W. Swimmers Look To Slay Dartmouth

Rumors are flying around campus about Dartmouth students bringing to Cambridge the stomach virus that affected to many Harvard students this week.

Tonight Harvard gets a chance to infect the Dartmouth campus with a disease of its own, that being the disease of defeat at the hands of the Crimson women's swim team.

Incidentally, the Harvard women's swimmers are not likely to be hurt much by the virus and should be in good enough shape to make a splash in the Big Green waters.

"A couple of girls were sick, but we should be OK", freshman swimmer Mary Naber said. "We hope to nail them, like they got us with the virus."

With a victory at Dartmouth today, the Crimson would grab the early lead in the Ivy League standings and raise its perfect dual-meet record to 3-0.

The meet marks a return to Ivy waters after a huge victory over Florida, Boston University and Yale in the Harvard invitational last weekend. The Crimson showed incredible depth in the Invitational, stunning the nationally ranked Gators and easily outdistancing the Ivy-rival Bulldogs.

Harvard had opened the head-to-head season on November 19 with convincing league wins over Brown and Columbia. Those opening victories placed the Crimson stop the early Ivy League charts heading into the Thanksgiving break.

Leading the charge for the Crimson is senior co-captain Deborah Kory. Kory is undefeated in Ivy competition, taking home first-place finishes in the 100 and 200-meter breast stroke and both the 200 and 400-meter medley relays against Brown and Columbia and also scoring an additional first-place in the 200 IM against Brown.

Perhaps even more impressive are Kory's placings in the Invitational. The senior sensation racked up blue ribbons again in the 100 and 200 breaststroke as well as the 400 and 800 IM's. That performance was in addition to second places in the 200 and 400 medley relays and a fifth-place showing in the 100 butterfly.

The other co-captain, Kristan Gately, is not far behind with four first-places in the Ivies and four second-place showings in the Invitational. Gately is a freestyle specialist, swimming in the 50,100 and 200-meter events for the Crimson.

Following the lead of their captains is a host of impressive freshmen swimmers for the Crimson. Five first-year swimmers have hit the water with first place showings so far this season.

The freshman phenoms are led by freestyler Keiko Iwahara, a recruit from Osaka, Japan. Iwahara has owned the 50 free for the Crimson, winning the event against Brown and Columbia and placing third at the Invitational. She has also been a part of both Harvard's medley and freestyle relay teams.

Sandie Stringfellow has followed close behind Iwahara in the 50 free, being edged by her teammate by just 12 seconds at the dual meet. Stringfellow has also been a part of the freestyle relay teams.

Naber has also been a key performer in Harvard's success. The butterfly specialist from Salinas, Calif., has nabbed first place spots in the 100 and 200 fly events at the Brown-Columbia duals and been a part of the Crimson's outstanding medley relay team.

Stephanie Lawrence has led the Crimson's efforts in the backstroke, garnering first and second-place finishes against Columbia and Brown, respectively, in the 200 backstroke.

The fifth freshman to crack the top spot on the medal platform is Jennifer Steffen, who has helped out with the Crimson's freestyle relay team.

The Crimson has also received excellent showing in the diving portion of the meets. Sophomore Kara Miller placed first in the three-meter springboard and second on the one-meter against Brown and then garnered a third-place on the higher board at the Invitational.

Freshman Lara Jacobson edged Miller for second place at the Invitational and will challenge for the top diving spot the rest of the season.

After the Dartmouth meet the women swimmers head out for a long road trip, first stopping at Cal-Berkeley on December 15 and then heading onto to Hawaii for a dual meet with the Rainbows and nationally-ranked Michigan.

The Crimson will next return home after Christmas for the meat of its schedule, beginning with an all-important dual meet with Yale and culminating in the Eastern Sprints at the end of February.

"Dartmouth is another rung in the ladder toward the Eastern Championships", Naber said.