Varsity Swimmers, Stronger than Ever, Striving for Perfect Season

In the 26,250 cubic feet of water that make up the Indoor Athletic Pool, Hal Ulen's varsity swimmers are burning up more energy per unit time this week than enthusiasts in any other sport in the nation.

It's been proven by science that swimming consumes more energy than any other sport, and last year it was proven under competition that Hal Ulen's swimmers can win more meets than most teams in the nation. Last year, his moist horde overpowered all of their nine opponents except Yale. This year they're out to make it a clean sweep.

Ten years ago, Charlie Hudder led a Crimson aquatic squad to its most recent undefeated season. This winter, Captain Jerry Gorman may pull off the same stunt. Backed by all of last year's team except Larry Miner and Hank Arthur in the 440 and Milt Busby in the 100-yd. freestyle, his squad may hit clear water all season.

Hal Ulen is taking nothing for granted, however. Crucial contests loom with Yale, Army, Dartmouth, and Princeton, and he is working as hard and fast as possible to pull the squad into top shape. The familiar names of Chuck Hoelzer, Tommy Woods, Larry Ward, and Joe Fox highlight the possible lineup for the 300-yd. medley relay. But there is more depth in the relays this season than could be mustered last year, and Norm Watkins, Paul Killoran, and Jim Mac-Vicar are also possibilities in the freestyle division of the relays.

Working with Ulen in the 50-yd. freestyle are Joe Fox, Jim MacVicar, Norm Watkins, Chuck Hoolzer (last year's captain), and Bob Berke, a promising sophomore who captained last season's '51 outfit. Several other new arrivals from the ranks of the sophomore class include John Steinhardt in the 150-yd. backstroke, Rene Vielman in the 220-yd. breast-stroke, Pete Bierre in the 440-yd. freestyle, and Bob Tolf, also in the freestyle.

Tom Drohan, ace diver, graduates this February before the Yale meet, and diving coach Bernie Kelly is working with Win Briggs. Briggs weighs about 35 pounds more than Drohan and showed excellent form as a sophomore before he was laid up with a touch of rheumatic fever. With his extra weight, Briggs may very adequately replace Drohan, and possibly surpass him some day.

Ted Norris, a regular in the 220 and 440-yd. freestyle, placed sixth in the Olympics this summer, and also copped first place in the National long distance swim for the second year in a row just before registration. His starting berth looks singularly secure.

It was smooth going all last year for the Crimson mermen except for Yale's decisive triumph in the grand finale of the unbeaten season. The school from New Haven, no pun intended, paddled past Ulen's proteges 62 to 13. Only close meet of the season came when Dartmouth succumbed 43 to 32 as a result of a last minute Crimson triumph in the relay. Princeton was building a new pool last year and had no team. In 1946, however, the Nassau relay squad placed in the Eastern Intercollegiates, and they may easily be a surprise threat in the East this winter. Army's team, always strong, promises to be even more powerful, and Yale, of course, seeks revenge for this fall's grid defeat and hopes to mete it out with a competent squad of swimmers.

Maybe next March, thanks to Hal Ulen and company, these 16 letters can be set up in print for the first time in a long while: U-N-D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D S-E-A-S-O-N.