THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 12, 1994 TAG: 9406120255
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940612 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH
Fischer, of Scarsdale, N.Y., has been wrestling 36 years. But ask him about his career, and he'll insist:
{REST} ``I'm not a good wrestler.''
You're certain he must be kidding. You ask about his college experience.
He shakes his head.
Any high school highlights?
``No.''
``I was never first man on any team,'' Fischer said. ``I'm not a good wrestler.''
Which put him in some difficult company Saturday, in the master's division wrestling competition at Little Creek's Rockwell Gymnasium.
Entered in the master's, for ages 30 and over, were a total of four wrestlers. Not four in each weight class. Four, period.
Given the paucity of competitors, the meet's organizers had no choice but to let the four wrestle each other, although their weight varied from 142 to 180 pounds.
Their ability varied even more.
Case in point: One of Fischer's opponents Saturday was 40-year-old Don Shuler, a former NCAA All-American at Arizona State who was an alternate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team.
``He pinned me in about 10 seconds,'' said Fischer, who gave away seven pounds to the 180-pound Shuler.
Shuler, the wrestling coach at Liberty University, went on to win the master's championship by pinning 30-year-old, 142-pound Tim Barnes of Portsmouth, a former Norfolk State wreslter.
Shuler, who brought a couple of his Liberty wrestlers and several members of his Lynchburg youth wrestling club to compete, had not planned on wrestling himself, but jumped in at the last minute.
``As a college wrestling coach, you get a chance to work out a lot,'' Shuler said. ``I can roll around on the mat whenver I want. These other guys don't get that chance.''
As for Fischer, he finished the day winless. But he didn't seem to mind.
Why should he? He said he wrestles to stay in shape and carries his 173 pounds better tham most men half his age.
SHAPING UP: Last year at this time, Norfolk's John Settle, a state auditor, was doing a good job with every figure except his own.
Although just over 5-foot-8, Settle weighed a flabby 210 pounds and had alarmingly high cholesterol and blood-pressure levels.
``I went for a normal physical one day, and the doctor told me I needed to start taking much better care of myself,'' Settle said.
Settle took the advice and eliminated the junk from his diet, limited himself to one beer a week - ``my reward'' - and started a running program. When he began, it was a struggle for Settle to complete a half-mile. But he stuck with it, and gradually began to see results.
So it was with great satisfaction Saturday that Settle, now at 138 pounds, finished the 5K run in a personal-best 17:57, the sixth-best time in the 30-34 age group.
``This just shows that you don't need crazy diets,'' Settle said. ``The answers are all in the mind.''
THIS 'N THAT: There were no walls separating the boxing, wrestling and tae kwon do competitions at Rockwell, but the distinct pacing and characteristics of each sport made moving from one event to the next seem like stepping into a different venue, wrestling organizer Jack Harcourt said. ``Isn't this great?'' Harcourt said. ``It's like we've got our own three-ring circus. ... Harcourt will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., Saturday to begin training the U.S. national cadet wrestling team for the world championships June 26 in Chicago. It will be the former Green Run coach's third stint as world team coach. He led the U.S. team to a silver medal in 1987 and a gold medal in 1988. ... While the most physically demanding of the Games' sports, rugby, took place about 100 yards away, considerably less exertion was being applied in a smoke-filled section of the chief petty officer's club, where a handful of competitors sipped beers and took part in the most leisurely of the day's events, darts. ``It's all part of the game,'' event organizer Lynn Knoer said. ``We're competitive, but we have a lot of fun, too. . . . In track and field, Nate Jenkins set a Games record in the masters division of the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:44.4, shattering last year's record of 5:08.8. . . . In sailing, Bill Daughtrey of Newport News sailed his Hampton to two firsts in the one design competition on the Elizabeth River. Latane Montegue of Alexandria is in second place after two heats, and Charles McCoy Jr., of Norfolk is in third. In the Mobjack competition, John Gardner of Alexandria and Mark Arnold of Virginia Beach are tied for first. Tim McConville of Springfield is third with a pair of seconds. Racing continues today with the first start slated for 10:30 a.m.
by CNB