Aquamen Sink Tigers, 87-26, Extend Winning Streak to 18

Every year it's the same. There are always a few skeptics in the crowd. But the Harvard men's swim team once again erased all doubts Saturday afternoon at Blodgett Pool, mauling Princeton, 87-26 and reaffirming its supremacy in Eastern waters.

In submerging the closest thing it has to a rival, the Crimson claimed ten of 13 first-place finishes. More fatal to the Tigers, the acumen swept up second place in seven of those ten events in a display of bottomless depth.

"They came out and said it all," coach Joe Bernal said of his charges after the meet. "These guys are legitimate."

Blow Out

Harvard jumped to an insurmountable 31-3 lead after four events. In the opening 400 medley relay, both the Harvard and Princeton "A" teams were disqualified for an illegal entry card and a false start, respectively. But the Crimson "B" of Julian Bott, Jack Ewing, Rich Kirk and Bob Tyler cruised to the win in 3:38.88, six seconds ahead of the nearest Tiger finisher.

Bernal held junior co-captain Larry Countryman out of the 1000 freestyle, but sophomore Courtney Roberts had no trouble taking the event in 9:33.81, followed by senior Tim Maximoff in 9:38.74 for a one-two sweep.

The coup de grace came in the 200 freestyle when Bernal stacked the Crimson entries with co-captains Countryman and Ted Chappell, and junior Andy Lockman. Sandwiched around Tiger senior Craig Petersen, Chappell churned to a 1:39.89 clocking, with Lockman grabbing second in 1:41.86.

Sophomore sprinter Mike Miao teamed with senior Jack Gauthier to sweep the 50 free, finishing in 21.03 and 21.36. Miao and Gauthier struck again later in the 100 free, with Miao winning the event in a new University record. The Los Angeles native broke a mark he set earlier this year with a 45.45 clocking, unofficially the tenth fastest in the nation this season.

By the time Tiger star Mike Smith edged sophomore Tony Meier in the 200 individual medley, the fifth event of the afternoon, in 1:54.71 for Princeton's first win, the meet was over.

The convincing win over the Tigers virtually assures Harvard another dual meet championship in the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League, with only contests against weak Penn and Cornell squads and the season finale at Yale left on the schedule. The acumen also racked up their 18th consecutive victory Saturday, maintaining the longest current winning streak in collegiate swimming.

In diving, freshman Dan Watson took both the one-meter and three-meter boards, with scores of 326.80 and 390.05. Jeff Mule, last year's high-point scorer at Easterns, nabbed second in both events, with sophomore Karl Illig on the one-meter and freshman Steve Feyerick on the three-meter completing a Harvard sweep.

Junior Chappell grabbed his second win of the day, besting Princeton's Mark Beisler in the 200 butterfly in 1:51.02. He joined Gauthier, Tyler and Jon Sappey on the wining 400 freestyle relay, clocked at 3:08.44.

In the 500 freestyle, Roberts outlasted Countryman in 4:36.32 for a daily double and another Crimson one-two.

NOTEBOOK: The largest crowd of the season witnessed Saturday's shellacking, and even President Bok snuck in to catch the last two events of the day. He was there to dedicate "50 Years of Harvard Swimming," an exhibit designed by Bernal and on display in the Blodgett Loungs.. Alumni swimmers wear really funky ties.