N.Z. SWIMMING TITLE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 97, 18 January 1940, Page 10

N.Z. SWIMMING TITLE

Intermediate And Junior Championships BAY OF PLENTY LEAD FOR f SHIELD By Telegraph.—Press Association. DUNEDIN, January 17. The New Zealand intermediate and junior swimming championships began today, heats 'being decided in the morning and finals at night. Results of the finals are:— 50yds. junior girls' backstroke: N. Gibbs (Nelson), 1 ; A. Smith (Otago). 2: J. McCulloch (Otago), 3. Time, lOsecs. 75yds. junior boys’ breaststroke: R. Tucker (Auckland), 1; N. Marslin (Otago), 2; L. McGavin (Otago). 3. Time. 66 3-ssecs. 100yds. intermediate boys’ freestyle: B. Morrison (Bay of Plenty), 1; M. Luffley (Bay of Plenty), 2; C. Sell (Otago). 3. Time. 61 l-ssecs. 220yds. intermediate girls’ freestyle: B. Ilea (Canterbury). 1 ; U. Walker (Nelson), 2: K. Westerby (Southland). 3. Time, 2.59 3-ssecs. 220yds. junior boys’ freestyle: L. Barry (Nelson). 1; J. Scally (Bay of Plenty), 2: D. O'Rourke (South Canterbury), 3. Time, 48 l-ssecs. 100yds. intermediate boys’ backstroke: B. Morrison (Bay of Plenty), 1; 11. Sheppard (Taranaki), 2; J. Hall (Otago), 3. Time, 75 l-ssecs. Intermediate girls' dive: R. Smith (Otago), 1; J. McDonald (South Auckland). 2; J. Carpenter (Nelson). 3. Following are the points to date for the war memorial shield : Bay of Plenty, 16; Otago, 15; Nelson, 14; Canterbury, 5; South Auckland, 3; Taranaki, 3; Southland, 1: South Canterbury, L GOOD FORM SHOWN Description Of Finals Dominion Special Service. DUNEDIN, January 18. The Nelson girl Miss N. Gibbs put up such a fine swin in her heat of the 50 yards junior girls’ backstroke event that it was no surprise when she took the honours in the final. She had, however, to fight off a strong challenge by Otago's two repreesntatives, A. Smith and J. McCulloch, who fought every inch of the way over the latter half of the journey and only a touch separated the three at the finish. Incidentally Miss Gibbs’s win gave her province the first win it had had at a New Zealand championship meeting. One of the best races of the evening was. the final of the 75 yards .junior boys’ I breaststroke championship which brought together six good young exponents of the style. Just after the dive off it look-, •ed as if L. McGavin, oue of Otago's two strings, was going to be hardest to beat and, closely followed by his team mate, N. Marslin, he bad a slight lead at the first turn over R. Tucker, the Auckland lad. Tucker commenced to make up his leeway down the second lap and at 50 yards he was on even terms with the leaders, with Ridings, Steele and Isaacs in that order lying' next. Tucker took the last turn with a foot in hand from McGavin and Marslin and holding his advantage he touched a foot in front of Marslin, who put in a gallant spurt over the final eight years to heat McGavin by half a yard for second place. ( In the morning the speedy Maori lad M. Loffley and C. Sell, of Otago, had a great 'battle in their heat of the 100 ( intermediate boys free style champion.- , ship and equally exciting was the tus-'le ( btween the Auckland representative J. C. Nettleton and the other Maori hoy from the Bay of Plenty, B. Morrison. Their form indicated that they would be • among [darings in the final. ( A Great Race The final justified all expectations that i it would be a great race, though in the initial stages Morrison made the pace so fast that ia appeared as if he were , going to win by yards. Sell and Loffley, swimming almost together, were a good three yards behind at the end of the first lap, and on going up on the second Morrison forged l ahead to a lead of about five or six yards. The third lap gave the spectators plenty of excitement, for Mor- < rison was obviously beginning to fade, and his team mate and Sell were gradually gathering him in. Morrison put in a last desperate spurt to touch two yards ahead of the fast-finishing Loffley, who beat Sell by a touch for second place.

Tin- little ex-Southlander, L. Barry, gave Nelson another lift when he scored a comfortable victory in the junior boys’ freestyle furlong. A thorough stylist w'ho moves through the water like tin otter, this youngster in his heat showed the way home so easily that hi? success in the final was almost a foregone conclusion. In the evening the Taranaki boy, D. Moffitt, stayed with him for a length or two, and R. Rice (Auckland) was also going well. After the first 100 yaixb had been covered, however. Barry was away out in front, while there had been a reshuffle of positions among the others. The South Canterbury representative, D. O’Rourke, and J. Scally (Bay of Plenty) had moved up and were now lying second and third respectively. Barry gradually drew out and won easily by 10 yards, Scally putting in a sprint over the final length to gain second place, eight yards ahead of O'Rourke. Calculations Upset. Calculations were upset somewhat when B. Rea. a Canterbury swimmer, took the honours in the 220 yards intermediate girls freestyle championship. The Westerby sisters, Kathleen and Beryl, won their heats so convincingly in the morning (hat Southland's hopes for at least two places in tlie final were high, but Miss Rea, who took second place in her heat to U. Walker, Nelson, found some extra speed in tlie evening and while Miss K. Westerby hung to her for part of tin- journey along with Miss Walker, the Canterbury girl went away from them after half the distance had been covered and had two yards in hand when she reached tlie finishing line. Miss B. Westerby was manifestly not hersel* in the final and faded over the latter half of the journey, and Miss Walker, who returned the fastest time of any of tlie heats, also did not swim up to her form of (lie morning. Nevertheless, Miss Rea's victory was n creditable one.

Miss Rita Smith had no difficulty in retaining the intermediate girls’ diving title, though the runner-up in this event. Miss J. McDonald, South Auckland, gave n very creditable display. Miss J. Carpen ter. the Nelson representative, did not seem to be able to get tlie strength of the board and there is no doubt'that f-'he is a better diver than her form of this evening would indicate. In some of her numbers Miss McDonald did not use (lie board enough and frequently site failed to get sufficient, height. Morrison came to light again in Ihe intermediate boys' backstroke event and succeeded in putting Bay of Plenty ahead on points for the day, though his supporters bad some uneasy moments for the first couple of lengths when the Taranaki lad, 11. Sheppard, kept, at his shoulder and looked as if he might head the Maori off. It was a great race over the last 20 yards and Sheppard, who syvarn a fine race, was only a yard behind Morrison nt tlie finish, wiflt Otago's hope. Ivan Hall, in third place, a similar distance hack. C. Sell. Otago’s other string, who took third place in his heat, swam well but he could not stroke it with the placed competitors.