Radcliffe Swimming Team Submerges Wheaton, 96-26

The Radcliffe swimming team glided by Wheaton 96-26 last Saturday afternoon in impressive form to post their first victory of the season. The dual meet, held at the Indoor Athletic Building, was the first of the year for the varsity, which had previously competed only in an informal intersquad meet.

The final score was every bit indicative of Radcliffe's total domination. Crimson waterwomen claimed a remarkable fourteen out of fifteen possible first places and ten out of fifteen possible second places. Wheaton's lone first place was in the 200-yard freestyle relay, the final event of the meet.

Triple winner Laurie Downey expects the competition to become a lot tougher. "It is misleading to take this first meet as an indication of how we're going to do," she said. "Wheaton is probably the weakest team we will face all year."

Downey, only a sophomore, was one of two Crimson swimmers to take three first place finishes; the 100 yard individual medley (1:06:65), the 50-yard butterfly (29:68), and the 100-yard backstroke (1:07:98). Carol Moore, another sophomore, also claimed three Crimson firsts: the 50-yard breaststroke (37:07), the 100 yard freestyle (1:04:79), and the 100 yard breaststroke (1:21:91).

Double Winners

Double winners for the Crimson included Captain Maureen Murphy and junior Reed Sutherland. Murphy captured the 200 yard freestyle (2:22:63) and the 400 yard freestyle as well (5:10:55), while Reed managed the 50-yard freestyle (29:21) and the 100 yard butterfly (1:13:37). Kris Krendl (50-yard backstroke) and Kathy Lindenthal (one meter diving) took single first for Radcliffe.

The swimmers will compete tomorrow afternoon against the University of New Hampshire at Durham. "They're much better than Wheaton," says Downey, "but we're a very strong team too. Each week our times get better and better," she added. "We have to be optimistic."