AMERICAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 22686, 28 June 1937, Page 3

AMERICAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

BRILLIANT PERFORMANCES BY MEN L. DE B. HANDLEY'S BULLETIN ' A budget of American swimming news is contained in bulletins dated April 18 and 25, received by the swimming writer of the ‘ Sports Special ’ ‘from Mr L v de B. Handley, the famous New York coach and international authority on the sport, these bulletins being forwarded through the agency of Professor John A. Jackson, of San Francisco. MEN’S NATIONAL INDOOR MEET. The men’s national A.A.U. indoor swimming championships were so brilliantly successful from the competitive point of view, and so many of the younger contestants shower remarkable promise, that anyone looking in retrospect on the dark side of the picture is likely to be accused of pessimism. An unbiased review of general performances, nevertheless, is not very encouraging as a gauge of America’s international prospects. The only record broken was that for the 440yds relay. The University of Michigan team, composed of Tomski, Haynie, Kirar, and Mowerson, dropped it from 3:31.6 to 3:31.4. Results in the other free style tests were disappointing. At 100yds, Peter Pick, of the New York A.C., scored in 0:51.6, missing the universal standard, of 0:51, and Charles Hntter, of Harvard, was second in 0:52.2. At 220yds, Hntter led the field in 2:11.2, -.as against the world’s mark of 2:07.9, and the time of the four leading finalists totalled 8:51 for 880yds, which means ■ approximately 9 :07 for 800 meters in a 50-meter bath, or far behind the 8:51.5 Olympic record set by the Japanese quartet at Berlin last summer. At 500yds the margin was _ even greater, for Tom Haynie’s winning time of 5:32.1 is nearly 16seo slower than the world’s standard. The figures for 220yds and 500yds point very clearly to our weakness in these events, and urge the need of a determined effort to improve _ the rating of our middle-distance swimmers, particularly inasmuch as the Olympic programme includes a 1,500-metcr contest. As matters now stand, there is little inducement for our schoolboys to undertake the kind of training which builds up stamina and develops endurance, since the regulation scholastic schedule lists no race beyond the furlong. In Japan, instead, lads 12 and 13 years old are encouraged to practice over thevlonger distances, then compete in the 400, 800, and 1,500-meter events featured for them. That explains, in large measure, why Nippon’s Olympians were able to outscore us heavily in the relay, 400 and 1,500-meter classics at the Games of 1932 and 1936. It is time we took steps to overcome this weakness. At 220yds breast stroke, John Higgins, of Providence, R.L, now a freshman at Ohio State College, came through in 2 ;4(J.5, missing the American record of 2 ;38.4 by Jack Kasley, of Michigan, who was second in 2:42.G, and it deserves mention that Higgins’s long-course standard of 2 :41.1 for 200 meters is equal to about 2:37 for 220yds in a 25yd pool. The 300yds individual medley was captured by Higgins in 3 ;32.7, behind his own record of 3:28.4, and tho 300yds medley relay by Kiefer, Horschke, and Brown, of the Lakeshore A.C., in 2:55.1, a trifle short of the registered standard of 2:54.9, but these events have no significance, anyhow, as a portent of Olympic prospects. At 150yds hack stroke Adolph Kiefer, of Lakeshore, came within 3-10 of a second of his own world’s mark of 1:32.7, and Albert Vando Weghe, Princeton freshman, was runner-up in 1 ;35.3, also a gratifying exploit; while in fancy diving a youth of wonderful outlook came to the fore in A 1 Patnik, Ohio State yearling. He reaped the laurels from one and three-metro springboards with sparkling scores of 145.40 and 158.34, affording convincing evidence he will fittingly uphold American prestige in this branch of the sport, a sport_ in which we long have maintained international supremacy. It was unfortunate that the battle for team honours should have ended in an unpleasant manner. The disqualification of the Princeton trio, first to finish in the 300yds medley relay, deprived the University of Michigan of top score and caused the team title to he awarded to the Lakeshore 'A.C. There were charges that the Lakeshore aggregation, as well as the Princeton contingent, was guilty of premature starting in the three-stroke classic and should have been disqualified also. But I after a tempestuous session, lasting I three-quarters of an hour, the committee in charge ruled that Princeton pnfly was as fault, so Lakeshore officially was declared winner of the all-round team pennant. Individual laurels went to Kiefer. H© earned high tally of 11 points with one victory, pained in the dorsal event, and second places at 220yds free style and the individual medley. The ‘ Swimming Times,’ England’s leading aquatic periodical, publishes the news that Miss Marion Mansfield, fancy diving star of North-western University and the Lakeshore A.C., wilj engage in an exhibition tour of Great Britain the coming summer, together with Peter Desjardins, of Florida, former Olympic diving champion, who has been visiting the United Kingdom for several season and become a universal favourite there. Miss Joan M'Sheehy, of Whitinsvillo, Mass., former national hack stroke champion and member of the Olympic teajn of 1932, has forsaken the amateur ranks to take part in the ‘ Water Follies ’ at the Boston Arena. ENCOURAGING PERFORMANCES BY WOMEN. The women’s national A.A.U. indoor championships, contested at a four-day carnival in the 25-yard pool of the Lakeshore A.C., of _ Chicago, were not marked hy exceptional performances, yet results were encouraging, as a gauge of international prospects. A number of girls ranging , in age from 14 to 18 figured in tho awards, and displayed skill, offering promise that they will develop into rating Olympic candidates by 1940. Only one American and one meet re-, cords were broken, hut it was gratifying to see two contenders clip the championship mark of 1:02 for 100yds free stjde. Miss Claudia Eckert, of the Shawnee Country Club, of Wilmette, Ilk. and Miss Halina Tomska, of the Detroit A.C., turned the trick, finishing first and second in the final in 1:01.8 and 1:01.9 respectively. Miss Katherine Rawls, of the Miami Beach S.C., shaded her own national standard for 100yds breast stroke from

