N.I. swimmers dominate teleprinter finals

Press, 9 December 1985, Page 37

N.I. swimmers dominate teleprinter finals

By KEVIN TUTTY The balance of swimming power is rapidly shifting to the northern half of the

North Island, judging by the results of the national teleprinter finals held on Saturday.

The teleprinter carnival is a long established competition for age-group swimmers, and a nursery for future national champions. The finals are held simultaneously at two venues. On Saturday those venues were Hamilton and Christchurch.

Results from the two venues were collated at a central point by teleprinter and the national winners found.

Canterbury has traditionally been a stronghold of age-group swimming but on Saturday it had to bow to the increasing strength of the Auckland province with its large number of well organised clubs. Last year Canterbury won the most titles at the teleprinter finals, but on Saturday they could manage only eight compared to Auckland’s 13. Canterbury’s two main clubs performed creditably though. Wharenui and New Brighton swimmers gathered a substantial number of medals. The most disconcerting fact from the southern region’s point of view was the dominance of swimmers from Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. These three centres collected 24 of the 35 gold medals available. Waikato, after a slow start, now seems to be gaining the benefit of a 50m indoor covered pool opened four years ago. A concern for the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association would be the inability of any swimmer to break a meeting record on Saturday. Many of the records have been set by swimmers who went on to set New Zealand records and represent New Zealand. For national records to be broken in the future, subsequently enabling competitors to keep pace with international standards, age-group records should be improved by the present crop of swimmers. The most successful of the Canterbury contingent was Nicola West (Wharenui) in the girls 12 years and under section. She won three national events — the 100 m freestyle and backstroke and 200 m individual

medley. Daniel Hibbs (New Brighton) won two titles in the boys under-10 years 100 m freestyle and backstroke and the silver in the 50m butterfly. Other winners of national titles were Martin Hill (Wharenui) in the boys under-12 years 100 m backstroke; Karam Tuakapua (New Brighton) in the boys under-10 years 100 m breaststroke; and Jessica Marshall (New Brighton in the girls under-10 years 100 m breastroke. There was some joy for other areas of the South Island, namely Nelson and Timaru. In the girls under-14 years 4 x 50m medley relay,

Nelson-Marlborough took on the might of Auckland — and other centres — and won.

The centre was represented by only four girls at the southern region finals in Christchurch. But Penny

Bragg, Cassandra Riley, Sarah Rodgers and Trudi Wadsworth combined to win the national title in 2min 17.135, edging out Auckland by two hundredths of a second. Wadsworth swum the backstroke, Rodgers the breaststroke, Bragg the

butterfly and Riley the freestyle. Jos Pattison, the coach of the four, felt the girls had a good chance of winning the

southern zone finals, but felt conquering Auckland was just a little beyond the girls. “But they all swam above themselves and were delighted with their success.” Mr Pattison said Wadsworth missed a chance to win the individual backstroke title because she missed the start in Christchurch. The command microphone under her starting block was not functioning and she did not hear the call to “take your marks.” She was still relaxed when the gun went. She finished third nationally just 0.75 s behind the winner. Phillipa Langrell from the South End club, Timaru, won the girls under 14 years ,100 butterfly with a well fudged swim. She won the national title by 0.15 s from Jane Collins (Wharenui) and Kate Price (Otago) made the national placings a rare clean sweep for the South Island. National placings of Canterbury swimmers were: BOYS 14 years and under.— 4 x 500 m medley relay, Canterbury, 2nd. 100 m backstroke, Glen Hurley (Wharenui), third. 44 x 50m freestyle relay, Canterbury 2nd. 100 m breastroke, Matthew Davenport (New Brighton), 2nd. 100 m butterfly, Dallas Hibbs (New Brighton), 3rd. 200 m individual medley, Hurley, 2nd; Haydn Woolley (New Brighton), 3rd. 12 years and under.— 100 m freestyle, Martin Hill (Wharenui), 2nd; Jonathan Cann (Wharenui), 3rd. 100 m backstroke, Hill, Ist; Sean Hibbs (New Brighton), 2nd. 4 x 50m freestyle relay, Canter&2nd. 100 m breaststroke, 3rd. 100 m butterfly, Hill, 2nd; Cann, 3rd. 200 m individual medley, Hibbs, 2nd; Hill, 3rd. 10 years and under.— 50m butterfly, Daniel Hibbs (New Brighton), 2nd. 100 m freestyle, Hibbs, Ist; Nicholas Woods (New Brighton), 2nd. 100 m backstroke, Hibbs, Ist; Woods,

2nd. 100 m breastroke, Karam Tuakapua (New Brighton), Ist; Nigel Cox (Wharenui), 2nd. GIRLS 14 years and under.— 100 m freestyle, Jane Collins (Wharenui), 2nd. 100 m butterfly, Collins, 2nd. 12 years and under.— 100 m freestyle, Nicola West (Wharenui), Ist. 100 m backstroke, West, Ist; Kirstyn Ellis (Wharenui), 2nd. 4 x 50m freestyle relay, Canterbury, 3rd. 100 m breastroke, Jessica Marshall (New Brighton), Ist. 100 m butterfly, West, 3rd. 200 m individual medley, West, Ist; Marshall, 3rd. 10 years and under.— 100 m backstroke, Kelly Townsend (Wharenui), 3rd. 100 m breaststroke, Becky Walsh (New Brighton), 3rd. 50m butterfly, Joanne Duncan (Wharenui), 2nd. Mixed 4 x 50m medley relay, Canterbury, 2nd.