Evening star., 1909-04-18
MEMORIAL ATHLETIC
CLUB PROSPER|NC
Has Strong Team of WrestIers
and Also Good at Basket
Ball Game.

stands has almost all of the champion
mat artists of the District in its fold.
1t only supports two teams. basket ball
and wrestling. In the former it has not
done much. but the wrestling team is
easily the best in the District and one
Of the best in the south. This club Is
about the only one in the city that
recognizes the mat game its hobby
in the athletic field. While the other
athletic organizations have been turn
ing out their track teams. base ball
teams and foot ball teams. this little
bunch OF workers has not been idle and
the results in the tournaments in whicn
they have entered have decisively
shown that their labors were not In
vain.
Since putting its first wrestling team
on the field in 1906 it's rapid rise to the
top has been nothing less than marvel
Gus. Almost all of the men were nov
ices at the game but by hard work and
efficient coaching they have developed
into what they are now.
During their first year Foley. who is
captain and coach of the team, did most
Of the good work, the other members
of the team lacking the necessary ex
perience He journeyed to Baltimore that
year and easily won the South Atlantic
championship for both the feather and
bantam weight classes Owing to the
failure of the athletic functions at the
jamestown exposition. the South At
lantic championship tournament. which
was scheduled to be held there in 1907.
was declared OFF, and as they nave
never been held since Foley is the
legitimate champion today. Last year,
in company with Frank Lockhead and
Vic" Heron, the National Guard stars.
he entered the try-outs for the Ameri-
can Olympic team. which were held In
New York, but all three men failed to
make the team, although they made a
good showing. Since that time he has
been a consistent winner in his matches
held in these parts. Capt. Foley has
announced that he has decided to quit
active athletics and will not be seen in
son. He will, however. still retain his
interest in the club and continue TO act
as coach.
Good Season in 1907.
In the National Guard tournament
held in 1907 for the District champion
ship the Memorials won four bouts
Goucher. in the 11opound class; Pa
seno. in the 120, and Foley, in the 10
and a 125-pound special.
Last year, at the beginning of the
season. a tournament was arranged
with the Gallaudet College team. The
club boys were outweighed and consc-
quently defeated. Later in the season
they came out ahead in the National
Guard tournament by landing four out
tured the 125 and 13O pound classes:
Paseno. the 100. and Goucher, the 115.
The next month, at the Y. NJ. G. 4.
games Goucher and Paseno repeated
their previous performances and again
came out on top in their bouts.
This year has been their banner year.
their team having won every tournament
in which 1t has competed. In the Ma
tional Guard meet held February II rep
resentatives of the Memorial a. c. cap
tured the honors by winning four out
of the eight bouts on the card. In this
meet Il. GOucher Won individual honors,
carrying away two bouts. He won the
second on points against Santiu of the
Y. NJ c. A. after two hard bouts of six
minutes each Sellors. another Memorial
boy, won his bout against Darden. unat-
tached, in what was considered the best
exhibition of the evening.
In the 1JS-pound class Mullagan was
awarded the decision over his clubmate.
O'Bren. In this bout the wrestlers were
compelled to go to the mat for three bouts
before 1t was possible to pick the winner.
In the Carroll Institute tournament the
same month Memorial wrestlers were
again in the limelight and won four more
bouts. Goucher defeated former victim,
Rose of the fremont Athletic Club. for
the 115-pound title of the District. Chism
landed the decision on points over his
team mate, Friel, after two of the most
interesting bouts of the evening, in the
145-pound class; Foley won his bout easily
at 125 pounds, and Connolly came out vic
toriOus in the 13j-pound go.
The Memorial boys have just moved in
their new clubhouse on Jefferson street,
Georgetown. 1t is one of the best equipped
in the city, and in addition to the big
gymnasium, showers and swimming pool,
1t has a clubroom, reading room library,
bowling alleys and pool and billiard ta-
bles.
DIR. NJ E. Harrison. the manager of the
club is a hard worker and broad-mind-
ed, energetic and active leader. and
large part of the success of the club is
due to his efforts.
The team is now training hard and
faithfully and Coach Foley is very en-
thusiastic over the fine showing that the
men are making in practice. The Me-
MORALS are anxious to get matches with
the wrestling teams of the navy and of
Georgetown University. and Manager
Harrison will soon get in communication
with the managers of these teams with
this object In view.
Paseno a Good One.
Chism and Paseno are good men who
are back at the game again. Paseno has
been employed in the evenings. so had to
give up the mat game temporarily, but is
fast getting into good shape. He is a
wrestler of marked ability. and if he
sticks to the game has great future be-
fore him. Chism retired few years ago,