Swimmers Crush Columbia, 80-22

It was another day in the life of the Columbia swimming team Saturday in the IAB. But at least the Lions could leave town knowing that they had won one event before losing another league meet, 80-22, to the undefeated Crimson.

Columbia sprinter Homer Lane, who had been swimming in only distance events to build his endurance, entered the 100-free Saturday and beat Jim Stolen and Rhodes Scholar Eric Hanson in 51.5 to salvage a bit of glory for the Lions, who are now 0-5 and have not won in a league meet since beating Penn three years ago.

Unspectacular

Harvard coach Bill Brooks, now in his 40th year of college coaching, again used most of his men in events to which they are not accustomed in the interests of equity, and standout Steve Krause did not compete at all. As a result, the times were rather unspectacular.

Sophomore Greg Huff was the only double winner with victories in the butterfly and the 1000-free. Huffs 11:16.1 first in the 1000 put Harvard ahead, 15-1, and Dave Powlison downed Lane in the 200-free with a 1:51.4 clocking to make the lead 21-4.

Jim Small, who also swam in both relays, led a sweep of the 50-free, and captain Mike Cahalan was first in the individual medley. Cahalan's 21.9 in the 50-free against Navy last month ranks second nationally this season behind Indiana's Mark Spitz's 21.7.

The Crimson dominated the diving without too much trouble. Dave Silver and Dick Eisenberg swept the one-meter competition, and since Columbia has only one diver, the three-meter event was canceled. Harvard thereby missed its chance to break its record for points in a meet-84.

John Burris was the backstroke victor in 2:14.9, and in probably the least exciting race. Toby Gerhart did 5:19.4 in the 500-free to beat Columbia's Ken Geraghty by almost a minute-and-a-half.

Columbia had what appeared to be another chance for a first in the breaststroke when it sent captain Bob Schleihauf against Harvard sophomore Pete Mikhalevsky, but Mikhalevsky never trailed on the way to a three-second win in 2:27.1.

In addition to Cahalan, four other Harvard swimmers have done times ranked in the top ten nationally this season by Swimming World Magazine. The four are Steve Krause, John Munk. Dan Kobick and freshman Henry Watson. Krause and Cahalan were each mentioned in two events.