Rounding out the strokes for the Crimson was perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the the evening in the 200 breaststroke. Australian Scott Hoy, returning from a two-year layoff, set a meet record, completing the race in 2:08.72.

"He wanted to go out doing this thing right and boy is he doing it," Bernal said, referring to Hoy's expectations for his comeback season.

But despite the Crimson's depth and talent, it will still take a strong effort to win the Eastern regional championships in March. Princeton and Penn State, the teams that beat out Harvard in the championships last winter, return strong squads, as does Army.

And the loss of NCAA record breaker David Berkoff is a major loss that will be difficult for the Crimson to overcome. While Bernal is optimistic about the team's chances, certain others are not.

"I just don't think they have the strength and depth the've had in the past," Brown coach Ed Reed said of the Harvard team. "They're going to have problems."

That's easy to say coach. Your team just got mauled.