Swimming

The swimming team was a victim of the flu epidemic that hit the College late in February and early in March. The prospects for the season had been to go through without a defeat, except at the hands of mighty Yale. This is just what the team seemed on the verge of doing, when the Michaelmen came a cropper from the flu bug. This indisposition reached a climax in the Brown meet, which Dartmouth ordinarily would have won with comparatively little strain. But with several of the key swimmers unable to make the trip at all and several others either just coming down with the flu or just getting over it, the team went down to defeat against the Bruins. After that, they lost to Harvard and thereby ended the season in fourth place. It was a pity to spoil a season that otherwise might have been perhaps the most successful in Dartmouth's history. But there was nothing much that could be done about it.

Yale 45, Dartmouth 30—After polishing off the Navy, Coach Michael's charges invaded the cavernous confines of the Payne Whitney Pool in New Haven and made a very creditable showing indeed. This was the 68th straight win in dual meet competition for the Elis and the first defeat after 12 straight wins for the Green. Coach Bob Kiphuth of Yale did not even use a couple of his ace performers, apparently preferring to save them for the Oympic trials, but he was forced to throw in the rest of his varsity to down the spirited performers piloted by his old pupil, Coach Michael. Outstanding performances for the Green were: (1) Frank Bruch's victory in the breaststroke in 2:25.5 for his best time of the season; (2) the one-two sweep of Dan Rownd and Bob Bowler in the dive; (3) the victory of the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Captain Jock Mclntyre, Gordy Kay, Blaine Boyden, and Bill McAndrew in 3:31.2, constituting a new record for the quartet; and (4) the second places won by Gordy Kay and Deane Hillsman in the 100-yard freestyle and the backstroke respectively. And that was about it.

Dartmouth 47, Pennsylvania 28—Three days after their session in New Haven, the team rebounded to defeat Pennsylvania handily in the final home session of the year. The score might have been even more one-sided had not Coach Michael chosen to give some of his reserves a chance to gain some competitive experience, while at the same time preserving the win. The talented medley relay team of Deane Hillsman (backstroke), Frank Bruch (breaststroke), and Blaine Boyden (freestyle) started off by taking their event with ease. The veteran Hal Smith won the 300-yard freestyle, after which Pennsylvania won the go-yard freestyle and the dive. The Green came back into the winning column with victories by Shern Horton in the backstroke and Moose Palitz in the breaststroke, with Lee Prior in second place in the latter event. Dick Spurgin won the 440-yard freestyle, with Chuck Luker taking second. The meet was concluded by a win for the Green in the 400-yard freestyle relay, with Mclntyre, Boyden, Coulter, and McAndrew swimming in that order.

Harvard 44, Dartmouth 31—After dropping the Brown meet, as noted, the Indians finished their dual meet season by losing to Harvard, thereby slipping another rung down the League ladder. The majority of the Dartmouth swimmers had recovered from the flu sufficiently to compete, but they were still far from their best in this encounter, although it is difficult to say whether this was the deciding factor. Harvard started out by winning the medley relay and then won the 220-yard freestyle, with Hal Smith of the Green second, Jock McIntyre won his specialty, the 50-yard freestyle, with Harvard taking second and third. The Cantabs took the first two places in the dive, with Dan Rownd of the Green third. The Crimson won the 100-yard freestyle, with Dartmouth's McIntyre and McAndrew coming in second and third. Handicapped by the continued illness of Hillsman in the backstroke, the Green lost both first and second places in this event and were able to get no better than third. Frank Bruch won his specialty in the breaststroke, after which Harvard won the 440-yard freestyle, with Chuck Spurgin of Dartmouth second. The relay team of McIntyre Kay, Boyden, and McAndrew salvaged some glory by winning the final event, the 400yard relay, but by that time the meet was lost.