Juniors shatter 11 records

Press, 31 March 1980, Page 22

Juniors shatter 11 records

The Wharenui junior “Olympics,” which have been the nursery. for an outstanding string of Canterbury and New • Zealand swimming champions through the vears, ended their 1980 season on Saturday evening. Seven meeting records were broken in the final four sessions on Saturday and Friday evenings, to add to four broken the previous week-end. The carnival, the biggest in New Zealand, caters for swimmers in the- six to 14 years age groups, and is run with outstanding efficiency. Some restrictions govern entry to the carnival, but they are designed to give as many competitors as possible the chance to win a medal o r reach a final. Any. swimmer who has won a Canterbury title cannot enter that event, and swimmers are restricted to two gold medals each. Thev may. however, swim in heats to attempt to break records.

Four of the record broken at the week-end were in relays, and all seven were set by swimmers or teams from the host club, Wharenui. , ~ Kara Taumaunu has made dizzy progress as a backstroker this season, to the stage where as a 14-year-old he is one of the top. five in New Zealand, but he showed on Saturday that he is more than competent in other strokes as ‘well.

He broke the boys’ under 15 100 m breaststroke record with a new time of Imin 20.4 sec, taking 2.osec off the previous mark set six years ago by Jeffrey Millward.

Campbell Mclntosh set a new time for the under 15 4 x 1 length individual medley. His time. Imin 33.55ec, was o.Bsec faster than the previous mark set two years ago by Brent Connor.

Jennifer Queen, who has projected herself as a freestyler of

much promises in the last few months, has also added some variation to her routine. ■ She swam in the heats of the girls under 15 4 x 1 length medley, but only in an attempt to break the record. She had previously won her maximum two gold medals. She was successful in her record attempt, her time of Imin 42.75ec taking l.lsec off the time set by Sandra Tully three years ago. All four relay records were set bv Wharenui teams. In the under 15 boys’ medley relay, Wharenui A’s time of Imin 24.sec was 2.2 sec better than the time set bv a team from the same club in 1974. The girls’ under 15 medley relav team recorded Imin 28sec. O.fisec faster than the mark set bv Wharenui last year. The under 12 girls’ Wharenui medley relay team took o.2sec off the record set 10 years ago, with a (new time of Imin 43.0 sec. I The Wharenui under 12 hoys

medlev relay team broke an 11-year-old record. Its time for the j event, Imin 4l.3sec, was O.lsec better than the Wharenui team produced in 1569. New Brighton A equalled the ' girls’ under 13 medley relay re- ;S cord winning its final in Imin ;JS 34.25ec. , ' . ; i There was an Indication that some coaches have work to do W; on their swiminers’ technique. In the final of the boys’ under 10 '» 4 x 1 length individual medley, .; four of the six finalists were disqualified for various misdemean- ■ ours. ' " ■! .'*ig Tonv Mason, one of a small entry ’ from Westport, had the satisfaction of winning the .hoys’ J under ll 33 1/3m breaststroke final. He wa« only o.7sec off the record for the event. ; Susan Willis (Wharenui). es- . 1 sentially a butterfly racer, made -r a bold effort to' break Miss Queen’s record in the final of the under 15 individual medley, biit failed hv I.3sec.