THE STRAIN OF IT ALL

After years of putting his mind and muscles into it, Villanova alumnus (and Army private) Don Bragg, 23, charged down a runway at the Philadelphia Inquirer Games Friday night and vaulted up, up and over a wobbly but eventually stationary crossbar 15 feet 9½ inches above the sawdust to beat the 16-year-old world indoor record (15 feet 8½ inches) of the great Cornelius Warmerdam. Reflected in the Bragg muscles from forearms to forehead, as he slips over the bar for his record, is the tension that makes for a title.

Another kind of tension graphically recorded last week was that of Utah Basketball Coach Jack Gardner, an ulcer sufferer, whose fast-moving Utes are the team to beat this year in the Skyline Conference. Coach Gardner, an obsessional milk drinker, goes through a couple of quarts a game, has been known to swig his way well into a third bottle. Gardner settled on his milk routine, soon after he took over as Utah's head coach, on the advice of his doctor. Reluctant at first ("I'll get fat"), he settled for the skimmed kind, now agrees: "It really soothes."

Over the bar, Don Bragg prepares to flip vaulting pole clear. Massive forearms, which supply much of lift, are size of Rocky Marciano's.

Under the bench, milk in amber bottles awaits Jack Gardner's needs during Utah-Wyoming game in Salt Lake City. Utah, behind early in game, gave Coach Gardner anxious moments, but pulled ahead for 86-57 win. Game was an easy two-bottler.

THREE PHOTOS