Harvard Swimmers Take Early Lead In Pursuit of Eastern League Crown

In upsetting Dartmouth 69-44 on January 6, the undefeated Harvard swimming team not only grabbed the early lead in the five-team scramble for the Eastern League title, but in the process it also recorded some of the best times in the East and the nation.

The national swimming rankings released last week by Swimming World Magazine list Harvard among the top ten in an impressive 7 of 11 events, with two other Crimson swimmers just missing the listings. Leading the Harvard effort is sensational freshman Hess, who is ranked in three different individual events and is a member of the Crimson's 400 yd. reestyle relay team.

Yntema, who holds Harvard records in two events already and threatens to break at least one other, is ranked sixth in the 200 yd. freestyle with a time of 1:45.08, within striking distance of captain Fred Mitchell's record mark of 1:44.3.

In the 200 yd. individual medley, Yntema's school and pool record time of 1:59.15 was good for a very good fourth place ranking just a little over a second off the leading time of 1:57.85 recorded by Michigan's Tom Szuba. His 200 yd. butterfly clocking of 1:55.91 performance which shattered the Harvard school record as well--ranked him seventh in the event.

Harvard captain Fred Mitchell, no stranger to the national rankings, made the list again in the 100 yd. free, where his time of 47.89 was good for a number eight ranking. The Crimson strength in the freestyles was further demonstrated by Tim Neville's fourth place ranking in the 50 yd. free with his Harvard pool record time of 21.5, fractions off the school record he shares with 1971 Crimson captain Mike Cahalan.

Both Harvard relays made the national rankings. The 400 yd. medley, although losing a tough race to Dartmouth, made it onto the list with a tenth place time of 3:38.78. The 400 yd. free relay, however, fared better, placing sixth in 3:11.37.

Two Crimson swimmers just missed making the list. Dave Brumwell's 2:14.7 200 yd. breastroke was .2 off the tenth place performance while Tom Wolfe's 2:00.7 missed the list by less than .05 of a second.

Not surprisingly these nationally ranked performances gave Harvard a clear-cut domination in the East, but both the number of Crimson swimmers nationally ranked and the superiority of Harvard's times in the East may be challenged in the weeks to come. The times of the California-based swimmers--who start later than their Eastern counterparts--will begin dropping markedly Harvard's standing in the East in relation to such schools as Yale. Princeton and Dartmouth will be threatened when these teams begin to face one another in crucial league encounters. "The times further reflect how successful our Christmas trip was," head coach Don Gambril said yesterday.

For the moment, however, Harvard has the best times in the East in four events, second in four, third in three and fourth in four. Yntema accounts for three of the four top times, with Brumwell the other.

More significant is the fact that Harvard is extremely deep--in two events, the 200 yd. individual medley and the 200 yd. breast stroke the Crimson is 1-2--and Harvard is no worse than fourth in any event. In six events two or more Harvard swimmers are listed. This may be the kind of depth necessary to beat Princeton, and perhaps, challenge for first place at the Eastern Seaboards in March.