SWIMMING

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25740, 28 February 1949, Page 9

SWIMMING

YALDHURST SHIELD TO AUCKLAND

FINAL EVENTS AT N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, February 27. Auckland won the Yaldhurst Shield tor the province scoring most victories in the New Zealand senior swimming championships when the events were brought to a conclusion last night. Special features of the carnival’s fourth day were the successes scored by R. Lucas, a 17-year-old Auckland swirtimer, who won the 440 yards championship, Miss B. Casey's feat in Winning all the women’s freestyle events, the setting up of a record in the 220 yards butterfly by D. Dowse (Wellington), and the defeat of Otago in the water polo for the first time since 1936. Auckland scored 12 points in the Yaldhurst Shield to Wellington’s five. Canterbury and Otago each scored three, Taranaki two, and South Canterbury and Waikato one each. Lucas outdistanced all competitors in the 440 yards and won very easily. A decisive victory was also gained by Miss B. Casey, who had previously won the 100 yards and 440 yards women’s freestyle titles, in the 220 yards event. Miss N. Bridson (Auckland), who had just lost to Miss Casey in the 100 yards, was level with Miss Casey with 55 yards to go, but Miss Casey swam away from the fic-ifi with a fine exhibition of sustained sprint-’ ing. Later Miss Casey won the 50 yards invitation scratch race to make a clean sweep of all the women’s freestyle events, but in this she had only a narrow marftin victory over Miss J. Hastings (Auckand). P. E. Mathieson (Auckland), who made his first appearance in championship company as a junior in 1928, »at the age of 13, confirmed his standing as the best backstroke swimmer in New Zealand by easily winning the 100 yards title in 67sec. Mathieson took the lead from the start and won by about five yards. Auckland’s water polo victory by three goals to two was gained largely because the team had a slight superiority in pace and did less wild .throwing. The game was willing, and one Otago player was ordered out of the water tor a short time, but the play was strenuous rather than rough. The most exciting event of the night and perhaps of the entire carnival was the inter-island women’s relay, which the South Island lost after establishing a big lead with the two backstroke exponents, Misses N. Lane and J. Stewart. When Miss Casey dived for this final leg she was nearly 30 yards behind Miss H. Smith, the Canterbury breaststroke* swimmer, who was the only one available to make up the South Island team. As the champion overhauled and then passed Miss Smith the excitement was tremendous. Results Women’s 220 Yards Freestyle.—Miss B. Casey (Wellington) 1, Miss M. Holman (Waikato) 2. Miss N. Bridson (Auckland) 3. Time, 2min 45 l-ssec. Men’s 440 Yards Freestyle.—R. Lucas (Auckland) 1, R. Jolly (Waikato) 2, C. Baird (Auckland) 3. Time, smin 20sec. Men’s 100 Yards Backstroke.—P. E. Mathieson (Auckland) 1, D. Branch (Auckland) 2, W. Pasley (Southland) 3. Time, 67sec. Women’s 100 Yards Butterfly.—Miss N. Bridson (Auckland) 1. Time, lmin 27 4-ssec. The only starter Men’s 220 Yards Butterfly.—D. Dowse (Wellington) 1, C. Callan (Auckland) 2, T. Logan (Taranaki) 3. Time. 3mln 7 l-ssec. Men’s 50 Yards Freestyle Invitation Scratch Race.—C. Williams (Auckland) 1, P. Borrington (Auckland) 2, P. Kotua (Auckland) 3. Time, 26 2-ssec. Women's 50 Yards Freestyle Invitation Scratch Race.—Miss B. Casey (Wellington) 1, Miss J. Hastings (Auckland) 2, Miss N. Lane (Otago) 3. Time, 29 4-ssec. Otago Centre Relay Shield, 4 x 55 yards.—Auckland 1, Waikato 2, Otago 3. Time, 2min 16sec. Stalag Shield, Inter-Island Women’s Relay.—North Island (Misses D. Ponder, R. Leatham, M. Sweeney, M. Teague, N. Bridson, B. Casey) 1, South Island (Misses J. Stewart, N. Lane, P. Trevella, H. Forsyth, G. Allen, H. Smith) 2 Stalag Shield, Inter-Island Men’s Relay. —North Island (P. E. Mathieson, D. Branch, C. Callan, T. Logan, R. Lucas, R. Jolly) 1, South Island .(W. Pasley, B. Kirkby, J. Shaw. W. H. Dyson, M. Ballantyne, I. Wilson) 2. Time. 7min 44 l-ssec.