Boxers KO'd by illness

Penn State boxing coach Bill Wrable should invest in a couple of bottles of Dimetapp.

Many of his boxers have been bogged down with illnesses over the past week, leaving his arsenal thinner than usual.

"I think I have seven people practicing because everybody is sick," Wrable said. "The ones who can walk are doing OK."

Those who are healthy will head to Lexington, Va., for the Virginia Military Institute Keydet Invitational tomorrow. Wrable will travel with only four boxers -- three of whom did not see action last weekend.

At 190 pounds Penn State's Gotce Peev takes on Lock Haven's Anthony Penecale. Peev's bout last weekend was scratched.

Penn State's Greg Fielder is matched against Eric Marshall from VMI at 147 pounds. At 132 pounds Mike Brown from Penn State is pitted against Lock Haven's Dave Drudgins.

The lone Penn State fighter who did fight last week and fights again tomorrow is Matt Arentz, who battles VMI's Ernesto Sampson at 147 pounds.

"There are so many people that I try to get everybody one or two bouts," Wrable said.

Schools represented in Lexington other than Penn State include VMI, Kentucky, Central Florida, Navy, Xavier, Citadel, Lock Haven and Shippensburg.

Last Saturday the Lions hosted the Nittany Lion Invitational in White Building. Six of eight Penn State boxers won their bouts, with sophomore captain Dave Herron capping the evening with a three-round drubbing of Shippensburg's Phil Smalls.

Other Penn State boxers who won last weekend included Arentz, Brent Becker, Tim Scott, Kurt Decker and Charlie Fisher. Decker said he won't be making the trip because of illness.

Thanks for coming

Wrable was particularly pleased with the large turnout for the Nittany Lion Invitational. Even though Penn State is not home this week, he hopes people fill the bleachers at VMI. More fans will not only support his team and boxing but also help change the public's notion that boxing is too violent.

"It's not as brutal as you think," Wrable said. "Why would people bring their kids if they thought it was?"

Herron said compared to professional boxing, collegiate boxing is kept on a much shorter leash.

"The officials keep a very close monitor of the match," Herron said.

He also added knockouts very rarely occur at the collegiate level because officials frequently utilize the standing-eight count. The official usually will call a bout after three standing-eight counts.