Junior Swimming Titles

Evening Star, Issue 21935, 23 January 1935, Page 3

Junior Swimming Titles

[From Our Own Reporter.]

TIMARU, January 22,

After being in Auckland’s possession for the last three years the War Memorial Shield passed into Otago’s keeping to-night, when the New Zealand intermediate and junior swimming championships concluded at the Century Baths before an attendance of about 1,000 spectators, who were roused to considerable enthusiasm by some of the best swimming of a most enjoyable meeting. Otago’s win was fairly decisive, the team totalling seven points, Auckland five, Southland one, and Canterbury one. Five championship events were decided to-night, the Otago represen- ' tatives taking three titles, Canterbury one, and Auckland one. Geoff Chambers, the Otago champion, fully lived up to his reputation in winning the 76yds New Zealand junior boys’ breast-stroke title in 61sec, this being only his third race in competition. Chambers’s record put up last week was 59 l-ssec, and the only other swimmer to beat to-night’s time was Reg. Gecldes (Otago), whose record Chambers broke last week. _ In slow water Chambers’s time to-night was outstanding, and his fine performance was contributed to by keen opposition. That ivas provided by his team mate, C. M’Gregor, who repeated his Otago championship performance by swimming second to Chambers, only two yards back. Chambers again lost ground in the dive in, but quickly picked up ground and won by two yards, registering his best time to date. Chambers’s style was most impressive, and M'Gregor showed considerable versatility, as he had already won the 100yds and. 220yds junior boys’ championships. Michael Shanahan (Otago), the title-holder, swam a better race than at the Otago championships, and just finished out of a place. Winning the 220yds intermediate championship brilliantly, Syd Jarvis scored Otago’s sixth victory at the meeting, and he repeated Noel Crump’s performance of carrying off all three intermediate free style events. It was Jarvis’s most impressive swim at the meeting, the champion applying pace from the start to win in the splendid time of 2min 32sec, which represented the fastest time over put np in a New Zealand championship competition of any class by an Otago swimmer. Jarvis maintained a lovely smooth stroke all the way, his time being Msec faster than in his heat. He received a groat ovation from the crowd on completing the treble. A. Pascoe registered practically the same time as in his morning heat, but he troubled Jarvis at no stage of the race. J. Barry, Otago’s second string, lost badly on the turns, and this deprived him of third place by barely a touch.

Miss June Melliose, the very promising young Aucklander, followed up her victory in the 100yds junior girls’ championship by annexing the 50yds title m the good time of 32sec, though she was well extended by the speedy Canterbury girl, Miss B. Graham, who finished in second place. Miss Melhose, who has come into prominence only this season, proved to have as good a stroke as any of the girls competing at the meeting, and undoubtedly will be heard of in future competition. Miss Graham sprang something in the nature of a surprise, hut showed herself to be a very determined swimmer. Miss Joan Thomson, the Otago champion, swam right up to form to finish in fourth place, her style creating a favourable impression. The intermediate boys’ diving championship was confined to the three Otago competitors, C. Eckhold (the present title-holder), S. W. Jarvis, and N._ Williams. The standard was very fair indeed, and in retaining his title Eckhold dived more consistently and showed more finish than the others. His command of balance in the air, his confident take off, and his neat entry, with the exception of two dives, being ahead of the others. He won the event with 60 points. Jarvis, who was competing in a championship dive for the first time, took second place with 68 points, Williams being third with 51. Jarvis lacked Eckhold’s finish, but dived more boldly and confidently than Williams, who appeared nervous, though he executed some good dives. This marked Otago’s third wjn of the evening, and the seventh of the meeting. The 75yds intermediate girls’ breast stroke brought together one of the most representative fields ever gathered in this event, four New Zealand champions taking part. They were Misses R. Low (intermediate title-holder), 0. Buckland (who won the junior championship at Invercargill two years ago), N. Olds (winner of the junior title at Greymonth some years ago), and C. Lynch (last year’s junior champion and record holder). Miss Buckland did not show her best form and was eliminated in her heat, but the other three fought out a stirring finish, Miss Low giving Canterbury its only win in 67sec. Miss Lynch, putting in a splendid finish, beat Miss Olds for second place on the touch. This was undoubtedly one of the finest races on the programme, less than yds separating all the finalists. Miss C. Knowles (Otago), who finished second in the junior girls’ breast championship, filled second place in the 50yds ladies’ breast stroke handicap, and C. Laurence, also of Otago, was second in the 50yds junior boys’ handicap. Otago scored a further success in the interclub diving handicap, Miss Gwen Rix giving a very neat display to carry off this event. THE EVENTS DESCRIBED. The issue in the 75yds junior boys’ ! breast stroke championship was fought out by two of the three Otago repre- ! sentatives, G. Chambers, who put up the New Zealand record of 50 l-ssec last week, being pushed hard over the first lap. C. M'Gregor got away to a better start than Chambers, who went too deep at the start, but quickly made up ground on M'Gregor, the pair racing together over the lap and both showing good style. Chambers’s easy glide took him to the front, however, and he turned l a yard ahead of M'Gregor in 41sec, with T. Jones (Auckland) and M. Shanahan together a couple of yards hack. Chambers unloosed a fine finish and won by 2yds from M'Gregor, Jones being a yard

