Crimson Swimmers stun Indiana, 67-46

School and pool records; spectacular diving; finishes determined only by the electric timing system; NCAA qualifying performances; and a stellar exhibition by the cute but often obnoxious Harvard Band; this meet had it all.

Eager to erase the bitter memories of last week's upset loss, Harvard's aquamen seized the opportunity to play giant killer themselves yesterday, winning ten of the eleven swimming events to hand perennial national power Indiana University a 67-46 setback before 1200 highly partisan fans at Blodgett Pool.

"The idea behind bringing a team of Indiana's caliber to town is to give our guys an opportunity to test themselves and to see just how good we really are," Crimson coach Joe Bernal said as the crowd filed out and the victors celebrated.

This Experiment Worked

By this time the results of the experiment were clear; both in terms of overall depth and individual excellence, the 1980 edition is the strongest in Harvard swimming history.

It did not take long yesterday for the Crimson to stake its claim to this distinction. Fully aware that a Harvard win in the medley relay was a necessity, Geoff Seelen, David Lundberg, jack Gauthier, and Bobby Hackett whipped the finest quartet that the Hoosiers could put together, obliterating the university record with a 3:22.30 and qualifying for the NCAAs in the process.

Clutch performances followed in piratically every event as the Crimson offset the efforts of IU's spectacular diving contingent by triumphing in every close swimming race.

Places in three consecutive events, the 200-and 50-yd. freestyles and the 200-yd. individual medley, were determined by a total of less than two tenths of a second, with Harvard coming out on top each time.

Bigger and Better

Like Princeton last weekend, the Crimsons seemed to gain momentum with each success.

Lundberg and Ron Raikula followed Gauthier's surprise win in the 50 (21.05) with a sweep of the individual medley that assured Harvard of the lead, 35-26, even after Indiana's impending one-two finish in the next event, three-meter diving.

Individual heroes should not be singled out in this contest. Lundberg, a freshman from Provo, Utah, set two school and pool records(1:51.61 in the IM and 2:00.31 for his favorite, the 200 breaststroke); Hackett established Blodgett marks in his specialities, the 200 and 500 freestyles (1:38.09 and 4:22.81); and Gauthier came through in what had been expected to be the Crimson's weakness, the sprints; but it was the emotion created by seeing each team member establishing personal best times and consistently out-dueling the highly-touted Hoosiers that carried Bernal's troops to their stunning upset.

Carrying the Big Stick

Aside from the fantastic times produced, it was the enthusiasm exhibited by Harvard's notoriously blase athletes and spectators that will long be remembered. From freshman Larry Countryman's shaved head and his elation after taking the grueling 1650(15:35.61) to the crowd's spontaneous chants and standing ovations, it was a spectacle seen all too rarely here in Cambridge.

"It was a matter of every single person coming through." Hackett said last evening. "After Princeton we decided that it was important to us to win this one and to post some good times. Once we got rolling, there was no way they were going to stop us."

If you weren't there, you blew it. See you at the NCAAs.

400-yd. medley relay-1. Harvard (Seeien 52.9, Lundberg 55.4, Gauthier 49.4, Hackett 44.5) 322.30 (school and Blodgett pool record, NCAA qualifying time): 2. Indiana 322.88.

1650-yd. freestyle-1. Countryman (H) 15:35.61 (NCAA) 2. Kegley (I) 15:41.51 ; 3. Maximoff(H) 15:53.34

One-meter diving-1. Bollinger (I) 328.60; 2.Stajkovic (I)302.70; 3. Mule (H) 277.35.

200-yd. freestyle-1. Hackett (H) 1:38.09 (pool record and NCAA cutoff), 2. Sharpe (I) 1:39.85; 3. Chappell (H) 1:41.61.

50-yd. freestyle-1. Gauthier (H) 21.05; 2.McLaughlin(I) 21.08; 3.Seelan (H) 21.41.

200-yd. Individual medley-1. Lundberg (H) 1:51.61 (school and pool record; NCAA qualifying time); 2. Raikula (H)1:54.19; 3.Frentsos (I) 1:54.31

Three-meter diving-1. Bollinger (I) 354.90; 2. Stajkovic (I) 321.80; 3. Mule (H) 296.25.

200-yd. butterfly-1. Chappell (H) 1:50.73; 2. Maximoff (H) 1:51.95; 3. Rogers (I) 1:52.70.

100-yd. freestyle-1. Gauthier (H) 45.90; 2. McLaughlin (I) 46.47; 3. Phelps (I) 47.62.

200-yd. backstroke-1. Raikula (H) 1:52.66; 2.Rogers (I) 1:54.97; 3. Arantes (I) 1:55.83.

500-yd. freestyle-1. Hackett (H) 4:22.81 (pool record and NCAA cutoff); 2. Sharpe (I)4:30.43; 3. Countryman (H) 4:32.08.

200-yd. breaststroke-1. Lundberg (H) 2:03.01 (school and pool record; NCAA cutoff); 2. Carbone (H) 2:05.50 (NCAA cutoff); 3. Schlatter (I) 2:08.66.

400-yd. freestyle relay-1. Indiana 3:06.69; 2. Harvard 3:12.51.