Crimson Matmen Make All-Ivy Second Team; Strathmeyer Elected Captain Squad for '76

The Ivy League coaches lifted the spirits of the Crimson grapplers after their mediocre season by naming two of the matmen to the all-Ivy second team squad yesterday at Columbia.

Newly-elected Crimson captain Jim Strathmeyer returns to his berth at 177 lbs. for his second term while sophomore Milt Yasunaga fills the slot at 126 lbs. for the first time.

Senior Mike Dee at 150 lbs. and sophomore heavyweight Kip Smith garnered honorable mentions in the polling.

Coach Johnny Lee said after the announcement. "Strathmeyer was a close decision for the second team. He beat Young all-Ivy man at 177 lbs.) during the season but also lost to two other wrestlers that Young beat."

Strathmeyer was seeded seventh prior to the Easterns. He failed to place and lost in the consolation rounds. Lee attributed Strathmeyer's problems at the Easterns to the strain of having to wrestle three bouts in one day.

The grapplers added their own team selections tot he coaches list with the election of Strathmeyer as captain for the '75-76 season.

Team awards went to Kip Smith as the most improved wrestler while Milt Yasunaga grabbed the most valuable player award.

The Imrie awards for the best second effort go to Kip Smith on the varsity and freshman Jon Franklin at 158 lbs.

The matmen finished the season with a 6-9 overall record and finished in a four way tie for third in the Ivy League behind Princeton and Yale.

Ivy League champ Princeton also failed to place a man on the first squad but picked up five spots on the second team.

Penn senior Eric Waters led off the first team selections at 118 lbs. followed by the only freshman first teamer. Jerry Reid of Columbia Penn picked up another lightweight first team selection at 134 lbs. with Jeff Thorne, also a senior.

Yale, which finished second in the league, placed two men on the first team, both of them up from last year's second squad.

Penn senior Ray Sarinelli dominated the selection in the 150 lb. weight class for the third year in a row. Sarinelli registered a unanimous vote in the coaches selection.

Dale Porter Cornell's lone man in the all-Ivy squad, also was selected by unanimous vote.