KEEN SWIMMING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 21, 26 January 1939, Page 26

KEEN SWIMMING.

MEETING AT ROTORUA. BAY OF PLENTY LEAD. CHAMPIONSHIP Tyrw.TT.TJF (By Telegraph.— Special to " Star.") ROTORUA, this clay. Excellent swimming and thrillinjri races {rave tlie Dominion intermediate and junior championship meeting an auspicious opening last night. It. was a triumphant night for the Ray of l'lentv. which, to the delight of local supporters, carried off three titles. Consequently, the Bay of l'lentv leads for the War Memorial Shield with three wins, followed by Otago two wins and Southland and South Canterbury one each. Auckland is not yet prominent, its best so far being two seconds. Through stopping near the end in the .">(iyds junior girls' hreaststroke event. Auckland's Hetty Owens prevented herself from winning the title. As a result. the Southland girl. Beryl Westerly. took it by a touch in 37 2-.">s, which equalled her existing record. Miss Owens could have won by two yards, and would therefore have broken the record which she bettered at Auckland last week by 4-."> of a second. In the 220 yds intermediate girls' eontest. Marjorie Black and Norma (iriflin. of Auckland, were against a wonderful swimmer in Christine Garvin. of Otago. | who won in record time. Their battle for t.ei-nnd place had the spectators cheering, and Miss Black gained the award by a touch. Miss Black clocked :i.l and Miss Griffin :S.l 2-~i. Miss (iarvin. as the time of 2.4.") 1-5 demonstrates. is above intermediate standard. Maori Boy's Fine Effort. Barry Clench, of Auckland, was unplaced in the 100 yds intermediate boys' event, as was A. Williams. One of NewZealand's greatest sprinters took the championship. This was .1. Whiti, of Rotorua. who registered ~>7 1 -f>s. It was a great fresh water effort. Not many seniors can swim so well. The Maori lad is likely to smash Noel Crump's intermediate record of .">5 4-5s in the near future. Not even his teammate, S. Sewell, was able to approach within seven yards of him. Other Aucklanders competing last night were M. Bell and 1. Scholes, and each finished last. The best stylist in intermediate backstroke was Ben Morrison. of Rotorua. and he won by the barest possible margin in 73 2-.">s. The stroke of the runner-up. W. Hart, of Canterbury, was by no means impressive yet. although Morrison shattered the existing record by !) seconds. Hart will be the new record-holder, having registered 73s previously at Christchurch.

A very promising swimmer in M. LofTlcv, of the Buy of Plenty, won the 220 yds junior boys' title. His style showed evidence of careful coaching, and his time was most encouraging for a boy under 14 years of age. It was 4 4-.">s outside the record of S. J. Jarvis, of Otago.

INTER-SHIP TOURNEY. Swimming competitions between teams representing; the German barque Kommodore Johnsen and H.M.S. Iveanrler. including relay races and watf.r polo, will be held at the Tepid Baths to-nlghf at 8.10 o'clock.