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Yale Hands Swimmers First Losses

Officials Neglect Rules, Records Broken as Varsity Wins but 3 Events, Yardlings 2

By L. THOMAS Linden

NEW HAVEN, March 13--Rules for judging, the Crimson record for the 220, and the varsity swimming team's unbeaten string all broke here today.

The varsity lost, but the meet was closer than the 59 to 25 score. The Yardling defeat, 56 to 28, was more severe, not only for the present but for the future. From what the Bullpups showed, no one will see the Crimson or any other team beat the Blue varsity for at least three more years.

The Crimson won only three of the ten events, but it gave Yale its closest meet, producing some of the East's best swimming.

But the judging rules were violated. If Dave Hawkins lost to Yale's Sandy Gideonse by an inch last year in the 150-yard individual medley, he made it look like a mile in comparison with the margin today. Hal Ulen protested the decision, and in view of the facts he might have protested the officials right into the pool.

In the actual judging, the two first place judges gave Hawkins first place. The two second place judges gave Hawkins second place. Judging regulations state that the first place judges' decision is final and has overruling power. But Gideonse got the credit for first place with a time of 1:34.7, with Hawkins in second.

Jorgenson Keeps Up

By this point it was clear that Yale would take the meet. Don Mulvey, Hawkins, and Ted Whatley had failed to stop Yale's 2:50.5 team of Gideonse. Denny O'Connor, and Kerry Donovan in the 200-yard medley relay, the opening event, and the final victor was never in doubt.

But Jimmy Jorgensen and the rest of the varsity didn't slow down. Jorgensen covered the 220 freestyle in 2:08.6, breaking by a full second the mark Hawkins set Dec. 12 in the season's opener against Springfield. This time is the fastest swum in the East this year and the third fastest in the country.

Jorgensen then took a second to the Eli's Kerry Donovan's 50.3 in the 100, equalling the best time ever done by a Crimson swimmer, 51.7, set by Dave Hedberg.

Finally, Jorgensen anchored the 44-yard free style relay team of Whatley, Gus Johnson, and Marv Sandler that was dropped by Yale's John Niles, Jim Rae, Dick Carey, and Gideonse in 3:29.1.

Where Hawkins and Mulvey couldn't pick up a lead in the short stretches they swam in the medley relay, they won their 200-yard breast and back stroke events neatly with times of 2:18.6 and 2:18.1. Al Rapperport took third for the varsity in the back stroke, but breast stroker Ralph Zani couldn't squeeze by the Blue's O'Connor and Rich Curtiss.

The Blue now has a string of 113 straight victories and eight EISL championships. The varsity ends its season with a record of eight and one.

Yardlings Take Last Two

The Yardlings could only win two events, and they were the last two on the program, when nothing mattered any more. Dave Whitman led teammate Harry Elderidge to a 5:34.8 finish in the 440, and Pete Macky, Stu Ogden, Chouteau Dyer, and Jon Lind combined to take the 400-yard free style relay.

Macky seconded a 1:36.6 in the 150-yard individual medley, and Paul Santmire did the same to a 2:25.2 in the 200-yard back stroke. Otherwise, the freshmen's only second was Macky's in the 50-yard free style.

Rex Aubrey of Yale won that event in 22.5, breaking Donovan's 1952 intercollegiate freshman record by two-tenths of a second. Sprinting again in the 100, he once more cracked a Donovan 1952 freshman intercollegiate mark with a time of 49.8. The Bullpups also set a Yale freshman record of 2:58.4 in the 300-yard medley relay. One hundred and seventeen straight victories leaves the incoming Yale freshmen with quite a legacy. The Yardlings' string of eight couldn't measure up to stiff, long-distance intercollegiate competition.

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