Radcliffe Swimmers Splash Their Way To Narrow Victory in Greater Bostons

Radcliffe's swim team traveled across town to Boston College to participate in the Greater Boston Championships last night and swam away with a narrow 494-493 first-place finish. The host squad, the Boston College Eagles, finished second to the victorious Crimson.

The meet's outcome was in doubt until the final relay. Entering the race, the Eagles held a five-point lead over Radcliffe but, as they have done in their previous three meets, the Radcliffe swimmers responded to the pressure and wiped out the Eagle lead by taking second place in the relay.

As Boston College could only manage a fifth-place position in the final relay. Radcliffe picked up six points on the Eagles, producing the final score.

While Radcliffe and Boston College were battling it out for championship honors, seven other teams were splashing their way for third. The Northeastern Huskies and the Boston University Terriers provided most of the competition for third place, with Northeastern being declared the unofficial winner.

Wellesley followed the Terriers in fifth position, with Tufts, Newton College Brandeis, and Babson rounding out the nine-team field.

Downey Shines

Laurie Downey paced Radcliffe to its impressive triumph, as she accumulated 60 individual points, taking first place in the 200-yd. butterfly, the 100-yd. butterfly, and the 100-yd. individual medley.

Downey was hardly the lone Radcliffe standout, as she received plenty of assistance from teammates Carol Moore and Diana Borden. Moore finished second in the 100-yd. breaststroke and third in the 100-yd. freestyle, while Borden took third in both the 100 and 200-yd. breast stroke events.

Tri-captain Nancy Sato was relegated to participation in the two diving events, because of an injury suffered last week. She finished first in the one and three meter dives, helping propel Radcliffe to its triumph.

Radcliffe will now have over a week to rest on its laurels and prepare for its next meet, the New England Championships, to be staged in Providence, R.I. next Friday. In the meet, Radcliffe will face stiff opposition from both Brown and the University of Maine, each of whom the Crimson defeated earlier this season.