5 W I M M I N G Water Buffaloes Experience Rough Water A N D D I V I N G Rough waters rocked the boat for the Harding Water Buffaloes. The combination of inexperience and injuries made the water that more choppy. The Water Buffaloes had three returning seniors, two which were divers, three sophomores and five new freshmen. Injuries struck the team when Doug Hurst, a diver, went out with back problems. Hurst was unable to dive, but was there to support and advise the other divers. Allen Fitzgerald, a freshman from Iowa , also was injured during the first semester with a broken collar bone . Although , he did return after Christmas break to compete with his injury healed , Fitzgerald showed the team he was ready by breaking the 200 yard backstroke record which was set back in 1977. One other swimmer, Glen Alexander, was unable to compete during the first semester due to ineligibility. Alexander, a distance swimmer and butterfly specialist, began competing for the Water Buffaloes second semester and added a lot to the team. In the first dual meet, the Water Buffaloes lost to Hendrix College, 59-54. Harding made Hendrix earn the victory. Richard Denney took first place in the freestyle with a time of 51.56 seconds. Chris Boutcher also placed second in the 200 yard backstroke , 1000 meter freestyle and 200 yard individual medley. In the next meet , Harding faced Arkansas Tech University. The Water Buffaloes blew Tech out of the water, winning 98-9. Boutcher took first 76 Swimming and Diving place in the 1000 yard freesty le, 200 yard individual medley, and 200 yard butterfly. Denney took first in the 50 yard freestyl e. Harding ran into some tough competition when the Water Buffaloes competed against University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Henderson State University losing both meets. Assistan t Coach J. D. Yingling commented on the losses, "We did our best, but you have to consider the competition we were up against." Harding then won against Austin College , 85-18. Harding won ten first places during the competition with Austin. Alexander took first in the 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 11 :02.20 and Fitzgerald won the 200 yard freestyle wi th a time of 1:59.49. Matt Scorzelli won the 200 yard individual medley with a time of 2:17.94. The 1984 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference Championship proved to be successful for the Water Buffaloes. Alexander dropped 55 seconds off the 1650 yard freestyle, something which had never before been done at Harding. He took over possession of third place in the race with a time of 17:35.64. The time Alexander posted was a new Harding record in the 1650 yard freestyle . Scorzelli took third in the 200 yard breast stroke and only .6 of a second away from qualifying for nationals . Nine school records were broken at the Ale Championship Meet. Denney bettered his own 100 yard freestyle record set last year by fourth of a second and the school record in the 100 yard backstroke by .97 of - . - - -- 'T ~' t ' " . ~ , ., I I •• , t , I I , , , ) , . . '3 ;' ' t I • , • I I tIt I It. - WI'S Hollll nd - John J. R"ddifflt
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==