Lining Them Up

Just about this time last year Coach Hal Ulen's biggest problem was that the group of stars who comprised the unbeaten 1938 League champions might be overconfident. It's a sad fact that Hal's problem is different this year. Following the trend of world politics, he's changed from a "have" to a "have-not," and his job this season will be to form a small nucleus of experienced Juniors and some promising Sophomores into a team worth its salt.

1938 Team Spectacular

Graduation is the oldest alibi in the world for not having a good team, but Hal Ulon may still use it. Consider that with the Class of 1938 departed, with the exception of three men, a group of swimmers who comprised possibly the best dual meet team in the world. A coach doesn't usually lose a sprinkling of champions like Charlle Hutter, Graham Cummin, and Bill Kendall all at ones. Ulon faces a job he has attempted, and succeeded in before. He must build up a team that is worthy not only of the name of Harvard, but of the name of Ulen, for he has in recent years made his name synonymous with fine swimming.

Work-Horses

The typical star who has been developed under Ulen's tutelage has been the work-horse type, not the natural, born swimming flash. He brought Hutter's 100-yard time down from 57 seconds in his Freshman year to a brilliant, consistent 52 seconds in the Junior and Senior years. He converted Dario Berizzi from a mediocre distance man to a crack butterfly breastroker. He helped Don Barker wend his way from the ranks of the House tankmen to eventually become a 23 second man in the 50.

This year Hal blessed with perhaps only three "natural" swimmers: Jim Curwen, who can loaf through any free-style race fact enough to make the stopwatch stagger; Art Bosworth, those ideal swimming build enables him to be a sure point-winner in either sprints or backstroke, and Kric Cutler, absent last year, but enough of an expert so that he will probably remain unbeaten this year in any 220 or 440 free-style event he swims.

Divers Are Strong Point

Aside from the fact that Curwen is in eligible at the moment, Ulen need have no worries about these men, nor will he brood about his divers, headed by Captain Rusty Greenhood. The Crimson team's leader this year will be untouchable most of the season, the only possible snag for him being Dan Endweiss of down New Haven way. George Dana, naturally graceful in the air, and Chet Sagenkahn, a diligent worker, are fighting for the No. 2 diver's niche. Dana has had some Varsity experience that ought to give him the edge, but Sagenkahn has been training as hard as any man in the pool, so the two will probably be fighting for the berth all season.

In Re Stowells

Harley Stowell of last year's record breaking 400 relay team is slowly rounding into condition and ought to be negotiating the 100 in the vicinity of 53 seconds around the season's end, while his cousin, Lonnie Stowell, powerful Sophomore free-styler, has been termed as good a potentiality as Hutter. Three years' work under Ulen should leave him with plenty of laurels.

The story is the same for the rest of the free-stylers: lots of promise, but nothing concrete just yet to smooth the furrowed Ulen brow. Frank Powers will be a good middle-distance man--eventually. Johnny Quinlan and Freddie Griffin are expected to be good for a lot of seconds in the 50 and 100. "One-Breath" MacMaster needs more time for faster 50's. Distance men Ed Hewitt and Bob White are both pluggers who seem to thrive on work, but they've got to show results soon.

League Standards High Craig Moore is developing well for the No. 2 back stroke berth, while Collie Stowell is attempting to make his fine stroke produce more speed. Max Kraus tops the weak breast stroke department, with Jack Waldron and veteran Phil Walker batting for the second position.

All in all, Harvard boasts a group of good swimmers this year, men with grant prospects generally. Whether their prospects materialize enough to meet the increasingly high standards of League competition this year will be known little by little during every meet. The process of discovery starts with the Alumni contest tomorrow night at 8:15 and ends with the intercollegiate tourneys late in March.