The Cavalier daily :: Tuesday, December 5, 1972 :: University of Virginia Library

Showing off their new pool
to the public for the first time,
the Cavalier swimmers dropped
a 73-40 decision to perennial
powerhouse N.C. State
Saturday.

Coach Ron Good was
pleased with the comparatively
strong showing against the
Wolfpack, considering the fact
that the tough meet was
scheduled so early in the
season.

State is the best team in the
ACC, and last year they
crushed the Cavs, 93-20, late in
the season. The improvement
of 20 points is quite an
impressive achievement.

Outstanding, as usual, for
the tankers was co-captain
Mark Bernardino, the meet's
only double winner. After
tying his own school and state
record in the 1000-yard
freestyle, "Dino" came back to
win his specialty, the 200-yard
butterfly.

Bernardino's time of
10:16.5 in the 1000 matched
his mark set in the state
intercollegiate meet last March.
He won by more than a length
over the second-place finisher.

In the butterfly, Bernardino
trailed the State flyer for 150
yards, but a furious spring in
the last 50 brought him in first
by a yard.

Another fine individual
performance was turned in by
co-captain Gerry Rollins, who
won the 200 backstroke.
Rollins was just off the lead for
most of the race, but hit two
excellent turns and hung on to
win by a stroke. His unique
turns were much faster than
those of the other swimmers,
and he came off the wall
strongly on each length.

First-year freestyler Scott
Balderston was the only other
Cav winner, taking the
100-yard freestyle in a time of
50.3. Balderston nearly won
the 200-free also, but was
out-touched by State's Richard
Hermes, who posted a fine
1:49.6.

Foster Smith placed third in
each diving event. Jeff
McKeever finished second in
the 50 free, and Mark
Creighton finished third in the
400 individual medley and the
1000 freestyle.

Best performance for the
Wolfpack was that of Ralph
Baric, who beat the qualifying
standard for the NCAA
Championships in the 400
individual medley. His time of
4:18.7 set a pool record that
should last until the ACC
Championship meet in March.

Next meet for the tankers is
this afternoon at VMI.