JUNIOR SWIMMERS

Evening Star, Issue 21934, 22 January 1935, Page 4

JUNIOR SWIMMERS

| From Our Own Reporter.]

TIMARU, January 21. Jt was unfortunate for the South Canterbury Centre that after such a long spell of dry weather heavy rain should have fallen to-da.y, and the New Zealand intermediate and junior swimming championships were continued at the Century Baths to-night in a continuous downpour of ram, which not only helped to slow up the times, but had a serious effect upon the attendance, there being but a handful of spectators. It was only after a meeting of the managers of the visiting teams that it was decided to carry on with the championship programme, but all handicap events were postponed. To-night’s events provided good swimming. and one or two exceptional finishes, but with the exception of Syd. Jarvis’s 440vds. the times were not outstanding, the water being slow. With five events yet to be decided, the position in regard to the War Memorial Shield is that Auckland and Otago are level, with four wins each. Southland being the only other centre to register a win. Barring accidents. Otago should lift the shield from Auckland to-mor-row night, as the majority of the events favour Otago. G. Chambers should win the junior breast stroke; Otago, with 0. .Eckhold, should carry off the intermediate boys’ diving; S'. Jarvis should on form easily account for the 220yds. Auckland should win the 60yds junior girls’ championship with either Miss Melhose or Miss Black, but Auckland is not represented jn the intermediate girls’ breast stroke, in which the issue lies between the Southland, Otago, and Canterbury representatives. The outstanding competitor to-night was S. W. Jarvis, who had no difficulty in adding the 440yds title in his division to the 100yds he won on Saturday. Jarvis’s style was again most impressive, and expert critics are predicting a brilliant future for him, since ho has such easy style and perfect relaxation, allied to great power. Although the Aucklander, Alan Pascoe, stayed with Jarvis over the first half of the distance, the latter-bad far more in reserve, and won as he liked by 25yds in the fast time of smin 37sec. Although this does not corne up to Crump’s record of 6min 14 4-ssec, it represents ono of the best performances over the distance ever put up by an intermediate. being all the more meritorious in \ r iew of the conditions.

Otago’s fourth win at the meeting was scored by C. M'Gregor, who gathered Ids second title after an Homeric struggle with the game little Southlander T. Bath in the 220yds junior boys’ championship. M'Gregor’s time of 3min 5 l-ssec was a long way from Syd. Janus’s junior record of 2min 3G 3-ssoc, but both lie and Batli showed promising style. These boys, being together throughout the distance, provided one of the closest finishes ever aeon at a championship meeting. M'Gregor secured the verdict by a touch, improving on his Otago championship time by nearly 4soc. Making his first appearance- at a New Zealand championship meeting, Hugh Callender, the Otago intermediate breast stroke champion, put up a fine performance to take second place to the Aucklander, D. Webster, in the 100yds intermediate boys’ breast stroke, being beaten by a touch in 82seC—quite good time even if it does not compare with Reg. Geddes’s record of 73 3-ssec. This was another thrilling race with a spectacular finish. Webster making use of his length of arm and taking a chance by lunging for the end of the baths and getting there by a touch after Callender appeared to have the race in hand. The Otago boy, however, fouled the ropes halfway up the baths. He has another season in this division. Miss Edna Rainey, holder of the New Zealand record, turned the tables on Miss D. Symon (Southland) in the 100yds intermediate girls’ championship, the Aucklander showing much better sytle to win in 69 3-ssec, though this was 4 3-ssec outside her own New Zealand record put up under better conditions.

Considerable versatility lias been shown by Miss Rhoda Low, bolder of the intermediate girls’ breast stroke title, who finished second in the 220yds on Saturday and gained third place in the 100yds event to-night. Miss J. Melhouse fully lived up to her Auckland reputation by winning the 100yds junior girls’ championship in the very fair time of 73 l-ssec, this girl being possessed of a very pretty stroke. A surprise was occasioned in this race by Miss Grace Priestley, winner of the junior girls’’ breast stroke on Saturday, who showed all-round ability by beating Miss M. Black, holder of the New Zealand junior girls’ 50yds record, for second place. THE RACING DESCRIBED. It seems the breast stroke events are destined to provide some of the best finishes of these intermediate and junior meetings, and the 100yds intermediate boys’ championship was no exception, I). Webster and A. Callender having a thrilling tussle. From a good start Webster hit the water ahead of Callender and H. Horsfall, but Callender quickly drew level. Both boys were swimming a nice, oven stroke up the first lap, with Callender showing the better co-ordination and Webster a little more power. Callender turned slightly ahead of Webster in 36sec and increased his lead to a yard. Halfway up the second lap he looked to have the race won, but fouled the ropes, whereupon Webster almost drew level. Tile Aucklander challenged strongly over the last 10yds and in a rousing finish his reach enabled him to touch a shade ahead of Callender. Horsfall was never far behind the leaders and finished a yard away third. G. Huston, Otago’s second string, was last of tho five to finish, but was fairly close up and went quite a good race. Otago’s interest in the 100yds intermediate girls’ championship was confined to the issue between Miss D. Symon and Miss Edna Rainey, tho present 100yds title-holder. The pair swam together over the first lap in 33sec, but Miss Rainey gained on the turn and drew away from her younger opponent, who swam on to the ropes several times, and this deprived her of her chances of heading the Aucklander. Miss Rainey maintained a smooth, even stroke to the finish to win by two yards.

