Aquawomen Hold Second in Easterns Set to Challenge Brown For Crown

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--The Harvard women's swimming team arrived on the deck here at Smith Swimming Center last night disguised as samurai warriors.

In honor of the first night of the 1987 Eastern Championships, each wore a Japanese headband and marched in to battle uttering a shogun war chant.

And like the Asian warriors of long ago, the Crimson took the East--at least the Eastern swimming world--by storm.

After the first day of competition, the Crimson occupies the second spot in the 26-team field, garnering 176 points, 59 behind defending champion Brown, which has 235.

Penn State now holds third place (160 points). while Princeton is fourth (118).

The Crimson's current second-place standing is the highest ever after the first day.

"Today was definitely the toughest day," said Harvard Coach Maura Costin Scalise. "Brown is performing well, but we are swimming out of our minds."

In every event yesterday, Harvard swimmers shattered existing team marks, often by large margins.

In the first event--the 200 medley relay--the Crimson quartet of Sheila Findley, Mia Costello, Mary Quinn and Linda Suhs set a new Harvard, pool and Eastern record with its winning time of 1.45 91.

As a result of the record time, they became the first women swimmers in Crimson history to qualify for the NCAA championships, held next month in Indianapolis, Ind.

Sophomore Janice Sweetser, the defending champion in the 500 freestyle, led this year's race with 100 yards remaining, but was edged out in the final stretch to finish in third place with a time of 4:58.74.

In the 50 freestyle, Suhs set a new Harvard record with her fifth-place time of 24.17.

In the one-meter diving competition, sophomore Jenny Greene moved up from her fourth-place finish last year, claiming second overall with a record total of 467 points.