With the first meet less than two weeks away, Coach Hal Ulen is beginning to drive his swimmers in an effort to bring them into good shape before the Christmas vacation.

Technically speaking, the Ulenmen have been practicing ever since last September, having devoted the first two months to "loosening up" exercises, but real practices has been going on for only three weeks.

Ulen Faces Tough Job

The tough job that Ulen is facing in building up his team is illustrated by the fact that seven lettermen were lost by graduation last year. In fact, one might as well say that eight lettermen were lost, for the bad news to greet Ulen last September was that Captain Dick Harris will be lost to the team after mid-years as a result of being granted permission to graduate next February.

Two of the mainstays of the team will be backstroker Bill Drucker and free styler Bus Curwen. Drucker qualified for last year's Eastern intercollegiate and later went on to take second place in that meet. Curwen also qualified for last year's Eastern Intercollegiate and took a fourth in the 440.

So the backstroke event, with Drucker as the nucleus, is well represented, as is the free style, if Curwen and teammates John Eusden, Tiny Gorman and Tom Shrewsbury live up to expectations. The diving event event is also strong in the persons of Brad Patterson and his roommate, Shaw McCutcheon, who was another one to qualify for last year's Eastern Intercollegiate.

Weak in One Event

But the uncertain link in the chain appears, at the present time, to be in the breaststroke. Ulen is necessarily depending somewhat on last year's Freshmen in every, event, but in no event is he depending on them as much as he is in the breaststroke.

With all of last year's Varsity butterflies lost through graduation, Sandy Houston excepted, the burden of aiding Houston this year seems about to fall on the shoulders of Sophomores Don Harting and Tony Myrer or any other butter flier who shows any promise whatsoever.

Since not only done the breaststroke itself, but also the Medley Relay, depend on these breaststrokers, it is evident that strength in that event will have to be found in the Crimson is to make any kind of showing against the traditionally strong teams of Dartmouth, Princeton, and Yale.