Canterbury age group swimmers face big challenge

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32803, 31 December 1971, Page 15

Canterbury age group swimmers face big challenge

After the comprehensive win by Auckland in the national Speedo teleprinter carnival, coaches in Canterbury will have their whips out as they prepare their swimmers for the national agegroup championships at Timaru in February.

This does not mean that Canterbury’s representatives in the teleprinter finals were not prepared. Most of them had not had a brzak from training, but their times were close to their best. With correct preparation, they should reduce their times considerably.

Auckland will doubtless be pleased to salvage some pride after the drubbing it received from Canterbury at last year’s finals, but the age-group championships should show a completely different picture from the teleprinter finals. Canterbury is sure to gain tremendous benefit from B. Lewis, J. Symon, J. Laugeson, M. Trembath and Misses S. J. Hunter and J. Parkhouse, all of whom will be available for the agegroup title meeting.

Then there is Miss J. Murdoch (Wharenui) who will be in her first year at the age-group championships and who is the centre’s most exciting prospect since Miss Hunter. In the teleprinter finals she broke one of Miss Hunter’s records, the 100 metres backstroke, and Miss C. J. Whiting’s 100 metres freestyle record. She also bettered two of Miss L. Rowe’s records—a most impressive performance.

Her time of 2min 54.25ec for 200 metres medley

compared favourably with a time of 2min 50.2 sec which won a similar race in her age-group at a top level carnival at Sydney last month. Her time would have given her fourth place in the race.

Another swimmer of promise is Miss J. Tweedie (Sockburn Park), who won the 100 metres breaststroke at Rangiora in the under-12 section. Her time of Imin 37.35ec broke Miss Wakefield’s Canterbury girls’ under-11 record by o.Bsec. The performances of the widely praised E. Box (Sockburn Park) were largely disappointing. Admittedly, he beat the, Canterbury record in the 100 metres freestyle, and gained second place in the national event. But in his other three races his times were several seconds slower than, his best last season. At the start of the season, Box changed

coaches, going from Mr D. J. Inkster to Mr J. J. Pattison at Sockbum Park. But last week he returned to Mr Inkster’s squad. The changeover in the middle of the season has affected Box, but it should not be long before he again reaches peak form. B. Moore (Woolston Park) is the discovery of the season in the undet-14 grade. In the 100 metres freestyle race against Box, Moore produced a welljudged sprint which almost caught Box off guard.

R. Newbum and P. Grenfell (both Wharenui) showed plenty of tenacity in their events and Newbum was rewarded with the national medley title in the under-14' grade.

Newbum also had a third in the 100 metres backstroke, while Grenfell’s best effort was a third in the southern region 200 metres medley,, only Msec behind Newbum.

The freestyle relay team of Box, Grenfell, Moore and Newbum set a precedent by becoming the first Canterbury under-14 team :.o beat 2min for the event. The time was Imin 59.95ec. R. Callon, a member of the North End Club at Timaru, gave the Eastern Districts centre a much needed boost by winning the under-12 boys’ 100 metres freestyle. He also performed creditably in the breaststroke and medley events at the southern region finals, finishing first and second. P. Kirkpatrick (Wharenui) has lived in the shadow of more illustrious swimmers for most of his competitive career, but was rewarded in the teleprinter finals .with three thirds in the national results. He was the only Canterbury swimmer to be placed in his age group, although the freestyle relay team won its event.

P. Rowe (Wharenui) performed better than expected in the finals, gaining a first and third in the national results. His win was in the 100 metres freestyle, and he beat the brilliant Auckland swimmer, G. Hurring. Rowe’s third was in the breaststroke event, won by Hurring, was also, a good effort. His time was only half a second behind Hurring’s, and he was beaten by 0.1 sec for second place by H. Humphries (Auckland). The stronger competition Rowe received in the finals should serve to make him work harder in an effort to overhaul Hurring. Canterbury had a lean time in the girls’ under-14 events, with only a third in the national list, by Miss L. Rowe (Wharenui) in the 100 metres freestyle. Miss Rowe, who has been regarded as One of New Zealand’s best swimming prospects, was below her top form but this could be expected aftecher heavy programme of the two previous weeks.

When the time comes for the Canterbury and national age-group and

open championships, she should be back to top form, and breaking records.

The failure of Miss Wakefield to gain a place in the national results of the 100 metres breaststroke in the under-14 section was a surprise. The event was won by Miss J. Lowe (Wanganui), who narrowly beat Miss Wakefield in two national age-group events at Palmerston North last season.

Canterbury’s most successful competitor after Miss Murdoch was the tiny Wharenui swimmer, Miss T. Garland, who won one national title and was second in, the three other events.

Although it is not unusual in the under-10 age

group, Miss Garland, who won all. four southern regional finals, had faster times in three races than P. Rowe, in the boys’ section. In the southern regional finals, many of the younger Canterbury swimmers appeared to be struggling in the long-course pool, which was not surprising. They had swum mostly in shortcourse pools before the finals.

In many cases, Canterbury swimmers started their final sprints too early or too late.

Although Canterbury lost to Auckland and the southern region was beaten by the northern region, the Wharenui club upheld Canterbury’s colours to some extent by gaining most points on the clubs’ table. Wharenui gained 44 points to the Hamilton club’s 24 and Papatoetoe’s 18. However, Wharenui has an advantage in that it has attracted many swimmers from other Christchurch clubs because it has the only heated, covered pool in the city. On the other hand, envy at Wharenui’s repeated successes at national level might stir other clubs in Christchurch into finding the finance to cover their pools.