The Dream Team of 1947 by Arno P. Niemand

Author:Arno P. Niemand
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arno P Niemand

Homestretch

The team had a week to recover from the arduous road trip and prepare for the University of Wisconsin at Madison on February 15.

Scott’s plan once again was to move all his starters up one weight class, since he would have them cut weight for the big match with Michigan State the following weekend. He gave Dale Sherrill, another West Waterloo product, a shot at 121 pounds; he lost a close bout 3–2. Hauser won. Scott gave Leo Thomsen the night off and inserted Ellison at 136 pounds, who got a pin. Lowell Lange and Rodger Snook defeated their opponents. In the best match of the evening, at 165 pounds, Clarence Self, Wisconsin’s best wrestler, defeated Al Partin 5–3. Dexter won at 175 pounds. At heavyweight, Dale Thomas was the victim of a fall in 5:50 to Bill Bennett. Leading 5–0, Thomas was caught with a roll, and Bennett used his 50-pound weight advantage to end the match abruptly. It was Thomas’s first dual meet loss since 1942, 22 matches ago. Cornell won the meet 17–11.

Next on the schedule was Michigan State, coached by Fendley Collins, a protégé of Ed Gallagher’s at Oklahoma State. For the first time in five matches, all of the Cornell regulars were down to their regular weight class.

The meet was at home, again with a packed house. Six of the visitors’ eight men came from Oklahoma high schools, including four from Tulsa Central. Two of them, Joe Dickinson, 128 pounds, and Gale Mikles, 155 pounds, were National AAU champions in 1945.

Hauser pinned Gene MacDonald in 5:40. In a key match at 128 pounds, Dickinson (Michigan State) defeated Leo Thomsen 4–2. The two men were to meet again in the NCAA tournament.

Lowell Lange disposed of Michigan State’s captain, “Iggy” Konrad, 4–0. Snook pinned his man. Gale Mikles defeated Kent Lange rather easily 7–0. Dexter won. Partin pinned his opponent, and at heavyweight, Thomas defeated the 220-pound Bob Maldegan 8–5.

Cornell crushed Michigan State 24–6. This was probably the most decisive win of the season, considering the caliber of the wrestling.

Next on the schedule was the Midwest Conference Championship on March 1. Because Cornell competed in all the other sports in the conference, Scott felt duty-bound to support wrestling, even though the Purple were head and shoulders above the rest of the teams participating. This year the four colleges that fielded teams for the conference championship were Cornell, Carleton, Beloit, and the host school, Lawrence, in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Scott had everyone up a weight class, which meant that Johnny Gregg would wrestle at 121 pounds. Lowell Lange and Rodger Snook had the night off, replaced by Arlo Ellison and Kent Lange. Journeyman Bob Soper wrestled at 165 pounds and Ben Conner at 175. Senior Dale Thomas wrestled heavyweight. He had already won this tournament once, in 1942.

Cornell won all the weight classes except 165 pounds, where Bob Soper lost in the finals. This was Cornell’s sixth straight conference championship.

On the night of March 3, at home, there was a full house for the Nebraska meet.

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