Two More Swimmers Quit Team; Loss Will Hurt Freestyle Depth

Two more swimmers, both freestylers, have decided to quit Harvard's varsity team, but rumors that a third was also going to leave the team have proved untrue.

Senior Toby Gerhart and sophomore Howie Burns are the two who quit. Since butterflyer John Munk decided not to come out this winter, the swimming team is now without three good performers it had counted on for this season.

None of those who quit claimed dissatisfaction with Harvard's swimming program, Nor were they disenchanted because of the team's two losses in six meets. Their reasons were personal ones.

Neither Gerhart nor Burns is the top swimmer in his event, but their loss will definitely hurt the Crimson depth. Gerhart said his absence would not be a "strategic loss" to the squad, and could be "made up."

Henry Watson, a top distance freestyler, was also thought to be among those now off the team, but he said last night that he would be at practice today.

Gerhart and Munk were two of this year's seniors, who have been the nucleus of the team for the last three seasons. Gerhart, who had been considering quitting since October, said he was tired of swimming every day. "It's not that swimming takes that much time, just energy." he explained yesterday. He swam the 200-free and the relays.

Burns' decision also came after lots of consideration. His personal reasons were not completely clear, and he could not be reached for comment yesterday in the Widener stacks, where he was writing a 25-page paper on the brain drain.

Last year in the Yale meet he was second in both the 200-free and 500-free and helped the relay team set a freshman record.