Swimmers Face Challenge Tomorrow

There will be no looking ahead to future competitions this time. The strength of the opposition is fearsome and well-documented. It will be Harvard's first opportunity of 1980 to prove that an Ivy League school can challenge the giants of the swimming world when the Crimson (7-1) takes on perennial national power Indiana (9-1) tomorrow at Blodgett Pool.

Coached by the world's pre-eminent authority on the sport, James "Doc" Councilman, the Hoosiers have compiled a most impressive record over the past 22 seasons. They have won 217 dual meets while dropping only ten and have finished among the top five at the NCAAs 16 times since Councilman came to Bloomington in 1958.

Six individual point-scorers return this year to an Indiana squad that managed seventh at last season's collegiate championships despite being plagued by illness.

Diving coach Hobie Billingsley's acrobatic corps is undoubtedly the strongest challenge that Crimson divers Steve Schramm and Bob Mule will face this year before the championship season. Three Hoosier aerialists, Rob Bollinger, Niki Stajkovic, and Doug MacAskill placed among the top 12 at the NCAAs.

Breaststroker Marc Schlatter and butterflyer Jim Halliburton headline the crew of swimmers which placed in all three relays at the championships and whose members spotted the 1979 world best times list. Halliburton's long course 100-meter fly performance (55.00) ranked him fifth on that chart.

The two teams' personnel matches up fairly evenly, although the Hoosiers do possess a decided advantage in the sprints and thus possibly in the relays.

Harvard must win one of the two relays, preferably the first, the medley, and take at least five of the individual firsts to entertain serious thoughts of an upset. Most important, the Crimson must take a majority of the crucial seconds and thirds that often decide the outcome of a close meet.

The importance of preparation was the lesson learned last week. Harvard is much more rested this time around and the conditions seem right for the Crimson to fashion an underdog victory of its own. Indiana could well be looking ahead to its regional battle with Southern Illinois next week and the upcoming Big Ten championships.

Welcome to the big time.