Could you see the Nebraska football team declining a bid to the Independence Bowl because it fell right in the middle of exam period? Of course not.

Could you see the Stanford swim team not going to the Pac 10 post-season meet because it coincided with second-trimester exams? No way.

But last week, the Harvard women's water polo team--with an outside shot at national honors--passed up a bid to last weekend's national tournament in Annapolis, Md., because of academic considerations.

"At a school like Harvard, you can't help but have academics come first," Tri-Captain Eileen Pratt said. "It's a top priority."

Tourney

The tournament, which ran from May 12-15, coincided with the last critical days of reading period. It also marked the last few days for studying before the "big classes"--The Cultural Revolution, English 10, Jazz, and Ec 10--had their exams.

Some of the starters are in these big classes or had other academic commitments. The team, though it had enjoyed its finest season, decided not to go.

The Harvard women's water polo team had a dream season. It racked up a 16-3 record, one of the best nationally, and came out of the Eastern Tournament in second place. The Crimson defeated some of the finest teams in the East--Bucknell, Queens, and MIT.

"This year we made a big step," Pratt said. "We gained the respect of all the teams in the East."

The Crimson was staring at its calendar and at the national tournament, which featured Eastern champion Slippery Rock and a host of California teams. But the tournament conflicted with the team's academic calendar.

"This way, we ended the season on an up note," said Pratt, who will captain next year's team.

The decision to choose Mem Hall over Blodgett Pool seems strange in the present world of college sports.

But this is Harvard, many team members said. It's a school first. Athletics, second.

The seniors--Yumi Ando, Leslie Barbi, Jane Looney, Leean O'Connell, Lynley Ogilvie, Emily Ozer, Franny Peale and Tamsyn Seimon--will be ending their careers on an ambivalent note. They will not be able to measure themselves against Western competition, and they will have lingering memories of their loss to Slippery Rock in the Eastern Tournament.

But the team came up with a decision it thought was right. Appreciating its decision is not that easy, given the "winning is everything" ethic. But it knew what its priorities were.