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Trounce Hokies, 72-22

Swimmers Face Dilemma

By Ernest Dempsey
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Photos By Howard Weinberg

Swimmers Leave Starting Line In Last Meet In Memorial Gym Pool

Team Said Goodbye To Antiquated Pool With Win Over VPI In Last Home Meet

There was no celebration and
there certainly were no tears
yesterday afternoon as co-Captain
and 400-yard freestyle relay
anchorman Don Farmer became the
last Virginia varsity swimmer to
churn a competitive lap in the very
old Memorial Gym pool.

Next season, in the $1.5 million
natatorium off University Hall,
spectators won't feel a draft every
time someone walks into the
viewing area, the hard-working
student nurses who time each meet
won't have to work as hard, and the
swimmers will be working in very
pleasant surroundings.

Yesterday's meet was, quite
frankly, a pushover for the Cavalier
tankers. Both Coach Ron Good and
his assistant, Larry "Doc" Smith
admitted that their lineup wasn't
Virginia's best possible combination
of swimmers, but the few people
who saw the meet would have
trouble believing the duo.

The Cavaliers trounced a weak
Virginia Tech team by a score of
72-22 in a meet which marked the
last home performance by Farmer,
co-Captain John Shrum, and diving
ace Steve Remine, all fourth
yearmen.

Tech had only two first places;
one in the 50-year freestyle and the
other in the 100 free. Otherwise, it
was all Virginia in the form of Mark
Bernadino, Allen Ettenger, Bill
LePard, Shrum, Farmer, and Jim
Bohnaker. The diving was all
exhibition.

Why the incredible domination?
According to Coach Good. "We do
this against every team in the state;
ODU, William and Mary,
Washington & Lee, and so on."
These are all teams which do not
grant swimming scholarships.
Against clubs such as North
Carolina and N.C. State, the
outcome is not the same.

A frustrated Coach Good
explained the dilemma the
swimming program faces next year.
"We are as good as we can possibly
be," he said, "and that's too good
for this state." One of the Tech
coaches verified Mr. Good's
evaluation by telling him that
Virginia should swim in the state
meet "for practice."

Outside the state. Virginia is not
that strong because it simply does
not have the financial resources to
recruit the topnotch swimmers
Coach Good has received
invitations to compete against
Army as well as in the Ivy League,
but the Cavaliers would be
swamped by such powerhouses.

Wouldn't it be grand to see
Virginia swim Yale, Dartmouth.
Indiana, and even Stanford? We will
have the facilities, but we don't
have the opportunity to recruit
today's pool greats.

This problem, which faces not
only the swimming program, but
other minor sports as well, will be
explored in greater detail on this
page in the near future.

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