New Zealand Championships Jarvis Scores Another Easy Win Otago and Auckland Level

Miss 11. Low occupied a handy position most of the wav and finished third, two yards back. The winner’s time was 69 4-ssec, l-ssec better than her winning time last year. It was Isec slower than Miss Symon’s junior record, established last year.. After the heats of the 440yds intermediate boys’ championship in the morning it was generally anticipated that Syd. Jarvis would have a comfortable win despite the fact that Pascoe had done 2sec faster time in the heats than the Otago boy, who showed judgment by just moving fast enough to win in the morning. It. was a different story to-night. Jarvis had much the smoother and more relaxed Stroke, Pascoe relying more on force and showing loss of form when the pressure was on. The pair raced together over the first 100yds, turning together in 67sec. Barry and O’Neill were another yard further back. At the furlong mark, left behind in 2min 42sec, Jarvis led by half a yard from Pascoe, who was showing signs of strain, Barry being in third place, five yards back. From the 300yds mark, done in 3min 48sec, Jarvis unloosed a dashing burst and increased bis lead at the 350yds mark to 10yds, Barry being 15yds back, with O’Neill and Stokes almost in line. Jarvis further increased the advantage, and won as he liked by 25yds from Pascoe. There was a rare tussle for third place, O’Neill getting up to beat Barry by less than a yard, with Stokes (Canterbury) a similar distance away. There was some uncertainty among the competitors at the start of the 100yds junior girls’ championship, and Miss M. Black appeared very nervous, collapsing at the end of the race. There was one false start before the field got away well, Misses Black, Priestly, and Melhose being almost in line at the end of 50yds done in 32sec. Miss Melhose gained on the turn, and, using a clean and well relaxed stroke, forged ahead to win by 2yds, Miss Priestly finishing determinedly to beat Miss Black for second place by a foot. Miss 11. Jarvis swam better time than in the Otago championship and finished 6yds further back in fifth place. The 220yds junior boys’ championship provided one of the most exciting races and closest finishes ever seen at a championship meeting. At no stage of the race was there more than half a yard between C. M'Gregor and T. Bath, and after leaving the first 50yds behind in 36seo the pair were both swimming easily. They were together at 100yds in 81sec, and as M'Gregor went to the front Bath followed. There was great excitement when M‘Gregor drew away approaching iho last turn, but Bath gained on the turn and the lads raced over the last 15yds in line. In a sensational finish both flashed their arms up almost simultaneously, hut M'Gregor brought his hand down with a snap, his length of arm giving him victory by a touch, with J. Mnlholland third, syds back. Results in detail;440 YARDS INTERMEDIATE BOYS. S. Jarvis (Otago) 1 A. Pascoe (Auckland) 2 D. O’Neill (Wellington) ... 3 Also started: N. Stokes (Canterbury), J. Barry (Otago), and D. Parsons (South Canterbury). Time, smin 37sec. 100 YARDS INTERMEDIATE BOYS’ BREAST STROKE. D. Webster (Auckland) 1 H. Callender (Otago) 2 H. Horsfall (Canterbury) 3 Also started: G. Huston (Otago), W. Millar (Southland). Time, 82 l-ssec. 220 YARDS JUNIOR BOYS’ FREE STYLE. C. M'Gregor (Otago] ... 1 T. Bath (Southland] ... 2 S. Mnlholland (South Canterbury) 3 Also started: T. Jones (Auckland), G. Watson (South Canterbury). Time, 3min 5 l-ssec. 100 YARDS INTERMEDIATE GIRLS’ FREE STYLE. E. Rainey (Auckland) 1 I). Symons (Southland) 2 R. Low (Canterbury) 3 Also started: B. Frye (Canterbury], M. Latimer (South Canterbury), R. Gillen (South Canterbury). Time, Imin 9 3-ssec. 100 YARD'S JUNIOR GIRLS’ FREE STYLE. J. Melhose (Auckland) ... ... ... 1 G. Priestley (Auckland) ... ... ... 2 M. Black (Auckland) 3 Also started: B. Graham (Canterbury), J. MacDonald (Southland), R. Jarvis (Otago). Time, Imin 13sec.