MERMEN ENCOUNTER GYMNASTS SATURDAY

Coach Hal Ulen's powerful tank team may run into a tartar tomorrow evening when it journeys to Springfield to do battle with the Gymnast natators at eight o'clock.

The undefeated Crimson will face their strongest non-league competition of the year in the up-and-coming Gymnast squad, led by stellar distance man Harry Rawstrom and breastroker Archie Pincombe. Springfield has swamped Connecticut and Bates already this season, has taken the measure of Bowdoin, 45 to 30, and has bowed only to Williams, 33 to 37.

Medley Close

The Gymnasts are primed to upset the invading Ulenmen, and if their medley trio of Milligan, Pincombe, and Hatch manages to nose out the regular Crimson Bosworth, Waldron, Stowell combination, the meet may not be decided until the final free relay. There, however, Harvard has at least a three second edge.

The pool is only a 20 yard affair, thus making all times slightly faster and converting the customary 50 yard dash into a 60 yard race. As a result, the Crimson mermen have deserted their pool several times this week to practice at the Cambridge YMCA, another 20 yard tank.

Conceding the Gymnasts an upset victory in the medley, they must then place their main reliance on Harry Rawstrom, in the 220 and 440, Art Beck in the 60, Carl Condon in the dive, Don Lotz in the century, Gir Milligan and Ed Shea in the backstroke, and Archie Pincombe in the breastroke for enough points to carry the meet into the free relay.

But Rawstrom is worth no more than a pair of seconds behind Eric Cutler in the 220 and 440--and Frannie Powers will be very close to Cutler in the 220. Crimson sprinters Cutler, Jim Curwen, Dave Stearns, and Lonnie Stowell should have little difficulty with Beck and Lotz.

Condon will push George Dana and Chet Sagenkahn to the limit in the dive; Milligan and Shea might cop a second and third in the backstroke behind Art Bosworth; and Pincombe will take the butterfly event hands down.

The Crimson Freshmen entertain a strong Montclair Y. M. C. A. outfit in the Indoor Athletic Building pool at three o'clock tomorrow