Last weekend the Puget Sound swim team (8-2) combined the routine with the sublime, as the Loggers swept three meets and in the process “reaffirmed” their status as the reigning small college splash power in the Northwest.
On Friday the 13th the Loggers played host to Western Washington and Oregon College of Education in what figured to be a pair of relaxing wins for the Loggers. So it turned out, with the Loggers overpowering both opponents by the counts of 73-40 and 75-29, respectively. The Western win was the Loggers' 22nd in 23 dual meets with the Bellingham school.
The Loggers broke form in these meets, setting no new records and actually having many times fall off way below par. However this double meet constituted little more than a preliminary for the important meet with Central Washington the [gap: text not visible on clipping] race and the meet in the final race, it was the results in the 200-yard breaststroke, held much earlier, that actually supplied the Loggers' margin for victory.
As the meet developed, it became apparent that the Loggers had to have at least a first and a third in the 200-yard breststroke event. This meant that Jim Otness, UPS's number two breaststroker, had to capture third place while the Loggers' Ron Payne finished first.
In a pair of clutch performances, Payne went on to take first, and Otness, swimming the fastest time of his life, fought off Smithers of the Wildcats for second place providing the Loggers with their margin of [gap: text not visible on clipping] such meet between the two schools in the light of the announced “boycott” of UPS and Seattle Pacific by the Evergreen Conference of which Central Washington is a member. This move, termed by UPS swimming coach Duncan as “unfortunate”, will destroy a healthy traditional rivalry between the two schools in swimming. The boycott seems to be rooted in the philosophy that if you can't beat 'em, don't play 'em.
Coach Duncan feels this move will unsettle some future scheduling but, with some minor adjustments he feels he can schedule his way around Evergreen teams, like Western and Central.
Oregon State Beavers
Tomorrow the Loggers will be in Corvallis to face the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific Eigt Conference. The Loggers have never beaten OSU, falling last year by a 68-45 count. However this [gap: text not visible on clipping] the past few years.
OSU, like the Loggers, is strong in the sprints and the breaststroke. One interesting matchup should come in the distance freestyle races that will pit UPS's top freshman Steve [gap: text not visible on clipping] states the obvious when he says, “we would very much like to beat them.” However, such a task, appears to get more difficult every year, as the gap widens between the levels of competition.
Tapering off Periods
With only five weeks to the [remainder cut off]
