Evening star., 1947-02-24
Conference Tourney
Heads Big Week for
District Ring Fans
By Lewis r. Atchison

6y LEWIS T. AtCnlSon
Amateur boxing hits high c, To-
cally, this week, with the Southern
Conference tournament at Mary
land, the Coast Guard Academy
invading Catholic q. for the Cardi-
nails final home match, and with the
annual District A. A. u. tournament
getting under way at the G. U. gym.
The conference carnival starting
Friday, Immediately arouses visions
and memories of the 1887 affair at
MARYLAND, in which Ivan Nedomat-
sky pounded out q clean-cut de-
cision over Dukes Danny Farrar in
leading the Terrapins to the team
title. Few amateur bouts have sur
passed or equaled it for excitement
and yet, peculiarly, it wasn't neces-
sarily the key fight for Maryland.
Alex Males picked up three invalu-
able points for the Terps by jump
ing two classes into the heavyweight
ranks and reaching the finals with a
surprising exhibition of finesse.
Even more noteworthy, however, was
Johnny Gormley's courage in going
into the final of the nght-heavy-
weight class with a broken hand
and trying to keep the knowledge
of 1t hidden from tournament Off
cials. Johnny lost, but the points
he added to Maryland's count proved
to be the teams title margin.
Won Title Again in 1889.
Nedomatsky and 125-pounder
Tom Birmingham won champion
ships to round out the point score,
and both earned them by COM
Portable margins.
Maryland took the crown again
In 1889 in a left-handed sort OF way,
with three southpaws, Benny AL
perstein, Frank Cronin and New
ton Cox, winning individual titles.
The Terps' margin was a mere one
point over North Carolina, the run
nerup, and in taking his class hon
sors Cronin, until that winter strictly
a trackman, climaxed an undefeated
campaign. His feat of putting on
the gloves for the first time in his
life, of winning every dual match
and topping it off with confer
ence championship never has been
equaled in collegiate boxing.
Curiously enough school can
capture the team trophy without
winning single individual crown.
Maryland copped the Eastern In
tercollegiate in 1912 by sending five
men to the finals where all lost.
The lineup included Lightheavy
Herb Gunther, Hotsy Aperstein, 145;
Jack Gilmore, 1865; Joe Cicali, 120,
and Jud Lincoln, 127. Some of the
decisions were close, but the Terps
had points to spare toward the
team trophy.
1t Never Rains but it Pours Dept.
Catholic u, wading through the
toughest campaign since Eddie La
Fond took command II years ago,
hit the jackpot at Kings Point Fri
day. Weather conditions delayed
the squads arrival until pm, only
an hour before the match, and
crowded dining cars prevented the
boys from getting the proper food.
The Cards were handed couple of
decisions they didn't like, and to
top it all, the score was reported
incorrectly. It was 5h to 2h, in
Kings Point favor, not 613 to III,
La Fond reports. Hermino Poblette
accounted for c. us second point
by taking the 175-pound bout.
Gu. will be the underdog against
Coast Guard Saturday night, but
will pull out all the stops to make
its final home appearance a win
ming stand.
The A. A. U. banging begins in
the C. U. gym Thursday night and
will continue four weeks. Chair
man Jerry Looney anticipates a
banner entry and anybody who
knows anything about the amateurs
will tell you the shows are well
worth the time and nominal ad-
mission fee.