Aquamen Sink Elis, 70-43, To Capture League Title

Twenty years ago, beating Yale was the annual ambition of every Harvard men's swim team Led by Don Schollander, four-time gold medalist at the 1964 Olympic Games, the Elis were top dogs in Eastern waters. But this year's crop of aquamen made that ancient history as they curbed the Bulldogs--70.43, Saturday in New Haven to clinch the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League championship.

The unsurprising win left the Crimson with a season mark of nine victories against no defeats--in second consecutive perfect season and its fifth straight EISL title, one for every year under coach Joe Bernal.

Also, the Elis' execution maintained Harvard's two-year winning streak that at 22 straight is currently the longest in collegiate swimming.

Yale surprised aquamen by coming into Kiphuth Exhibition Pool shaved and tapered practices reserved for only the most important competitions and unusual with the Eastern Seaboard Championship less than one week away. Using the tactic to the fullest, the Elis grabbed the 400 tree relay by eight 100ths of a second touching out the Crimson relay of Bob Hrabehak, Jim Carbone, Jack Gauthier and Mike Miao in 3:29.40.

In the 1000 tree junior co-captain Ted Chappell out-distanced the Bulldogs star junior Mark Loltis with a 9:23.50 finish. Larry Countryman, Harvard's other co-captain captured third place in 9:37.20.

Yale swept the 50 tree. Alex Dickman win-night in 21.63 after sophomore Mike Miao was left on the blocks after a poor start. The Eli double negated freshman Dave Barnes' first place in the 200 free-the previous event-in 1.42.80.

Caught in an uncustomary position--losing-Harvard's recovered to make up an eight-point deficit after the 50 with one-two sweeps of the next three events.

Freshman Dan Watson took the three-meter diving with a 364.75 score followed by junior Jeff Mule with 303.6. In the meet's first event sophomore Karl Illig led a Crimson sweep of the one-meter board, finishing with 300.95 points.

Chappell won his second race of the day taking the 200 individual medley in 1:50.80, followed by junior Tom Verdin in 1:56.60.

In the 200 butterfly, senior Tim Maximoff finished his dual meet career with a win in 1:53.92. with freshman Billy McCloskey grabbing second with a 1:54.56 clocking.

When senior Jack Gauthier edged Eli David Franklin in the 100 free finishing in 47.28. Harvard had sealed up the victory, the scoreline reading 42:28.

The Crimson closed out the day taking three of the four remaining races, with Dave Phillips winning the 200 back Barnes getting his second in the 500 free and the 400 free relay team stroking to a 3:08.02.

NOTEBOOK: The aquamen go after their fifth Eastern Seaboard Championship next week with hopes of breaking the team scoring record they set last year. Their chances will be hurt with junior Countryman academically ineligible for the meet. . . Bernal and the team's three seniors all received Yale swimming t-shirts Saturday and the Elis three NCAA qualifiers from last year presented Bernal with a Harvard banner that mysteriously disappeared from the championship meet in Austin, Texas.