You've got to be kidding, right? Princeton always beats Harvard.

Not this time.

Last Saturday afternoon, the Harvard men's swim team broke a six-year jinx and ruined Princeton's perfect Ivy league record at Blodgett Pool. And the there was no doubt about the outcome, either-the Tigers were denied a single victory in all of the swimming events in their 75-38 thrashing at the hands of the Crimson.

The win vaulted Harvard (4-2 overall, 3-1 Ivy) to a tie with Princeton for second place in the Ivy League behind undefeated Columbia. It also left Princeton Coach Rob Orr flabbergasted: "I don't believe that in my history here Princeton has ever not won a swimming event."

"These are always great meets," Harvard coach Joe Bernal remarked afterwards. "They are rarely won by such a large margin."

But the fact remains: Harvard blew Princetonaway, much to the yelping delight of thenear-capacity crowd at Blodgett.

The spectacle began with an unexpected Crimsonvictory in 400-yd. medley relay.

"I don't think they ever expected to lose themedley," Harvard Co-Captain Ken Johnson said.

But lose it they did, as the Harvard quartetcame within a second of qualifying for the NCAAchampionships. The uppset not only shocked theTiger team but gave the crowd a satisfyingoverture to what was to become a stirringperformance.

"The big crowd and the band really helped us,"Johnson later said. "Fans can have an effect onthe meet. They rub it in when you lose."

Harvard's 1-2 finish in the next two racesdidn't lessen he crowd's roars. In the 200-Mfreestyle, sophomore Tom Peterson beat teammateKevin Williams and Princeton star Mike Ross. Bothwere NCAA qualifiers last year.

"Tommie Peterson brought the house down,"Bernal said.

Williams--and the other Crimsonswimmers--didn't let up.

"In past years when we were ahead, the attitudewas that 'I don't have to win my event,'" Johnsonsaid. "But today, we just built on our victories.The more we won, the more we wanted to win."

"This is a team of terrific character," juniorGreg Tull said.