Ray Essick, men's swim coach here from 1973-1976, worked at poolside with the AAU as the director of international meets.
A group of Harvard men's swim team members helped with the presentation of awards.
"It's just too bad that all that had to go on in Providence," said Harvard diver Sue Abkowitz. "It would have been a big bang to have the meet here to open the new pool."
Both the men's and women's team will host Brown here today in dual meets, but the Harvard coaches have decided not to swim the meets in the new pool. The women's meet, at 4 p.m., and the men's contest, at 7 p.m., will both be run at the Indoor Athletic Building.
Home Pool
"The coaches felt that we would give up a home pool advantage if we swam against Brown in the new pool, since the teams have not yet worked out at Soldiers Field," said Anne Liccardello, Harvard women's swim team manager. "The swimmers would not be familiar with the walls and the blocks, and that might hurt them on starts and turns. In addition, Brown is really used to swimming in a pool like the one at Soldiers Field, so they might actually have an advantage."
The swimmers will practice in the pool this week although the official dedication is set for February 4, when the men will host Princeton. That is the next home meet for either Harvard team