Contest attracts 37 schools

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34099, 11 March 1976, Page 30

Contest attracts 37 schools

In spite of the short! time available to organise them, the first South Island intersecondary schools’, swimming and diving! championships at Queen' Elizabeth II Park this! Saturday seems assured of success. The idea was mooted at ai i meeting of rhe Canterbury! I Swimming Centre last De-' Icember, and notices were!

(posted to 124 secondary]) j schools in the South Island j ] before the school year] started in February. Mr M. R. Duckmanton, the (convener of the organising i committee, said the response ■ had been excellent, and 37 i schools — about two-thirds I of them from outside Christj church — will be represented on Saturday. : Many of the schools coni'tacted already had comimitments for the week-end, jsaid Mr Duckmanton, but s I they expressed keen interest

in being represented next year if they were given earlier advice. There will be 148 swimmers and divers attending on Saturday, making a totai of 293 entries in 34 events, lit was intended to hold heats in the morning and afternoon and finals in the evening, but the . afternoon heats have been dropped and only the two periods will be held. The morning heats will! start at 9.30 and the diving]

will be held concurrently with it, and the finals will start at 7 p.m. There will be three grades — under 15 years, over 15 years and open, and each school will be restricted to one entry per event. Swimmers will be restricted to three events. Swimmers had to meet qualifying times and these were based on times used for the North Island championships which have been held for several years. If this meeting is a success, Mr Duckmanton says, about 60 schools could "be represented next year, and with continuing success a meeting between the North and South Islands might be possible.

Although it would not be instituted this year, he said, he would like to see a points system introduced to create rivalry and interest in the competition. A meeting will be held with team managers and chaperons at the week-end to discuss this and other factors such as the date for the meeting. It appeared a later date would be more suitable, said Mr Duckmanton.

There have been no accommodation problems for this carnival. Billets are needed for only 26 competitors as the ' others had made their own arrangements. Officials will be provided by the 1 Canterburv centre.

A good standard of swimming will be seen. A number of the competitors will be swimming in the New Zealand open championships which start at Dunedin next Wednesday.