The varsity swimming team opens its nine-meet schedule tomorrow in Philadelphia. The opposition is the University of Pennsylvania, which gave Coach Ulen's squad little trouble last year, losing in Cambridge, 58 to 17.

Graduation has stripped the team in only one department, the freestyle sprints. Last year's captain, Joe Fox, amassed 84 out of a possible 90 points, winning every try in the 50-yard event and six out of nine in the 100.

Shep Brown assured Harvard of seconds and thirds in the sprints, and Fox, Brown, and Norm Watkins gave Ulen both speed and depth in the 400-yard relay squad.

Sophomores will fill this gap as best they can. Last year's freshman captain, Dave Hedberg, is top man, and Bill Pratt and Ron Huebsch and junior Bob Stroud give Ulen a strong bench.

Captain Bob Berke and Doug Kinney kept the Crimson strong in the distances, but a vacation injury to Bob Tolf may cost the team dearly. A torn ligament in his left knee may keep him out of action until mid-February.

Backstrokers Bob Steinhardt and Hugh Hartwell raced well last year. The event will be 200 yards long this year, 50 yards more than in the past.

Reno Vielman leads the breaststroke again, with sophomores Ken Emerson and Fred Weymar and junior Dick Wheeler adding depth to the department.

Pete Dillingham gives Ulen his strongest diving squad in years. Frank Manheim and Mike Mabry make up the balance.

In Ulen's opinion, the 1951 varsity "is much the same as last year's team."