Swimming N.Z. TEAM IN MELBOURNE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29104, 16 January 1960, Page 15

Swimming N.Z. TEAM IN MELBOURNE

Many Successes In Heats (N.Z. Press Association-Copyright) MELBOURNE, January 15. The visiting New Zealand swimming team opened its Melbourne campaign in a blaze of glory tonight by capturing five firsts and two seconds in qualitying heats of the Victorian championships. The outstanding performance of the night was given by the New Zealand open backstroke champion, 17-year-old Lynette Norman, of Auckland. Swimming in the second heat of the 220 yards backstroke title she pushed Marilyn Wilson (Melbourne) to a new Victorian record. Miss Norman was beaten by only a yard in the excellent time of 2min 45.55ec. Miss Wilson cut I.9sec from the record, with a time of 2min 43.25ec. Seven of the 10-member New Zealand team competed tonight. The baby of the team, 14-year-old Rosemary Dunlop, of Dunedin, scored the team’s first win in the second heat of the under 16 women’s breaststroke. She won by 6ft in the time of Imin 29.95ec —second fastest time of the heats. In the first heat of the women's 220yds open backstroke the former New Zealand intermediate champion, Eileen North, of Invercargill, finished a close second. The New Zealand women’s champion, Jennifer Hunter, had a comfortable win in the first heat of the women’s open 440yds freestyle. The 19-year-old Aucklander won by 20yds in smin 35.8 sec. Miss Hunter holds the New Zealand 440, 220 and 110yds titles. In the women’s 110yds open butterfly, New Zealand representatives won both heats. Helen McCleary (Hamilton) won the first heat in lmin 19sec, and Marilyn Phillips (Auckland) impressively won the second heat in lmin 20.9 sec. The Victorian titleholder, Alva Colquhoun, could finish second only to Miss McCleary in the first heat. The New Zealand back-stroke champion, B. Robertson, swam the fastest time in the three heats of the men’s 110yds open back stroke. Swimming in the third and the final heats he went to the front after 40yds and from then the issue was never in doubt. His time of lmin 10.6 sec was three seconds better than the fastest of the other two heat winners. The finals will be decided tomorrow night. The other three members of the New Zealand team—Miss K. Sawyers, G. Wakely and G. Dann —will compete on the third night of the championships next week-end.