Comparing times from the 1930s with swimmer's times in the late 20th/early 21st century are virtually meaningless, because of the changes in stroke mechanics and rules. Swimmers in the 1930s could not use the flip turn, and were required to touch the wall with their hand first, then initiate a so-called "open turn". The advantage gained by the flip turn can be glimpsed in comparing the Yale swim team's one mile relay record, compared to the 2001 Men's world record time of 14 minutes 10 seconds for the 1,500-meter swim in a Short Course (25-meter pool), which in turn – because of its many flip turns – is faster than the same distance in a Long Course (50-meter) pool (14:34). The 1935 relay race with 18 swimmers, likely consisted of 70 laps, which suggests the first 17 men swam 100 yards (4 laps each), and the final swimmer just 2 laps. During Macionis' freshman and second years at Yale, the swim team was undefeated (12–0 in 1934–35, and 14–0 in 1935–36). He soon held all of Yale's freestyle records, as well as the school records for the individual medley and the 220-yard breaststroke. He was named captain of the swim team his senior year 1937–38, when the Bulldogs went 10–3. A Harvard University newspaper provides some results from a Yale-Harvard dual meet held in the Yale pool in March 1936. Yale continued its 12-year undefeated streak, beating Harvard 45–26 for their one hundred fifty-first straight victory. Macionis placed second in the 440-yard freestyle, losing to (Yale captain) Norris Hoyt, whose winning time was 4 minutes 59.8 seconds. Macionis also swam the anchor leg on Yale's winning 400-yard Freestyle relay, with a time of 3 minutes 36 seconds. A Yale University ""Banner Yearbook and Pot Pourri" entry for the Class of 1937 (page 224), records the 1936 indoor season for the Bulldog swim team: "On the 13th of February (1936) the Naval Academy was host to the team at Annapolis, and the next day Yale broke pool records and an Intercollegiate mark in the 50-yard pool, (including) Macionis swimming the 440 in 5 minutes 8 and nine-tenths seconds." Yale then hosted the 1936 A.A.U indoor swimming championships, with Macionis scoring 5 points.