,
alumni "
NOTES: In winning the Loch Haven Tournament, Georgia
finished ahead of 12 teamif, including two (Ohio State and
Temple) which had been ranked in the nation's top twenty.
The Bulldog matmen completed the two-day event with 104
points. 11 more than second place Temple. Following Georgia
and Temple were Indiana State (K), Rhode Island (77), Ohio
State (72), Ohio University (88), Kent State (82), Pittsburgh (48),
Loch Haven '38), Millersville (30), Westchester State (29), and
Lycoming 129).
Sophomore Don St James won the 134-pound class with a 8-2
decision over Temple's Larry Bowman in the finals while Matt
Skove took the 150-pound title by defeating Loch Haven’s Doug
Galliger, 5-0.
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Daughtry led scorers against Vandy
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301 (Cast Clapton Street
Daughtry leads way over Vandy, 88-66
Go Dogs!
an enthusiastic standing-room-
only crowd of 11,350 and the
fans didn't leave disappointed.
"It's a particularly good win
for us after we didn't play very
well down at Florida." Bulldog
coach Hugh Durham said after
the 88-66 shellacking.
The Bulldogs led by as much
as 10 points. 28-18. in the first
half before the Commodores
dosed the gap to 46-40 at
intermission. Daughtry, the
game's high scorer blistered the
nets in the opening half pump
ing in 16 points.
The teams traded baskets
much of the second half with
Vandy taking a 57-56 lead with
12:36 remaining in the game.
That was to be the last time the
Commodores led as the Dogs'
defense held them in check,
limiting the Vandy offense to
just five points over the next 10
minutes.
When Jimmy Gray finally hit
a jumper with 2:12 left, the
game was all bat over with
Georgia holding a commanding
82-64 advantage. "When you
get out in front by 12-14 points,
it makes it a lot easier to play.”
Durham explained.
Jeff Thomas played much of
the game at guard after fresh
man Derrick Floyd had his
problems in the early going, and
though the sophomore from
Brooklyn. N.Y. scored just two
points, he dished out seven
assists and played an excellent
fl»»or game.
"We've got to get good play
out of our guards.” Durham
said, "and Jeff gives us some
depth at the guard position.”
The Bulldogs had four players
in double figures as Dominique
Wilkins followed Daughtry's 20
with 19 of his own: Lamar Heard
came off the bench to add 15
and Lavon Mercer, who hasn’t
missed a field goal in his last
two games, had 14 points.
Georgia travels to Starkville.
Miss, tomorrow to battle 9-3
Mississippi State and then
returns home for a Saturday
afternoon engagement with
highly-ranked LSU. The LSU
game will be regionally tele
vised beginning at 2 p.m.
By NORM REILLY
Sports editor
After Vanderbilt stunned
fourth-ranked LSU and Georgia
was knocked off by Florida last
Wednesday, who would have
thought that the result at the
Coliseum Saturday would be a
22-point Bulldog victory over
the Commodores?
Georgia used a balanced
scoring attack, with Jimmy
Daughtry leading the way with
20. to beat Vandy. which had
cumc into the game with a
thrcc-gamc win streak.
The game was played before
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Stormin’
Norma
Norm Reilly
Sports editor
Wrestlers get shafted
I wonder why it is that all the big announcements out of
the athletic department seem lo come when the students
are away
Just over Christmas break, several decisions were,
made Jim Pyburn announced that he wouldn't be a
Bulldog assistant next season Vince I>ooley said he'd
remain head football coach no longer than three more
years. After that he will devote his time to his duties as
athletic director
But the announcement which came out Dec. 18 took the
cake It was one hard for me to believe and even harder
for 26 Georgia athletes to swallow What Dooley made
public then was the fact that the Georgia wrestling
arogram will most likely no longer exist after this season
The announcement naturally sent shock waves lo the
Bulldog wrestlers
To say that the wrestlers are getting a raw deal from
the athletic department's executive board decision is the
ultimate understatement
The reasons cited by the executive board and Dooley
don’t impress me too much. So what that only five SEC
schools have wrestling programs—what influence should
that have on the improving Georgia team? Yes. the
women’s athletic program has grown into what it should
be now. but why should Title IX make wrestling its first
casualty? And yes, it's true that the wrestling team’s
performance over the years hasn’t been anything to brag
about, but I don't believe the basketball team's existence
was ever threatened when it continued to lose for what
seemed like an eternity
I don't see how ah 18-year-old just out of high school
can be offered a four-year scholarship and a chance to
wrestle at the University and then before his freshman
season gets started good be told to gel ready to pack his
bags It doesn't make much sense and it sure as hell isn't
fair.
Yes. the Dogs have fared rather pooriy at the SEC
tournament in recent years, but when you look at their
dual meet record in the last decade, you see they haven't
done so badly after all. In fact, the wrestling team has
had a winning percentage over .500 the last 10 years
The executive committee decision could not have come
at a worse time. The team had just returned from
Pennsylvania where it had captured the Loch Haven
Invitational Tourney. It marked the first championship a
Georgia wrestling team had ever won and coach George
Reid was right when he said “we had the potential" to
win more.
The trophy, which now sits on the third floor of the
Coliseum, was to be presented to Dooley to exemplify just
how far the team had come Before this could be done,
though, the dissolution announcement came out.
It's highly unlikely that the athletic board will rule
against the executive board's recommendation when they
meet later this month. And it's top bad
As it is, the future of 26 men is in total confusion, and
while it may not do any good, the R&B sports staff
strongly supports any efforts which are made to save the
team
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