Swim meets can be close. Really. If you've followed Harvard men's swimming this year you probably don't believe me, but they had a real cliffhanger once.

Harvard's win in this week's Greater Boston Championships was not that cliffhanger. For the record, the final totals were Harvard 730, Boston University 455, Tufts 430, and M.I.T., Boston College, and Northeastern something less.

The score would have been more lopsided if Crimson coach Joe Bernal had not entered many of his charges in unusual events. Even so, diver Jeff Mule, and swimmers Geoff Sealen and Jim Carbone came away with double wins, and freshman Ben "Iron Man" Downs stole the show with three gold medals.

Iron to Gold

Showing the grit that earned him his nickname, Downs swam his personal best in the 500-yd, freestyle and qualified for the Eastern Championships in that event, then came back in the very next race--the 200-yd, backstroke--to take another first H final triumph of the day was by the scanty margin of one second in the 200-yd, freestyle.

The Crimson set 13 pool and five meet records--often breaking its own marks or those of teammates--and it often seemed as if it wasn't even breaking into a sweat in the process.

B.U. Mediocrity

After blowing the second-best team in the East--Princeton--out of the water last weekend, the aquamen could hardly expect a tough contest when they got back to Cambridge, and they didn't get one. B.U.'s swimming Howe twins may get featured in the local news, but with only two second places between them last night they still couldn't raise B.U. from the ranks of mediocrity.

Crimson freestyler Dan Kiley summed up the situation afterwards: "It looks like we're just going to have to learn how to swim fast without competition," he remarked.

Better On His Back

Many swimmers seemed to enjoy the unpressured atmosphere, however. Meet star Downs said. "I like swimming in a low-pressure situation." And senior Mike Coglin took advantage of the meet to try out a new start in the 100-yd. backstroke.

Coming off the blocks, Coglin swam the first 20 yards of the race on his back and underwater. The experiment seemed somewhat unsuccessful when Coglin finished last in his heat.

THE NOTEBOOK--Despite the Crimson's general success, one aquaman found a way to lose even when he finished first. Tom Royal was officially inducted into the Harvard Men's DQ Club during the meet when he managed to be disqualified in all three of his individual events. In the 200-yd, breastroke, Royal had his gold medal taken away when the judge accused him of putting his whole head under water during his stroke. In the 100-yd, butterfly his legs were spread during his kick, and in the 100-yd, breastroke the judge caught him taking an extra pull off of one of his turns. By the time the 400-yd, medley relay came up, Royal--with the threats of teammates resounding in his ears--managed to legally complete his breastroke leg and take home a gold of his own... After two meets Royal has yet to finish reading the autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy. Maybe the breastroker learned his illegal moves from our favorite burglar.

1-meter diving--1. Mule (H) 494.15; 2. Illig (H) 438.30

3-meter diving--1. Mule (H) 536.55; 2. Graham (BU) 505.55