CBS Reports

There are several fool-proof methods of determining precisely the arrival of spring in Cambridge. First, and foremost, is the celebrated Frisbee Factor, which, as all physics wonks know, is equal to the number of frisbees (genuine Wham-O's, no cheapie imitations allowed) that one spots floating in the Charles or caught in trees multiplied by the square root of b2 -- 2ac over 4a. If the number derived from this ridiculous, and practically useless formula is more than the number of swimming stories appearing in The Crimson during a one-week span, then spring has definitely arrived-accompanied, with fanfare, by dozens of horrible colds people have picked up as a result of playing frisbee barefoot and in shirtsleeves in 58 degree weather.

Another method of determining spring's arrival is to walk down to the Coop annex on Saturday afternoon. If you hear a lot of loud music, see some freaks milling around, and bargain hunters scouring the record racks at a celebrated "sidewalk" sale (actually it is a garage) for a copy of Thunderclap Newman, then you know that spring is in the air.

For me, however, there is only one really viable indicator which demarcates the boundary between winter and spring. When the college swimming season finally ends with a splash at the NCAAs, then I know the winter, and what a long one it was, is finally and irretrievably over. This means I can take out my baseball glove and proceed to throw my arm out.

I was on a team in Little League called "Klein's Stationery Owls" when, with the bases loaded, I came in from the bullpen (actually I had been chasing this cute nine-year old girl around the playground) and proceeded to walk in five straight runs. I probably should have given up the sport right then, but I persisted until the day in JV ball at prep school when, with the varsity coaches watching, I hit into a triple play to end the season, and my career.

Speaking of ending seasons, the Harvard swimming team finished off an incredible winter this weekend in Knoxville, Tenn., placing 16th behind winner Indiana in the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The Crimson's performance, except for Hess Yntema's fantastic third in the butterfly, was slightly anticlimactic, coming as it did after a league championship dual meet season and a strong third in the Easterns. Yntema's excellent 1:50.806 in the 200-yd. butterfly was, however, the climax of a long and arduous training program. Although he had been pointing towards the nationals all season long, Yntema's performances throughout the winter were consistently outstanding. Out of the ten times he swam the event (including two times in both the Easterns and the NCAA's) Yntema set new records a phenomenal nine times, as he chopped a whopping six full secodds off the old Harvard record of 1:56.8.

Yntema is only a freshman, and with the potential he possesses he could very well take a national title in the fly as early as early as next season. But he is not the only talented Crimson swimmer that will be returning. Every member of this year's 8-1 team has another year left, at least, and most are only freshmen and sophomores.

Freestyle sprinter Tim Neville, undefeated in nine dual meets in the 50-yd. free, should continue to improve in the 50, where he took a tenth at the NCAAs and the 100, in which he has lowered his Harvard record a full second to 46.37 this season since breaking it for the first time a year ago.

Dave Brumwell had an outstanding year in the 200-yd. breast and was a much improved swimmer after competing in the Munich Olympics and his 2:10.853 clocking was almost three seconds better than the Harvard record he first broke a year ago.

In the middle and distance freestyle races, Gambril needs one or two more top men to complement Rich Baughman in the 1000-yd. and 1650-yd. distances and captain Fred Mitchell, the steady if not spectacular 200 and 500-yd. specialist. A good crop of incoming freshmen will strengthen an area already quite adequate. The continued improvement of sophomore Mike Cook--who should get the "comeback performance of the year" award after making an extremely difficult return to competition after a year's absence--and the availability of Yntema in the freestyles made the Crimson's 800-yd. free relay a top notch unit this season and it should be considerably faster next year.

Tom Wolf holds down the backstroke events, where he shaved three full seconds off the old Harvard record in the 200-yd. version in a series of fine races. If there is a Crimson weakness, an area which could be improved, besides the dive, it might be here. In fact, the only record that Harvard did not break this year was the 100-yd. back mark.

Taking into account the quirks of Harvard admissions and given any sort of cooperation from Fred Jewett, Don Gambril's meteoric ascent to the top of the swimming world (a place he has been before) should continue, for at least another couple of seasons. After this winter's performance, the only place for Harvard swimming to go is up.