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Jeff Clark

Two time national Greco Roman and freestyle wrestling champion: tunner up in the 1981 Greco-Roman world championships: *alist for the United states 1984 Olympic wrestling team sounds like tun right?

Wrom says tell Clark. Harvard's freshman wrestline sensation.

I was really depressed in high school I was cutting weight a lot too much especially trying to get to 112 pounds," says Clark, who's natural weight is around 155 lbs.

But since he got to Harvard, he says, all that has changed.

"This is the happiest I've been by fat." Clark says, referring to his seven month old stay at Harvard.

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"here you don't because you why to have fun," he explains.

Although Clark failed to make it past the first found at the National, he was out of three Harvard wrestler who won the honor of competing at the NCAA championships in Oklahoma City this week.

Nonetheless, Clark, who compiled a 12-3-3 duet record meet this year was one far and away one of the most talented members of one of Harvard's most successful wrestling teams in decades.

Moreover, Clark who was seeded eighth out of sixteen in the 134lb. weight class at the Eastern wrestling tournament two weeks ago, worked his way through the tournament straight to the championship match Once there, however, he lost a tough fought bout by a two point margin.

The second place finish, however, was good enough to quality him for a slot in the prestigious national championships.

And, along with the berth in ther tourney. Clark was named runner up in the rookie of the year voting in the Eastern.

While Clark has clearly distinguished himself as one of the best freshman wrestlers in Harvard history, most of these accomplishments tall far shy of the individual honors he has compiled in the past in order words, it is not so much a wonder that he has done so well, but a wonder that he is here at all.

For example in addition to his national championships. Clark was the favorite last summer to make first team of the U.S. Olympic squad at 114 1bs. in Greco Roman wrestling Although he was upset in the Olympic trails and ended up fourth on the ladder, he had twice pinned the U.S. wrestler who went on to take a silver medal in the Olympics.

And, as Coach John Lee says, wrestlers like Clark usually don't come to Harvard.

Clark's teammates put it another way: "From the talk that we had heard about him, I was quaking when he walked on to the mat," said tri-captain Dan Medalie, who is an extremely accomplished wrestler in his own right. "I thought, 'this guy has done stuff that I only dreamed of.

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