Pick All-League Hoop Team; Mermen Topple Yale

Amid one of the wildest celebrations in Harvard sports history, the Varsity swimming team broke the Yale jinx Saturday night as they toppled the Eli mermen 39-36 after the latter had won 163 consecutive victories.

As Harvard piled up point after point in the early events and steadily increased their lead over the Elis, the possibility of Harvard victory grew into a probability. And with this the volume of applause steadily grew. It burst out when Rus Greenhood won the dive; when it was announced that Hutter would swim the 440; and when that lad placed second and thus assured a Crimson triumph it reached unbelievable heights. Harvard had gone swimming-crazy.

The Team Won

It is hard to pick out individuals in such a triumph; of course Charley Hutter, Graham Cummin, Greg Jameson and Rus Greenhood deserve all possible praise, but it was the team that triumphed and no group of individual stars. Through it all stands the figure of Hal Ulen, smiling, happy, dripping wet after the immersion in the pool he has so long been waiting for.

Those who had predicted a Yale victory were right in one particular--the Eli's superior relay team. But we were wrong when we thought it would be the crucial event. Perhaps the turning point that sent the meet in Harvard's direction, if there can be a turning point in a steady procession, was when Rus Greenhood won the dive. Those who know the Crimson Sophomore best felt sure he would win: others thought of Endweiss, but it was the Harvard lad all the way when the competition began.

Or perhaps the thing that tipped the scales and colored them Crimson was the surprise insertion of Hutter in the 220, his defeat of Johnny Macionis and the subsequent loss of this Eli great in place in the 440 open to Hutter.