Crimson Looking For NCAA Birth

It is a season of great expectations for the Harvard women's swimming team.

The Crimson, last year's Ivy League champion and Eastern runner-up, comes into the 1987-'88 campaign picked by many to notch its first-ever Eastern championship. The three-day Eastern meet will be held at Blodgett Pool February 25-7.

Women's Swimming

1986-'87 Overall: 10-0

1986-'87 Ivy League: 7-0 (Ivy Champs)

Captains: Michele Engh, Kelley Taber

Actually, February promises to be a doubly exciting month for Harvard Coach Maura Costin Scalise, as she and husband Bob are expecting their first child a couple of weeks before Easterns.

Around the pool deck, however, Costin Scalise continues to coach intensely her troops, a squad of 36 swimmers with more talent than any other in Crimson history.

Eighteen members of last year's Eastern team have returned for another shot at the title. With the addition of 13 freshmen, competition should be fierce for spots on the Eastern roster.

But Harvard has much to accomplish before the end of February, especially in the next month. In addition to its big dual-meet showdown with Eastern champion Brown on December 8 at Blodgett--which should decide the Ivy League title--the Crimson will journey to the University of Alabama for an eight-team dual meet tournament December 4-6.

Each of the eight squads at Alabama placed highly at last year's NCAA championships, so the tourney should give the Crimson a good indication of how it matches up on a national level. Harvard's first-round matchup is with the University of Kansas.

In addition to the Alabama meet, the Ivy crown and the Eastern championships, the Crimson will have a fourth goal: improved success at the NCAA championships, held in March in Austin, Tex. Last year marked the first time Harvard sent swimmers to the meet, and it wishes to improve on that showing.

"I am really excited for this trip to Alabama," Costin Scalise said. "We are seeded third entering the meets, but all of the teams are very tough. We will be looking to make some Eastern and NCAA cuts early on, both in relays and in individual events, so we can keep are minds on hard training through the rest of the season."

Captained by seniors Michele Engh and Kelley Taber, Harvard remains a young team, with 27 of 36 members either freshmen or sophomores. All of last year's top point-scorers will return with an extra year of experience under their belts.

Sophomore Mia Costello, the school record-holder in the breaststroke events, has started the year impressively, posting early times far ahead of last year's pace. The Anchorage, Alaska native hopes to repeat her winning performance in last year's Eastern 200-yd. breaststroke as well as improve on her 12th place showing at NCAAs.

In addition to Costello, the other three members of the Crimson's championship medley relay team will also be back. Linda Suhs, who owns Harvard's sprint records, enters her junior year, while backstroker Sheila Findley and butterflier Mary Quinn start their second year of college swimming.

Junior Janice Sweetser, a major point scorer on last year's club, should be as strong as ever, as will seniors Karen Dehmel and Molly Clark, junior Karen Schneider and sophomores Nina Anderson, Jenny Meyer, Kaari Reierson, Michelle Sang and Tatiana Zomopoulos.

But it may be the incoming freshmen that put Harvard over the top in its quest for an Eastern championship. The members of the Class of '91' give the Crimson the added depth needed in a championship meet.

Kyo Bannai, Jill Hutchinson, Maisha Moses, Sandy Junta and Valerie Nellen are all freshmen capable of scoring points in several events, especially the sprint freestyle races. In addition, Fiona Fox should give Harvard even more depth in a solid corps of backstrokers.

Nicole Engh, sister of captain Michele, and Anne Hardy are both all-around swimmers who can earn points in many events, including the individual medley. Indiana native Mary Ruppe is another freshman with strength in many strokes. Lisa Bowman should help the Crimson in the distance freestyle races.

While Harvard has all three of its Eastern divers returning, including 3-meter champion Jenny Greene, the boards could be a trouble area for the squad. Diving Coach John Walker, who has been at Harvard since 1972, has resigned effective December 12. Although Walker's decision has been known for over a month, the Department of Athletics has yet to name an interim successor, leaving the entire Harvard diving program up in the air.

These problems aside, prospects are looking good for the 1987-'88 season. Should the Crimson progress through the season without injury and continue to have a strong attitiude, Costin Scalise may have more than her first child to celebrate by the end of February.