Racquetmen Topple Favored Tigers... While Tiger Aquamen Upset Crimson

It was something that no one who was there will ever forget. A team effort rivaling that of the Harvard football squad in its upset of Yale this past fall. An unexpected victory over an arch-rival that literally made a team's entire season a success.

Unfortunately, the team which rose to the occasion Saturday was Princeton. Totally shaved (remember, everything outside of their suits except for the tops of their heads) and incredibly psyched, the underdog Tigers clawed their way to a 65-48 win before 300 stunned fans at Blodgett Pool, ending the Crimson's 28-meet winning streak in the process.

"We knew we had to shave to have a chance," Tiger freestyle ace Andy Saltzman said afterwards, "and we had nothing to lose." Indeed they didn't. Harvard's depth will undoubtedly carry the Crimson to a lopsided victory at the Easterns, so this was the Tigers' one opportunity to prove to Harvard and to themselves that they are still very much a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern League.

Princeton won seven of the nine individual swimming events, took both relays, and set five Blodgett Pool records. More importantly, they seized the role of the aggressor from the beginning, and each clutch performance seemed to inspire greater ones as the meet went on.

It wasn't the tremendous swimming of Princeton's big guns that spelled the Crimson's demise, although Specht's 200 fly (1:47.85) and Christensen's 200 breaststroke (2:04.85 to slam the door in Harvard's face) were nothing short of spectacular.

Momentum

Rather it was the momentum gained by seeing each member of the team coming through as planned, systematically defeating the Crimson's stalwarts where it seemed most unlikely.

Ironically, the decisive blow was delivered in the 100 freestyle, the same event which propelled Harvard to victory last year. Tigers Beaver O'Hara and Saltzman outsprinted Bobby Hackett in the final lap to sweep first and second, destroying at once the myths of Hackett's and Harvard's invincibility.

The psychological effect was devastating. The Tigers won each of the next three events, and the meet was decided before the final relay had even begun.

The Harvard loss was not Hackett's fault. He narrowly defeated Saltzman in their 200-yd. freestyle duel and came within a tenth of a second of his lifetime best in the 100.

Dive, Dive

It also cannot be blamed on Harvard's divers, Steve Schramm and Jeff Mule, who each won one of the diving events while providing the Crimson with 16 points. Mule's first place finish was his first of the season.

Indeed, no one should be blamed for the loss--to do this would detract from Princeton's effort. Harvard was over-confident entering the meet, and very well might have been looking past the Tigers to the dual meet with Indiana this weekend. But the Crimson did not swim poorly; many season's best times were recorded.

The simple fact is that Princeton decided that to win this meet would make its season, and on Saturday afternoon Harvard was not prepared to stop them from achieving its goal.

Freshman Larry Countryman is one who deserves accolades for his performances Saturday. Countryman won the 1000-yd. freestyle and fought gallantly to break the Tigers' momentum in the 500 free. He was unsuccessful, but his times of 9:23 and 4:34.1 make him a potential favorite in the distance events at Easterns.

Harvard will win big at the Championships at Penn the first weekend in March. Times will be fast and everyone in the East will know that Harvard has the best team. But Saturday afternoon and the distinction of breaking Harvard's winning streak belong to Princeton.

PRINCETON 65 HARVARD 48

400-yd. Medley Relay--1. Princeton (Sykes 52.7, Christensen 56.3, Specht 48.6, O'Hara 45.1) 3:22.83 (Blodgett Pool Record, old mark by Princeton 3/1/79), 2. Harvard 3:31.08

1000-yd. freestyle--1. Countryman (H) 9:23.07, 2. Cummins (P) 9:29.71, 3. Maximoff (H) 9:32.43; 200-yd. Freestyle--1. Hackett (H) 1:38.17 (Pool Record, old mark by Hackett 1978), 2. Saltzman (P) 1:38.20, 3. Peterson (P) 1:40.75;

NCAA QUALIFYING PERFORMANCES: Harvard--Hackett 200 free; Princeton--Medley Relay; Saltzman, 200 free; Specht, 100 and 200 fly; Christensen. 200 breast