Tigers, Aquamen Clash Tomorrow at Blodgett

Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of Blodgett Pool. And like any good birthday party, there will be plenty of games, prizes and fireworks.

But most of the fun will be in the water, as the Harvard men's swimming team will battle Princeton for sole possession of both the Ivy League and ECAC titles.

Beginning at I p.m., Blodgett Pool will play host to the annual head-to-head clash that has developed into the premier dual meet in the East.

The Tigers or the Crimson have either won outright or shared each of the past 16 Ivy League crowns, a streak dating back to 1971, when Penn took the top spot. Since that time, Harvard has claimed 11 championships, Princeton eight.

While the Tigers have maintained the upper hand over the Crimson lately by winning the last three dual meets, this year's match-up promises to be close and exciting as usual. The home team still remains the under dog, but Coach Joe Bernal's clubs are always tough at Blodgett Pool, where they have dropped only two meets in the building's existence: to Princeton in both 1980 and 1986.

In addition, tommorow's meet will be dedicated to the memory of the pool's benefactor, John Woods Blodgett, Jr., who passed away last October.

"The highly competitive nature of this meet should be a fitting tribute to a wonderful man," Bernal said.

In its 10-year history, Blodgett Pool has been the site of several big meets, including the 1981 NCAA Championships. But by far the most memorable are the five between the Tigers and the Crimson. A brief look back:

1986: Both squads came into the contest undefeated at 6-0, and the meet lived up to its billing as a thriller. The Crimson, paced by sophomore David Berkoff, led from the outset, but Princeton kept hanging tough, closing to a 54-52 margin into the final event, the 400 freestyle relay.

In the relay, the two squads battled man-for-man, as Chris Smith and Richard Hughes touched the wall simultaneously. But the electronic timing system gave Princeton the race by .04 seconds giving the visitors seven points and a 59-54 win.

1984: The Crimson came into the meet as a heavy underdog, especially after dropping two early-season road contests to Navy and Columbia. But the Tigers may have overlooked their hosts a little bit, as Harvard jumped ahead early and was never seriously challenged, capturing a 77-36 decision.

1982: This was the only real blowout here, as the Crimson snagged 1-2 in seven events and first in three others to swamp the Tigers, 87-26.

1980: Harvard enteredas the favorite, but was looking ahead to a meet with Indiana one week later. Princeton caught the Crimson off guard, snapping a 28-meet winning streak by a 65-48 margin. The two teams finished tied for the Ivy title each with 6-1 records.

1978: J.W. Blodgett, Jr., was on hand along with Derek Bok to participate in the pool's opening ceremonies. Princeton came into the meet with a string of six consecutive Eastern Championships along with two Ivy titles. Harvard, meanwhile, was led by freshman Bobby Hackett and rookie Coach Bernal.

The Crimson trailed throughout the entire meet, as Princeton moved in front by a 48-40 margin before the three-meter diving. But Harvard divers took 1-2 and Tuomo Kerola earned a second-place finish in the breaststroke, preventing the Tigers from clinching the meet.

Then, in the freestyle relay, Hackett overtook Alan Fine in the closing moments to pull out a dramatic 58-55 victory before a capacity crowd of 1200.

"There are a lot of similarities between this team and the one ten years ago," Bernal said. "We were underdogs to a strong Princeton club, but never gave up hope of victory through hard work and determination. I am excited about this meet because, win or lose, we will swim up to our capabilities."

The Harvard women's team, undefeated in Ivy competition, will battle Princeton following the men's meet. The Tigers are a major obstacle in the team's quest for a third-straight Ivy crown.