University of Virginia Library

Swimmers Beat Blue Devils
To Preserve Winning Streak

By Ted McKean
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

In what has almost become an
expected occurrence, Virginia's
swimmers ripped off their sixth
consecutive win of the season without
a loss, drowning the tankers of
Duke Monday afternoon, 61-43.

As usual, Coach Ralph "Sonny"
Law paced the side of the pool,
matching his talented swimmers lap
for lap. The crowd, meager in
numbers, sweated in the chlorine-heated
pit. Coach Law may have
been the only person in the area
who didn't sweat. But he didn't
need to really-his team was off
and running to just another victory.
He would sweat later, when he
put his team through a full scale
practice-after the meet.

Co-captain Jack Wilson characterized
the beaten Duke team
well: "They are young; they have
several outstanding swimmers. Our
depth, the fact that we were a
threat to win in every event, just
overwhelmed them." This comment
may well have applied to
each of the five previous opponents
who have recently tumbled to the
surging Cavaliers.

The team of Wilson, Jim Sonneborn,
Rick Coupe, and Phil Ronniger
in the 400 medley relay gave
the Virginians a quick lead which
Duke never challenged. Sonneborn's
pick-up of over a body
length on his Duke counterpart
in the breaststroke leg iced Virginia's
relay win.

Devils Take Firsts

The Blue Devils took firsts in
the next three events, the 1000,
200, and 50 freestyles. Virginia,
showing her vaunted depth,
dropped only three points in the
overall meet total however, by
securing second and third places
in each of these events.

Duke's Pritchard, an outstanding
distance man, provided the
fans with a real threat in his 1000
yard specialty. His time of 11:39.0
topped the pool record by 25
seconds. Co-captain Terry Gromel,
in a debatable judge's decision,
was edged in the 50.

'Yearling Takes First

First-year man Pete Swart
proved himself one of the team's
most valuable assets, by first winning
the 200 individual medley,
and them bouncing back quickly
for a second in the grueling 200
fly.

Swart, third for most of the race
in the IM, rallied with less than
ten minutes' rest to do his best
time in the fly. Teammate Coupe,
in besting Swart in the fly, recorded
his top time of the season,
2:20.4.

Diving brought another result
that has come to be expected, a
1-2 finish by Jay Wainwright and
Jim Busch.

Shrum Breaks Mark

With Wilson's win in the 100
and a 2-3 finish in the 200 backstroke,
Duke's doom was sealed.
Undaunted, John Shrum, school
record holder in the 1000, now
cruised to a new school record in
the 500, in a time of 5:43.2. Sonneborn
closed out the individual
events with a triumph in the 200
breaststroke, and a freestyle relay
team consisting of reserves spiritedly
fell to Duke to close the day's
action.

Coach Law Cheeks Charts In Recent Swimming Match

Successful Swimmers Post Undefeated Record This Season