Terrier Aquawomen Sink Women's Swimming, 75-65

Even though the women's varsity swim team came up on the short end of a 75-65 final rally last night against Boston University, they showed that they will be a powerful force this winter in Ivy League competition.

The result hung in the balance until the final event, the 200-yd. freestyle relay, before which B.U. maintained a slim 68-65 lead. The Terriers' anchor swimmer then barely touched out Harvard co-captain Jane Fayer on the final leg to pace B.U. to a Blodgett pool record of 1:40.7 and the meet victory.

Crimson coach Stephanie Walsh later said "terrible relay starts" ultimately denied Harvard the win. She added, however, that her co-captain's impressive splits in the final relay signalled that "Fayer has finally returned." She missed all of last season with a separated shoulder.

The meet opened with B.U.'s other pool record of the night, a 1:54.8 in the 200-yd. medley relay. The Harvard team of Kathryn Davis, Karen Chen, Norma Barton, and Fayer followed closely with a 1:56.16, a new team record.

The meet results generally supported Walsh's preseason expectations, although there were a few surprises, particularly Chen's impressive 2nd place performances in the 50 and 100-yd. breaststroke.

The backstroke corps could manage only a third place finish in the 50, and a second in the 100.

Papillon

The outcome of the butterfly competitions show a Harvard squad on the brink of establishing northeastern dominance in those events. Barton and Kathleen McCloskey finished one-two in both the 50 and 100-yd. races, with Barton establishing team records in both events and breaking her own New England record in the 100.

Walsh said the B.U. decision to make the meet a short course competition contributed to the Harvard loss. Indications of the Crimson's strength in longer races showed up in the Maureen Gildea-Terri Frick-Dove Scherr sweep of the 500-yd. free, and the Frick-Gildea finish in the 200-yd. freestyle.

Walsh added that the short course allowed her to use Gildea, who specializes in the 1650-yd. freestyle, only twice, while a long course order of events makes Gildea available at least three times.

In diving, Freshman Adriana Holy came through with a first place finish in the one meter competition, followed by Pam Stone, in second place. In the three meter event, B.U.'s Veronica Ribot, a finalist in last summer's Pan-American Games, topped Stone and Holy.