Last Friday an era came to a close at North Carolina. No, the era wasn't Frank Comfort's reign over the Tarheels, it was the administration of the swim test required of all Carolina students.

Years ago a swimming test wasn't uncommon at college. Over the decades, however, the practice lost favor, and after a curriculum review, UNC dropped the requirement of a 50-yard swim and five minutes of treading water. A Northern Iowa study of P.E. requirements showed that in 1977 42% of institutions had a swimming requirement. Five years later the number dropped to 8%. Currently the service academies, Cornell, Columbia, Hamiltyn, MIT, Notre Dame, Swarthmore and Washington & Lee have the requirement. Colgate did away with the test last year.

Most of the exams are fairly easy. Even Navy's requirement - 1,000 meters in 40 minutes - isn't too challenging. Army, however, weighs its students down with equipment and requires them to undergo different tasks amid darkness, artificial fog, rain, noise, and artificially-created waves.

Not that it did much good - last year the Midshipmen swept Army 179-64 (men) 188.5-111.5 (women).