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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1982)
sports Battalion/PagL May 7,191 ^ s A&M wrestlers have firm grip on team’s future r~ by Joe Tindel Jr. Battalion Staff Unlike other varsity teams at Texas A&M University, the wrestling team does not receive any financial aid from the Athle tic Department. But the varsity status the team acquired in February now gives Texas A&M’s wrestlers the chance to qualify for national tournament competition. Although the Athletic De- E artment helps new team mem- ers register in the proper clas ses, the team has to raise its own money. Coach Joe DeBella said. Brent Gillespie, a member of the team, said the team makes most of its money for trips by cleaning up after baseball games at Olsen Field. But he said most of the money for scholarships comes from a $10,000 donation from Luther Jones, a Bryan business man who wrestled on the Texas A&M team in the 1920s. The money is in a development foundation, and the team col lects the interest from the dona tion. The Texas A&M wrestling team is the first in Texas to achieve varsity status, and De- Bella said he is very grateful to the Athletic Department for its support of the wrestling program. “We’re very grateful because nowhere in the last eight years have we ever been this close to becoming a full-fledged varsity team,” he said. DeBella said the Athle tic Department granted the team varsity status for one year, which means the team will seek renewal of that status next February. “No one has ever been able to get wrestling varsity status — not for one year. We accomplished that, and we accomplished that through our own dedication and through the people who felt wrestling deserved an oppor tunity.” _ He said the Athletic Depart ment granted the team varsity status for one year, which means the team will seek renew al of that status next February. “We’re hoping that it will eventually be given to us for a period of at least four years at a time because if we’re recruiting, ... it’s tough to have a youngster to come here ... and then find out that after a year we don’t have varsity status any more,” DeBella said. But he stressed that the team is appreciative of the Athletic Department giving it the oppor tunity to do the administrative work. DeBella, a native of Boston, came to Texas A&M this year after coaching wrestling and high school football in New Eng land. Besides coaching the wrestling team, he teaches all the wrestling classes offered by the physical education department and is studying for a doctorate in physical education. DeBella guided a relatively in experienced team to a third- place finish in the state meet be hind Richland College and the University of Texas this year. Individually, the team had one first-place winner and seven third-place winners in that meet. In 16 other meets, the team never finished lower than fourth place. A full varsity team consists of 10 wrestlers, and this year Texas A&M had two full teams actively wrestling. Gillespie said next year’s team will still be young, but could de velop some top-quality wrestlers in the next two or three years. The wrestlers are presently in volved in off-season training, consisting of weight training four times a week. The wrestlers will return to school two weeks before the fall semester to continue training. DeBella said he stresses condi tioning and technique during the off-season. “During the off-season, we’re involved with strength develop ment,” DeBella said. “We like them to lift three times a week. And the other three times a week we like them to ... develop techniques and new wrestling moves,” DeBella said. He said as the season nears, he’ll reduce the weight-training program and work more on en durance. During the season he plans to work on technique three times a week and lift weights twice a week. DeBella said next season he is looking for good performances from Jeff Collins, a first-place winner in the state meet this year. Other potential standouts are Joe Eazor, Tom Merriman, Damian Cook and Scott Win drow. He said Eazor and Collins have a chance to qualify in the nationals if the Athletic Depart ment renews the varsity status. DeBella said his team com petes on Saturday and, since most of the meets are in the Dal las area, the wrestlers work out with another team on Sunday to gain experience. He said his team gradually gained strength this year be cause of the experience gained in the Sunday workouts. “The way you build experi ence is to give them the oppor tunity,” DeBella said. “So we got stronger and stronger as we went through the year.” The first-year coach relerred to wrestling as both a team sport and an individual sport. “When you’re out there on the mat you’re all alone — you can’t say the tackle missed his block,” DeBella said. “Like foot ball, it’s man against individual. Yet it’s also cause you get so manyp winning the match." ■ Gillespie described® as a sport that takes mo* preparation than any op SWC “When you’re outtlii center of attention is first on your opponi then an ear is keptopeni coach,” he said. “Once contact is fast. Moves have to be instinct — you can’t tl AKE A jTOURf i/E SHO cause if you have to i | what you have todo,yot nent is already in his: and you’re at a disadvi | Franco works to soccer success to bring A&M by Frank L. Chrisdieb EXPLORE YELLOWSTONE & the GRAND TETONS by raft & by foot with the OUTDOOR RECREATION COMMITTEE Trip Dates: August 14 - August 22 For more information: Charlie Walter 845-1515 Jon Hopewell 693-0409 Sign up Deadline: July 23, 1982 Softball team starts regional play today The Aggie women’s softball team, rained out of its opener Thursday in the Southwest Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, will play today at 4 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Texas A&M, with a 74-8 com bined record for the spring and fall, will play the winner of to day’s noon matchup between GRADUATION/MOTHERS DAY SALE for all you “Mothers” out there f c 1st shipment of GIBSON & EPIPHONE