Looking back on the sports year that has just concluded, it is hard to retain much enthusiasm over the successes that dotted the 1978-79 season. Overall, this was a gloomy year for the Crimson charges, a year that saw Harvard invincibles proven mortal and Cambridge hopes cast aside.

As the recruiting plague has swollen to monstrous proportions in college sports--even infecting much of the purportedly immune Ivy League--idealistic Harvard has fallen behind on the playing fields. Unwilling to match dollar for dollar or to turn the other cheek on academic qualifications, the University has been unable to attract a sufficient number of superstars to keep its teams in contention with the frontrunners.

From the men's squash team that suffered through its worst season in years (8-2, rather than the usual 10-0), to the struggling men's basketball squad that could have been awesome but for the lack of one hulkish center, the year brought frustration.

Of course, some stars did sparkle for Harvard. The freshman ranks brought tennis ace Betsy Richmond, who amassed a bevy of Harvard racquet firsts, and diving power Pam Stone, who helped brighten Stefi Walsh's retirement-plagued squad (five veteran swimmers did not participate this year). Senior Geoff Stiles made Harvard the kingdom of pole vaulting, and Joe Bernal's swimmers enjoyed a victory addiction.

Also on the positive side, the ever-improving women's teams bounded ahead once again this year. Women's lacrosse took an impressive fifth in the Nationals, women's soccer commandered a magnificent Ivy Title, and field hockey gained a first-ever win over Princeton.

But in general, the fate of Harvard sports in '78-'79 can probably best be summarized by the men's and women's crews, where disappointment, especially at the Sprints, was the common though new order of the day.

Overviews, by nature, are shortsighted; but it seems that the road ahead for Harvard sports holds a long climb up the recruiting-created hill.

Getting the boot from everyone

Sept. 20, 1978--MIT douses the Harvard men's soccer team's scorching optimism with an opening-day, 3-1 upset--the first Crimson loss to the Engineers since 1962.

The loss to traditionally hapless MIT set the tone for a season laden with solid efforts, but not much to show for them. Only a last-minute goal by junior Tommy Castro, giving the booters a 1-0 win in the The Yale Game, salvaged a dismal year.

The Crimson constantly outshone its opponents but failed to put the ball in the net in crucial situations. Freshman Pete Walsh (goalkeeper) and Mauro Keller-Sarmiento (right wing) showed immense potential, and captain Jim Langton together with veteran Michael Smith performed well; but something was missing from Coach George Ford's team: an offense. Leading scorer Walter Diaz's goal total was down by nine from the year before. The Crimson went for more than three games without a goal at one point.

At midseason, Diaz said "We've come so close, you know it's going to come." It didn't.

Men's heavies

April 7, 1979--The Harvard heavyweight crew thunders back into national prominence with an upset win in the San Diego Crew Classic by about a length and a half.

Harry Parker's heavies cruised through the early part of the season with easy triumphs over Brown, Navy and Penn and a Charles River record for 2000 meters in the Compton Cup over Princeton and MIT on April 28.