SWIMMING
Coach Karl Michael's swimmers stretched their win string to four straight meets this season with victories over Brown, 82-21, Navy, 68-45, and Springfield 67-46, following the recess.
Depth seems to be the name of the game for Coach Michael's team this winter, as he continues to experiment with any number of interesting and unusual combinations of swimmers. So far at least, his men seem able to cope with the most unfamiliar or unlikely assignment, and win.
At Providence, the Big Green swept to an easy victory over Brown, 82-21, setting new pool records in the process. Many Indians cut precious seconds off early season times, and the overall impression was that the squad would be in excellent form for the sterner tests ahead.
A week later Green power proved successful in Hanover, turning back a strong Navy contingent 68-45. En route several Indian mermen crept close to Dartmouth records. Terry Robinson, freestyle ace, clipped several seconds off early marks in both the 200 and 500-yard freestyle races. Al Petersen continued to improve with a fast 2:05.5, 200-yard backstroke. Most encouraging, however, were the double victories in diving. Sophomore star Mike Brown captured the one-meter event, and Marc Labovitz took top honors from the higher levels. This meet marked the first time this season that Dartmouth swimmers worked largely in their own specialties. Near the finish, with the meet safely won, Coach Michael did make several changes. The Middies, with a well- balanced squad boasting strong contestants, proved to be by far the most potent team faced by the Green so far.
The next meet, with Springfield, was switched to Hanover when the pool under construction at Springfield was delayed due to a steel strike. Once again winning handily, 67-46, Dartmouth took firsts in 10 of the 12 events, including one-two sweeps in both diving competitions. This time soph Mike Brown placed first in both one- and three-meter diving, with junior Joe Glaser taking second each time. Once again good races were swum by Petersen and Robinson, with Captain Lindeblad also winning in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:53.47.
At this point in the season it is safe to say that the Big Green swimmers are going to enjoy another outstanding season. Their next meet, with Army at West Point should help determine just where the Indians stand in the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League, for the Cadets are rated as one of the better teams. If Dartmouth is successful at West Point, Yale will loom next as the team to beat. To improve on last season's 10-2 summary, and a fifth place finish in the EISL championships, will not be easy; but every member of the squad is aiming for the NCAA Championship competition to be held in Hanover, March 28-30. The first time ever for such an event in upper New England, Dartmouth swimmers hope to be well represented when top swimmers from the entire nation compete in the new pool in Hanover. If the performances of the recent past are any indication, it seems very likely that this will be the case.
Al Petersen '69 of Byram, Conn., Dartmouth's backstroke ace, is one big reasonfor the swimming team's success.
Ski coach Al Merrill, who is coachingthe U. S. Olympic Nordic Team at Grenoble this month, shown at Innsbruck.