Guitars! New & Used in stock with prices low as IBANEZ ACOUSTICS & ELECTRICS 250°7w case 20% to30% OFF SPECIAL PRICES FOR GRADS & MOTHERS MICROPHONES BY SHURE: • PE 515 REG. $95.00 SALE $ 49 99 PE 588 REG. $135.00 $7,495 SALE / 4 SALE ENDS 5/15/82 Woodstone Commerce Center 693-8898 Open 10-8:00 p.m. iviiiMciftiis tn/imr West Texas State and Stephen F. Austin. The Buffaloes are 29-32 and the Lumberjacks are 24-47. Texas A&M coach Bob Brock said he feels that his team and Oklahoma State, the No. 2 seed at 53-12, will more than likely play in the championship game of the tournament. The Aggies split two games with the Cowboys in the spring, defeating them 2-0 and losing to them 3-0 in what Brock called the squad’s “worst game of the year.” Texas A&M received a bye into the tourney’s second round by virtue of its position as the No. 1 seed. With the national tournament slated for May 20-24 in Norman, Okla., Brock says the Aggies must win regionals to receive an automatic bid into nationals. “It won’t mean anything if we don’t win this one,” he said. “We should do well if we keeping playing like we’re capable of playing.” >por When Telmo Franco sees the accomplishments of established soccer programs like those at SMU, North Texas State and Alabama A&M, he doesn’t sit and wonder why his Texas A&M team isn’t basking in success. And Franco doesn’t wait for the situation to fix itself. Not ex pecting miracles, the Aggie soc cer coach goes out and makes the changes needed to bring prosperity to his program. When the men’s soccer team received varsity status in the October, Franco began a prog ram to upgrade the quality of Texas A&M soccer. And with a few years’ effort, he may be able to echo the words of his prop osed brochures that say, “Soc cer’s a kick in Aggieland.” Although both the men’s and women’s soccer programs jumped to varsity levels last semester, that hasn’t brought the teams the recognition or the support they’ll need. Contribut ing funds from the Athletic De partment have been slight, but Franco says he must regard the matter practically. “If we get a little support,” Franco says, “that’s fine. That’s the way it should be. It would be unrealistic to expect a fully- supported soccer program. If we show some indication that we are well-organized and have suc cess, the University will offer us more money.” Without offering a single scholarship — since none are available — Franco has attracted ■iiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiimiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiB CLASS ’82 PARK DEDICATION Sunday May 9,1982 1 p.m The class of 1982 gift, a $32,000 park facility | located south of the MSC-Rudder guest park- | ing lot between Throckmorton St. and Hous- | ton St., will be dedicated as stated above at | the site of the park project. The ceremony is | open to the general public. | In case of rain, the ceremony will be held in | room #226 MSC. wiiHiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii SPECIALS THIS WEEK OLD MILL LONGNECKS 95 ' Case Plus Deposit $ s PEARL & PEARL LIGHT 12-Packs fj 19 SHINER BOCK $ 8 40 Case Plus Deposit OLD MILL CANS 6-Pack *1 79 T.P. LITE $ l 39 6-Pack (Specials Good Through Wed., May 12) I I S. College 846-66 35 success for his prograu | Franco has already lished what he calls“st larship committees” funds for Texas A&M| These groups, in Bryai Station, Midland, Dahl ton and San Antonio! donations from thoseii in supporting Aggies a Telmo Franco 12 soccer prospects to attend Texas A&M in the fall. He ex presses optimism about the program, which will expand to include a junior varsity next year. Franco has already taken steps to ensure that Texas A&M men’s soccer can give scholar ships sometime in the near fu ture. Having been associated with soccer since its start 14 years ago in Texas, Franco has been able to observe other prog rams and has learned a great deal from them. The SMU soccer program has competed as a varsity for several years. One Mustang supporter, Franco said, donated $12,000 to the program —just to put a wrot iron fence around the team’s practice field. “They have the support of the alumni because they have proven themselves and have been nationally ranked,” Franco said. Alabama A&M, the number two team in the nation, will host the Aggies during the fall. Fran co said that playing a team of such prominence will be only of tl one of the steps along the way to Franco, a native sees Texas as a veritabit bly line of young soccer] otinued With as many a S I, Fran youngsters tak.ng pan | induc sport across the state, Fn I with t visions many of ihosrj y eam prospects choosing to ■ for Sa] I exas A&M. . r f.,, Hn And he said thatifhti I " promote Aggie soccer At, this po out the state, it could be b3 hom well-known as those pilthe main he’s watched grow at S! he hope; North Texas State. |uture, “If we get informi d a socce them about when wep^more f about our program, wr j? re are ' more interest,” Franco|P ectsw h feel like we have thes here to build a team t have a national standkl “We’re shooting for| E rominence — not in 1 ut in four years. If weal players every year, tbt . j reason why we shoul playing at a nationals “We will probably tn some players from countries,” he said. “Bi believer. I’ve lived (in If years and I believe tl great soccer players hen I Peruvian, but I feel tha live in Texas and move ttV York, you’ll still always!* I an. T here’s so much p | here you wouldn’t belie I The team’s schedule i united fall has already been orf ihere’s and starting next Jarnt htreal tf Aggies will play a sprinf fcck Mo See FRANCO pagf ith-innin Los / on Bother's Bookstore PAYS cue p< prated :Thur a 3- TOP DOLLAR FOR USED BOOKS! los. [Last yt (that's a (u can’t [ballgan Inst a j At the Southgate • 696-2! ^he Dc h the first ierson,3-! ame wit! md on score ;le. Wi led ofl Posters Budvoses Kitchenuuare Pictures Glossuuore Boskets Brass Items Candles Silk Flouuer Come Visit Today Cost 29th St. LUorehousc 3715 Cast 29th Bryan Open 10-6:30 846-6771 tad $15 S^orr ADI IN BOX 439f PLEASE: OiCLOS ■hAME__ address