The varsity swimming team opens its Eastern Intercollegiate League competition at 2 p.m. today in the IAB when it takes on a mediocre Army squad. For the Crimson the meet will probably serve only as a warm-up for next week's battle with Navy.

Hurt by the graduation of their top sprint star and one diver, the cadets have gained several strong newcomers from last year's Plebe squad, including an exceptional 220 freestyle man. But, while they are much stronger than the Springfield team the Crimson shellacked 73-19 last week, the Army team could leave Cambridge without a single first place.

Their main weakness is in the butterfly, where the Crimson could probably score a sweep with any one of several combinations.

Brooks Will Experiment

Coach Bill Brooks will be swimming his team with the Navy meet in mind. Captain Bob Kaufman will swim the sprints and possibly anchor the final relay in order to permit experimentation in his specialty events, the 200 backstroke and the 200 individual medley. Junior distance star George Mulligan has recovered from a yachting injury and will definitely swim the 440 freestyle this afternoon, backed up by either Steve Seagren of Bill Stetz.

Brooks will try his big experiment in the opening relay, where an all-sophomore medley team of Dave Bennett (backstroke), Frank Wood (breaststroke), Bob Price (butterfly), and Dennis Hunter freestyle) are slated to start.

Norris Eisenbrey, sprint star from the great freshman team of three years ago, a still recovering from hepatitis and will not start working out until after Christmas.

Army's only likely bid for a first place is the diving, where the Crimson has virtually no one. Jay Shelton looked good for the freshmen last year, but against springfield he made a few mistakes, to say the least.