Swim Teams Stage Big Red Massacre at Blodgett

The Harvard men's swimming team rebounded from its disappointing loss at Princeton last week by defeating Cornell, 86-27, Saturday afternoon at Blodgett Pool.

A crowd of 100 spectators watched as the Crimson (5-2 overall, 5-2 ECAC, 4-1 Ivy League) took every race from the Big Red (3-6, 1-6 ECAC), in a meet that was little more than a time trial to qualify for the Eastern Championships.

In the process, Harvard gained revenge on last year's bitter 62-51 loss--Cornell's first win over the Crimson in 73 years.

The meet also put the squad back on track for Eastern, which are only 16 days away. Harvard has captured the Eastern meet in each of the previous eight years but could get its toughest challenge from a fired-up Princeton squad.

"This is an entirely different team than the one which lost to Princeton last week," Harvard Co-Captain Lars Reierson said. "People are now aware of what it's going to take to win Eastern this year. It's not going to be easy, but it's going to happen."

In an attempt to qualify additional swimmers from both teams for Easterns, Harvard and Cornell swam an alternate program which included such uncommon events as a 1650 freestyle and a 400 medley relay (determined by the results of four individual races).

But the change in format posed no problem for the Crimson, which was never seriously challenged by the Big Red squad.

Junior Jeff Peter led the Crimson charge with three individual victories. Peltier took the 100 and 200 backstroke events, as well as the 400 individual medley.

Junior Chris Smith was a double-winner for Harvard in the meet, as was freshman Jim Lutz. smith capture the 50-and 100-yd. freestyle races, while Lutz controlled the breaststroke events, winning both the 100-and 200-yd. races

Freshman Kresimir Peharda claimed the 100 butterfly, although it counted only as part of the medley relay, as did the 100-yd. backstroke and breaststroke races.

John Pearson snagged first place in the 1650 freestyle and Jim Kornish followed suit with his victory in the 200 freestyle. Bill Bird nabbed the 200 butterfly by more than five seconds, while John Ritch took the top spot in the 500 freestyle.

The Harvard women's swimming team extended its

perfect record to 8-0 and moved to within one meet

of capturing its second straight Ivy League title

Saturday by thrashing Cornell, 98-42, at Blodgett

Pool.

Only a contest at Penn separates the Crimson

(6-0 in the Ivies) from another Ancient Eighth

crown following the squad's methodical drubbing of

the Big Red, in which most of Harvard's top

swimmers raced in events other than their best.

Still, the Crimson took 13 of the 16 events,

again demonstrating the speed and depth of the

squad. As in previous meets, Harvard coach Maura

Costin Scalise was forced to alter her line-up in

the final races to avoid "running up" the score on

the visitors.

Saturday's meet also allowed some of the

lesser-known Crimson swimmers to shine--namely

those who will not participate at the Eastern

Championship due to roster limitations.

Costin Scalise noted the strong performances of

senior Tina Diekmann, as well as those of freshmen

Marianne Monahan, Anne Rentoumis and Gillian

Salton.

Swimming in her final meet in Blodgett Pool,

Diekmann established season bests in both the

100-and 200-yd. breaststroke races. Salton,

meanwhile, easily shattered personal records in

the two backstroke races.

Ironically, after the meet, there was an

attitude of dissatisfaction among the aquawomen,

especially over the weak opposition.

"It was too bad that in our last home meet

Cornell wasn't a tougher challenge," junior Kelley

Taber said. "It's hard for a team to get motivated

and improve on times when you aren't pushed by the

other team."

Freshman Jenny Meyer led the Crimson scoring,

swimming to victory in two races--the 200

butterfly and the 400 individual medley. Meyer

also teamed up with Elaine Sang, Mia Costello, and

Nina Anderson to capture the 200 medley relay.

Michelle Sang overcame a strong challenge by

Cornell's Julie Wright to take the 1650 freestyle.

Costello claimed the 200 freestyle and Linda Suhs

snagged the 100 backstroke.

Janice Sweetser touched out teammate Molly

Clark to nail down first place in the 100

breaststroke, while Tara Gustilo cap-

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