W. Swimming Beats Cornell

Fortunately for Harvard's women's swimming team, the most anxious moment on the team's trip to Cornell for a dual meet Saturday was the bus trip to Ithaca.

While en route to the farthest destination to which most Crimson teams are obliged to travel in a given season, the team's bus experienced minor engine trouble and was forced to ascend hills at a brisk 10 miles per hour, giving some members of the team cause for worry.

"We were afraid that we wouldn't get there," junior tri-captain Deb Kory said. "Well, actually, some people were happy because they didn't want to go to Ithaca, but at least I wanted to go to Cornell because it was our last meet before Easterns."

Fortunately for at least Kory, the swimmers made it to Cornell and, as expected, capped its season by handily disposing of the Big Red, 174-11.

"I think we were pleased overall," sophomore Greta Steffenson said. "We had a couple of people make Easterns and pretty much everyone contributed. It was a good meet."

"It wasn't the most exciting meet in the world competition-wise, but it was good way to end the year," Kory said. "Both teams had people who were trying to qualify people for Easterns, so both were trying people in new positions, and we were cheering each other on. It was fun."

Harvard (6-1, 6-1) took first in nine of the meet's 13 events.

Three Harvard swimmers picked up two wins on the day to lead the team. Freshman Kathryn Liu finished first in the 100 backstroke (1:00.40) and the 200 backstroke (2:08.63); Kory won the 200 butterfly (2:06.79)and the 500 freestyle (5:07.40), and senior Marcia Vital took top honors in both the one-meter and three-meter diving competitions.

Also picking up gold for the Crimson were freshman Emily Buckley in the 100 breastroke (1:07.66); junior tri-captain Kristin Gately in the 50 freestyle (24.58); junior Laura Koerckel in the 200 breastroke (2:29.28); and sophomore Margery Miller in the 100 butterfly (1:01.92).

The Crimson's next meet will be the Eastern Championships at Princeton on February 24.

Princeton was the only Ivy League team to beat Harvard this season.