Swimmers Crush Hapless Navy, 77-36, For First Triumph in Eastern League

Harvard's swimming team swept the first six events for a 47-5 lead and then coasted to a surprisingly easy 77-36 win over Navy Saturday afternoon in the IAB pool.

In fact, only a stroke of bad luck and the humanity of Crimson coach Bill Brooks prevented Harvard from breaking its record of most points scored-84. Brooks, for example, chose to use standout Steve Krause in only one event since Krause had been sick the preceding week.

"They're [Navy] not in shape," Brooks said in a low voice after the meet. The Midshipmen have competed only in two practice meets and traditionally concentrate on the Army meet and the Easterns, both of which come at the end of the season.

The win gave the Crimson a 1-1 record in the Eastern League.

Psychological

Saturday, Harvard delivered Navy a major psychological setback in the first event, the medley relay. This relay has been a Navy strongpoint in recent years, but backstroker Dan Kobick tied his pool record (54.5) on the first leg to give Harvard a lead it never relinquished.

Encouraged, the Crimson began to pour it on. The 1000-free matched Navy star Rex Hand against Howie Burns and Henry Watson. Hand took the lead right away, but after 400 yards, Burns began to move and passed Hand 150 yards later.

Laboring Hand

Then Watson, who had been stroking smoothly but remained third, started to pick up the pace and caught the labering Hand. Eventually, Watson made up the five yards separating him from Burns and won handily in 10:34.9. Burns was second.

Later, Burns took a first in a close 500-free (5:15.2) to complete an excellent double performance.

After the 1000-free victory, Mike Cahalan (22.0) and Paul Horvitz swept the 50-free to put Harvard ahead, 23-2.

So It Goes

And so it went, with Navy winning only four events, one when Harvard's relay team was disqualified. "It's really sad," said the Crimson's Dave Powlison halfway through the meet. "There's no use swimming anymore; all my friends have left."