Crimson Swimmers Dominate Hopkins, Raise Record to 11-0 With 64-47 Victory

Johns Hopkins University is known for its prowess in training students for the medical profession. Last night in Baltimore, however, it was Harvard's surgically efficient swimming machine which did the operating as the Crimson anesthetized the Bluejays, 64-47. The only thing the Johns Hopkins students learned was that being a division III swimming power (Hopkins has captured the national title at that level for the last two years in a row) is not the same as being a division I power--as Crimson coach Joe Bernal's stable of seahorses is rapidly becoming.

Harvard, whose unblemished dual meet record now stands at 11-0, reeled off victories in the meet's first nine events to burst out to a 60-19 lead before showing some mercy in the later races.

The Crimson's Tim Maximoff, Jack Gauthier, and Steve Schramm all broke Hopkins pool records during the early slaughter. Maximoff followed Harvard's victorious medley relay with his standard-breaker (16:04.48) in the 1,650-yd. freestyle to give the Crimson a 12-4 cushion after two events.

The 1,000-yd. freestyle is usually swum as the second event in dual meet competition, but with both squads tuning up for the upcoming championship meet season, the longer distance was substituted.

Gauthier, who like Maximoff is only a freshman, stepped up next in the Crimson hit parade to lead a 1-2 Harvard sweep in the 200-yd. freestyle with a 1:43.87 clocking. Senior sprint stud Malcolm Cooper was second in 1:46 flat.

Yet another Yardling, Ron Raikula, splashed to an impressive two-and-a-half second victory in the next race, the 200-yd. individual medley. Recently-returned sophomore sensation Julian Mack continued the Crimson string of triumphs by blasting across the pool and back in a scant 21.92 seconds.

Bernal's overpowering lineup of aquawonders then proceeded to cop both of the first two places in the next four events in a row, thereby clinching the meet before the Bluejay navy had a chance to set sail.

Steve Schramm, who is surpassed only by Cornell's Paul Steck among Eastern divers in his acrobatic excellence on the springboards, smashed the pool record in both the one- and three-meter diving events, with totals of 305.35 and 328.0, respectively. The tandem of Schramm and senior Jamie Greacen swept both competitions, although the Crimson coaches had long-since ceased rolling up the points by the time the three-meter contest rolled around and entered their stars only as exhibition.

The strong second-year duo of Campari Knoepffler and Dan Menichella powered home with high 1:56's to sweep the 200 butterfly. After the indomitable Cooper and Kent Ashwood swept the 100 free, only Lee Menichella's sub-two minute effort in the 200 backstroke was needed to ice the meet for the defending Eastern League champs.

The Crimson travels north to Philadelphia for a meet with perennial Ivy doormat Pennsylvania this afternoon in what should be yet another one-sided warm-up for the big one--the Eastern championships here in Cambridge on March 1, 2, and 3.