Yale Swimmers Favored As Easterns Open Today

This year's annual Eastern Seaboard swimming championships start today at Princeton with the powerful Elis of Yale rated heavy favorites.

Undefeated in dual meets this year and out to win its sixth team title in as many years, Yale will be without the services of its team captain Don Schollander.

The Olympic star is sitting out the meet ostensibly to give some of Yale's lesser known swimmers a chance to win. A more probable reason is that Yale coach Phil Moriarity wants his star rested for the National Collegiate and AAU championships later this month.

Schollander's absence should make little difference as the Eli powerhouse will be led by last year's breaststroke champion Mike Buckley, 1967 Individual Medley winner Dave Johnson, and sophomore John Nelson who swam in the 1964 Olympics.

The Harvard squad, without the services of diver Bill Murphy, will be led by freestylers Bill Shrout, and Pete Adams. Murphy, who was injured in the Yale meet Saturday, won the Eastern three meter diving event last year and was favored to repeat again.

Shrout's Prospects

With Schollander out of the competition, Shrout's prospects are improved. The Crimson senior has been a consistent winner this year in dual meets. However, there will be 21 colleges competing in the championships and the addition of such swimmers as Parker Wheat of Colgate and Mike Fitzmaurice of Villanova will provide Shrout with more than enough competition.

Other than Yale, Princeton and Villanova should be the teams to beat.