Last year, the Crimson's freshmen weren't prepared for the Navy's sneak attack.

This year, they were one of the major stories.

"Sometimes freshmen go through a low," Grotikau said. "But ours have been shining from the beginning."

The aquamen opened last night with a stunning victory in the 400-yd. medley relay. The quartet of Berkoff, Lars Rierson, Bill McCloskey and Co Captain Bob Hrabchak finished a full four seconds ahead of its closest competition which also came from Harvard.

Crimson junior Tim Ford then took top honors in the 1000-yd. freestyle and freshman John Ritch followed that up with a victory in the 200-yd. freestyle.

Navy then got his second win of the evening, when Jeft Thompson won the 50-yd, freestyle.

Berkoff and Egan then-pulled off their triumphs, and Ritch then got his second win of the night, this time in the 100-yd freestyle.

Simkowitz and Pearson followed with their wins, as did Rierson with his in the 200-yd breaststroke.

The Crimson squad of could, Ritch and Groukan out the evening with a win in the 400-yd. freestyle event that Navy chose to .

Lost in the excitement was the splendid return of the Crimson's Ali-American diver Dan Waison from a year of Olympic training.

Watson impressively snagged the 1-meter and 3-meter diving titles.

THE NOTEBOOK: Harvard will meet Columbia, the other team to knock it off a year ago, on Sunday...The Lions are experiencing a rebuilding season because of huge-losees to graduation.