Watery Woes

It was supposed to be the greatest aqua-victory in history for the Crimson swimmers, but when the waves at poolside had quieted down Saturday night in Princeton, the site of the Eastern championships, it was the Tigers that were out celebrating.

It is hard to say what stood between Harvard and the championship. Eight points, certainly, but what else? Four gulps of water, maybe, that cost the Crimson a disqualification and 32 points in the medley relay on the opening day of competition. Or maybe it was the second place finish in the 400 free relay in the last race Saturday that found Princeton taking first in the event--and the meet. Or maybe it was just the home crowd advantage.

It would be tempting, but quite unfair, to pin the loss on Hess Yntema's disqualification in the medley relay, since without Hess's Spitzian efforts of winning every other time he entered the water, the meet would not have been as close as it was.

The second place finishes behind Princeton in the 400 free relay obviously made some difference, for if the order of finish had been reversed, the meet score would have been 417-412 in Harvard's favor.

But I guess the underlying reason why Harvard came from ahead to lose to a team it had earlier annihilated, 82-31, was the home advantage. For instance, a team is hardly ever disqualified at home, only on the road. It's a copout to blame the Crimson's defeat on such a nebulous sports phrase as "home advantage," but I must confess I just can't think of any other reason.