Dave Abramson's victory in the 500-yard freestyle saved the Crimson swimmers from ignominy at New Haven Saturday, as the powerful Yale tankmen swamped Bill Brooks' forces 68-27.

The Elis had captured eight of eight events when Abramson, the Crimson's last hope to score a win against frontline Bulldog opposition, took the starting blocks. His Eli rivals stayed with him for the first four laps, but couldn't keep pace when the Crimson junior shifted into high gear. Abramson's time was 5:05.5, only 0.3 off his own Harvard record.

Breastroker Bruce Fowler scored the only other Harvard win, but the Elis best man, Dale Kiefer, was not entered in the event. Favored Crimson diver Dan Mahoney was edged out for first place by a scant half-point.