University of Virginia Library

Tankers Travel To VMI
For State Championships

By BILL BERNO

Despite the fact that the
Virginia swim team has won
only two of eight dual meets
this season, it still enters
today's State Championships as
one of the favorites.

The meet, which is being
held at VMI, attracts eleven
teams from all parts of
Virginia. Seventeen events are
scheduled in the three day
championships, with the finals
to be swum on Saturday.

Coach Ron Good remarked
that the Cav's toughest
competition will come from
William & Mary, VMI, and
Virginia Tech. During the
regular season his team beat
VMI, but fell to William &
Mary three days later. The
University and VPI did not
swim in a dual meet.

Because each swimmer can
enter three individual events
and two relays, team depth will
be the deciding factor. The
Cavaliers tankers are deepest in
distance, freestyle and diving,
but they also show strength in
the butterfly and the individual
medleys.

Mr. Good felt that his team
could possibly win twelve of
the seventeen events. In most
of the events, the Virginia team
has at least three out of the top
six entrants. "If we don't win"
Mr. Good said, "it'll be a long
walk home."

The biggest obstacle to
victory is the freestyle sprint
corps from William & Mary.
The Cavalier sprinters have
been inconsistent, and their
lack of depth will hurt in the
relays.

Bright spots include Mark
Bernardino, who could win
three events. He will swim the
500 and 1650 freestyles, and
defend his title in the 200
butterfly. Co-captains Joel
Curtis and Gary Chewning
could grab two firsts. Curtis
will go the 200 freestyle, and
join Bernardino in the 500
1650. Chewning will swim the
individual medley, the 100
butterfly and the 200 freestyle.

Foster Smith will challenge
for titles in both the one-meter
and three-meter diving events.
Gerry Rollins will try to
double in the 100 and 200
backstrokes. Al Ettenger could
win one of the breaststroke
events. The 800 freestyle relay
team of Curtis, Chewning,
Bernardino, and Jim Wilson is
seeded first by 20 seconds.

Although the team tapered
for the state meet, it is
partially a tune-up for the ACC
Championships to be swum at
UNC on March 2,3, and 4.