Swimmers Meet Powerful Cadets In EISL Opener

The swimming team competes in the first of its two crucial pre-Christmas meets at 3 p.m. today when it hosts Army in the Eastern Swimming League opener for both teams.

The mermen, who were able to relax and enjoy themselves in a swim with Springfield Tuesday night, will have to come up with maximum performances if they are to hold their own against the Cadets, whom they have not beaten since 1962. Harvard is better than it was a year ago, but graduation seems to have little effect on the Army squad, which was third in the league last winter. The Crimson will benefit from swimming at home, but coach Bill Brooks feels that advantage probably doesn't completely eliminate the edge which Army has.

Both teams have a number of excellent freestylers, and there are likely to be some rematches of the close races in last year's meet. Jack Frink. Rich Rentz, Fred Lough. and Jim Kennedy are standout Cadets, which Harvard will counter with Steve Krause, Mike Cahalan, Dave Powlison, Toby Gerhart, and Al Ackerman.

Gerhart will be trying to avenge an 0.2 second loss to Frink in the 200-free last year. but there is no certainty that they will be competing against each other in an event today. Both coaches will be trying to outguess the other as to which men will be used where.

Harvard's John Munk captured the butterfly last year, and it appears likely that he will repeat as the winner. Sophomore Bruce Getz will try to gain backup points which Harvard will need if it is to upset the Cadets.

In the backstroke. Harvard's Dan Kobick, another sophomore, has better times than any of Army's backstrokers, but it is hard to predict an outcome on the basis of last years times, and Kobick will be swimming in his first important varsity meet.

Brooks is unsure of Army's strength in the dives. but he suspects that those two events will be quite difficult for his team. He will use Steve Baumgart and Pete Mikhalevsky in the breaststroke, which Baumgart finished second in last year against Army.

Brooks acknowledges that he is probably on the short end of the stick in terms of which team has more top-notch swimmers. so he will have to make the best use of his talent.

The last time Army swam in the IAB. the outcome was particularly disappointing for Harvard. The Cadets were ahead by six points with only the freestyle relay left, so the winner of the event would win the meet. The Crimson's Bill Shrout lost by a foot on the final leg, enabling Army to extend its streak. It row numbers six consecutive victories.