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SJSU Wrestling Archives The Spartan Daily 11-16-72 |
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Varsity Wrestlers Prep For Clash With Alumni |
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| With high expectations and five major injuries, coach Terry Kerr's varsity wrestling team opens their season this
Saturday evening with a match against the alumni. The match will begin at 7:30 in the Spartan Gym. Kerr, in his first year as head coach of the grappling Spartans, will be without the talent services of several team members due to an assortment of fractures, including 118-pound Dan Kida who is sidelined with a severe knee strain. "Kida should be an All-American this year," Kerr stated recently. However, because of his injury, Kida will not be eligible for varsity competition until spring semester begins because he took last spring off to try out for the Olympics. He was an alternate in his weight classification in Munich. Along with Kida, coach Kerr has sever outstanding wrestlers. Junior Donnell Jackson is back in the unlimited weight class (though he is still recovering from a summer back operation). Sophomore Dean Prescott in the 167 weight class joins two excellent 126-pounders, Steve Baca and Rudy Rodriguez and, of all people, Tim Kerr, the coach's younger brother. The younger Kerr wrestles in the 158-pound division. "My philosophy is 'win at home' but the team score really is unimportant in matches," said coach Kerr. "Tournament competition is where it's at." "We could conceivably have a 0-22 record in match play and still be the No. 1 team in the nation," added Kerr. On top of the 22 matches, SJSU has been entered in four tournaments, before the season-end tournament play begins. The first tourney will be the Spartans' own on Dec. 2. Eleven other schools will compete with defending champion San Francisco State University leading the field. Replacing last year's mentor Russ Camilleri, Kerr hopes to remain head coach of the SJSU wrestlers for many years to come. Kerr is a graduate student at SJSU, having received his B.S. in Physical Education in June 1971. He also wrestled for the Spartans during his undergraduate days, attaining All-American status in the 1942 weight class during his senior year. "If we win the conference title, i'm sure that i'll stay," admitted Kerr candidly. |
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