Sports of the Crimson

In the Spring of 1930 the Indoor Athletic Building pool was dedicated with the holding, for the first time in Cambridge, of the N.C.A.A. championships. In the Fall of that year Harvard received its first permanent swimming coach in H al Ulen, and since his first season in 1931-32, Crimson tank teams have won about 100 dual meets. Only 11 meets have been lost: seven to Yale, two to Princeton, one to Army, and one to Brown.

In compiling this incredible record of victories, Harvard swimming teams have seldom competed before large crowds. There are several reasons for the undergraduate and public neglect of the University's most consistently successful athletes: the newness of swimming as a topnotch intercollegiate sport: conflicting dates with other winter sport contests, and, most important of all, the unfamiliarity of the average fan with the essentials of the sport.

Nine Events In Meet

Some of these essentials, in a few words, are as follows: Harvard swims its important dual meets under the auspices of the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League, composed of Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, Navy, and Pennsylvania. The rules of the league--and they are adhered to throughout the East--provide for nine different events. These are the 220, 50, 100, 440, and 400-yard relay free-style races (free-style always turns out to be an overarm crawl), a 150-yard backstroke, race, a 200 yard breastroke race, a 300-yard medley relay comprising three 100's of backstroke, breastroke, and free-style respectively, and the dive.

A team strives to collect 38 of the 75 points scored before its rival. The greatest score possible is 68 to 7; the closest, 38 to 37. Harvard has a standard-size pool, 25 yards long and six swimming lanes wide, which is considered one of the fastest in the country because of its modern construction.

Swimming Like Track

Following and understanding swimming times is the same as it is in track. The performances of most swimmers are predictable within a few seconds on the basis of previous efforts. For the medley, the world's record is held by Princeton at 2:51.9, but anything under 3:00.0 is held to be excellent time, and any clocking up to 3:07 a good performance. Harvard's best trio can do around three minutes flat, while the Crimson record to 2:57.4.

Jack Medica's world's record time for the 220 free-style is 2:07.9, but because this is one of the most unbreakable records in the books, anything, up to 2:16.5 is considered excellent. From 2:17 to 2:22 is thought of as good. Captain Eric Cutler can do close to 2:13, but Charles G. Hutter '38 holds the Harvard record at 2:10.8. Hutter also set the Harvard mark for the 50 at 28 flat. The world's record is 22.5, made by Peter Fick. Anything under 24.5 is excellent, while clockings from 24.5 to 25.5 are considered adequate.

High Board--Higher Scores

Harvard's best driver was last year's loader, Rusty Greenhood. He scored 137 against Yale for a Harvard record, but Patnik of Ohio State has scored over 160 several times. Any score from 90 to 110 is good; from 110 up is excellent. George Dana '40 has scored 116-on the high board. Most divers are 5 to 10 points better from the high board. The world's 100-yard record of 51 flat held by Weismuller and Fick will probably be the first to be broken. Hutter's Harvard mark is 52 flat; anything under 53.5 is excellent; anything up to 55.5 is good.

Adolf Kiefer has the world's 150 back stroke record at 1;32.7. Graham Cummin '38 set the Crimson mark at 1:37.3; Art Bosworth is capable of under 1:40. Anything under 1:45 is considered good; while anything under 1:40 is excellent. Princeton's Dick Hough last year set a world's mark in the 200 breastroke at 2:22, while the Crimson best is Greg Jameson's 2:25.4. 2:32 and under is excellent; under 2;40 is considered adequate.

Cutler Is Improving

Bill Kendall '40 set a remarkable Harvard record of 4:48.9 in the quarter-mile, comparing favorably with Medica's world's record of 4:40.8. Cutler has done 4:56 and is expected to improve. To break five minutes is the ambition of every 440 swimmer, and anything under 5:10 is considered good. Yale's present team holds the 400 relay record at 3:30.7, while the Harvard record is 3:33.2. Any time for the four 100's under 3:35 is excellent; under 3:40 is good. Coach Ulen's best foursome may vary from 3:33 to 3:37.

All the statistics above to the contrary, the greatest pleasure for the swimming spectator is the sight of a close race in which the competitors are straining every nerve, no matter what the time may be. In swimming just as in track, times are merely a post-race satisfaction or disappointment for the sports enthusiasts.