Otago Lifts the Shield Jarvis in Great Form Three Wins at the Meeting

back third, with Shanahan, last year s winner, fourth, after swimming pluckilv against his older opponents. In the final of the 200yds intermediate boy's’ championship it was evident from the start that it was not a question of who would win, but how much S. W. Jarvis would win by. Jarvis sot a fast pace from the start, and swimming beautifully led at the end of 50yds, done in 29 3-ssec, by a yard from J. Barry, Pascoe being a similar distance back third. Barry was last on the turn and was displaced by Pascoe. Jarvis increased his lead and led by 3yds at the 100 mark, which was left behind in 64 3-ssec, Pascoe being half a yard ahead of Barry. Jarvis, swimming with heaps of dash, went on to win as he liked by 18yds from Pascoe in tho fast time of 2min 32sec, which equalled the standard. There was a splendid finish for third place. H. Goldsmith (Auckland), who was 15yds behind Pascoe, getting up to beat Barry on the touch. The competitors in the 50yds junior girls’ championship were despatched to an even start, Miss J. Melhose quickly' moving to the front, followed by Miss B. Graham, Miss J. Thompson, and Miss G. Priestley half a yard back together for half tho distance. Miss Graham sprinted strongly over the last 10yds, but Miss Melhose drew out to win by half a yard, giving Auckland its only win of the evening. Miss Priestley was a yard back third, and after going a splendid race Miss Thompson, the smallest competitor, finished

fourth, only 2yds back. Miss R. Jarvis was 2|,yds further back. In keeping with all the breast stroke events, the 75yds intermediate girls’ final provided another thrilling struggle, with scarcely a yard between tho placed competitors at any stage of the race. Miss Olds led out from a good start, with Misses R. Low and Smith (Wellington) and C. Lynch (Southland) in line. Misses Olds and Low turned at tho end of 50y-ds in 41 sec. _ Miss Low finished very strongly to win a great race by barely half a yard. Miss Olds faded a little over the last 10yds, and could not stave off Miss Lynch’s challenge, tho Southland girl beating Miss Olds for second place by a touch. Detailed results: — 75 YARDS JUNIOR BOYS’ BREAST STROKE. G. Chambers (Otago) ... 1 C. M'Gregor (Otago) 2 T Jones (Auckland) 3 Also started: 1. Mitchell (Canterbury). A. Mair (Southland), M. Shanahan (Otago). Time, 6lsec. 220 YARDS INTERMEDIATE BOYS’ FREE STYLE. S. Jarvis (Otago) 1 A. Pascoe (Auckland) 2 H. Goldsmith (Auckland) 3 •Also started: J. Barry (Otago) and D. O’Neill (Wellington). Time, 2min 32sec. INTERMEDIATE BOYS’ DIVING. C. Eckhold (Otago) 1 S. Jarvis (Otago) 2 N. Williams (Otago) 3 50 YARDS JUNIOR GIRLS’ FREE STYLE. J. Melhose (Auckland) 1 B. Graham (Canterbury) 2 G. Priestley (Auckland) 3 Also started; J. Thompson (Otago). R. Jarvis (Otago), J. M'Donald (Southland). Time, 32sec. 75 YARDS INTERMEDIATE GIRLS’ BREAST STROKE. R. Low (Canterbury) 1 C. Lynch (Southland) 2 N. Olds (Otago) 3 Time, 67sec. SHIELD POINTS. OTAGO 7 Auckland 5 Southland 1 Canterbury 1