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March 7, 1975: Under the tutelage of Ray Essick, the men's swimming team prepares to embark upon their annual journey to the Eastern championships with yet another undefeated season under their belt. Foregoing any of the dual meet stunts of shaving-down or even psyching-up that the Harvard team and their competitors have been employing this season, the team of yesteryear relied upon raw talent, pure and simple, for its successes. Training was much less intense back then for the likes of George Keim, Ted Fullerton, or Hess Yntema (who at one time was ranked No. 1 in the world); yet this was just the team's style--practice less yet swim faster than the competition, showing finesse all the way. Oh, by the way, Princeton won the Easterns that year.

February 28, 1980: Impressive talent combined with a healthy dose of two workouts a day point today's squad towards one of its most satisfying seasons ever. Far and away, the men have established faster times during this dual meet season than ever before, and the team plans to keep just such a pattern going as the 1980 Eastern Championships beginning today in Kemp Natatorium at the University of Pennsylvania. Oh, by the way, Harvard is a heavy favorite going into the meet.

But unlike the 1975 edition, this year's team suffered a lopsided defeat in its dual meet with Princeton, as the shaved down Tigers crushed the Crimson in the swimming events, 63-32, leaving it to the divers to bolster the score to a more respectable 65-48 outcome. The next week Harvard showed that two can play that game as they shaved and peaked to beat Indiana, 67-46.

In past years, individuals might shave for dual meets, particularly the Harvard-Princeton meet, but the ritual of the entire team shaving together (kinky as it might sound) waited until the Easterns. Hence, the time drops at this first big championship meet may not be as spectacular as usual. However, Crimson coach Joe Bernal points out that "coming off of Indiana we are feeling pretty confident of what we are capable of doing...and about going into the meet as the favorite."

Today's events begin with the 500 freestyle, a Crimson speciality. Hackett, Countryman, Maximoff, et. al., should provide a plethora of points from which to start Harvard off on the right track. The 200 individual medley and the 50 free follow where Harvard's future is hopeful but not quite as certain. Also featured today will be the 200 Medley Relay, where the Crimson's 3:22.30 clocking against Indiana goes up against Princeton's 3:22.83 which they swam against Harvard. Finally, in the one-meter diving the Crimson will be represented by Schramm and Mule.

In the 500 free, traditionally a Princeton stronghold in years gone by, Saltzman and Peterson will represent the Tiger's finest, with one of the big question marks of the first day being whether O'Hara will swim in the 50 or the 500 free.

Barring tragedy, Harvard is going to win the meet, so when you place your bets, feel confident about Harvard's two-to-one morning line. But if you have trouble convincing your Tiger buddies to bet the big bucks, you might just happen to mention the outcome of the meet five years ago. Eastern Champs - 1979 Mike Coglin  200-yd. IM  1:52.80 Bobby Hackett  1650-yd. Free  15:30.37 Bobby Hackett  500-yd. Free  4:26.78 Ron Raikula  400-yd. IM  4:02.54 Ron Raikula  200-yd. Back  1:52.20