1:18.6 to 1:18.5, but here there will have to be tremendous further improvement if our fair devotees of this stroke are to have a remote' chance against foreign rivals three years hence. Most gratifying was tho outcome of the 220yds and 500yds free style tests. The 15-year-old winners, Miss Virginia Hopkins, of the Miami Beach S.C., and Miss Doris Brennan, of tho girls’ auxiliary of the Olneyvillo Boys’ Club, of Providence, returned 2:37.6 and 5:24.7, not far behind tho 1936 ,to)9 marks of 2:31.2 and 6:21, so there is warranted hope they will attain Olympic calibre before the next Games at Tokio. The 100yds back stroke classic was disappointing. Miss Dorothy Forbes, of the Broadwood A.C., of Philadelphia, took the title in 1 ;12.1, 4)sec behind tho national record of 1:07.5, and nearly 2sec behind the I.T 0.3 mark which earned her third place in tho 1936 classic. Miss Elizabeth Kompa, of tho New York W.S.A., second in 1 T 2.3 , surprised by heading Miss Marjorie Smith, of the Lakeshore A.C., runner-up last year in 1 -.09.8. The 300yds medley relay was notable in that the New York W.S.A. went down to the first defeat it ever suffered in the threestroke championships. The team of the Washington A.C., of Seattle, composed of the Misses Jean Kolinski, Edith Pembertson, and Betty L«a, just managed tonose out the New York trio, the Misses Elizabeth Kompa, Elsie Petri, and Elizabeth Ryari, in the slow time of 3:37.6. An interesting sidelight of the event was the duel between Miss Lea and Miss Ryan in tho free style leg. Miss Ryan, who is 14 years old, and who registered 1:03.8 in the heats of the sprint championship, outswam her noted Seattle opponent, picking up more than one yard on her. ' The individual 300yds medley was marred by an unfortunate occurrence. Miss Doris Brennan, who had broken tho American 20-yard-course record for the event a short while before, stamping herself a formidable rival- to Miss Katherine Rawls, the title holder, got off to a poor start and stopped, believing the other contestants would he recalled. But they were not, and the referee refused to have the race reswum, so Miss Brennan was out of the picture, and Miss Rawls had no trouble in defending her laurels in 4:06.4, within one-fifth of a second of her own United States standard. Tho Washington A.C. was able to retain its 400yds relay title despite the loss of tho speedy Miss Mary Lou Petty, now retired from amateur competition. The Misses Jean Biolinslki, Doris Buckley, Betty Lea, and Mrs Olive M'Kean Mucha won for the Seattle organisation in 4:19. The diving from three-metre springboard reaped fresh laurels for little Miss Marjorie Gestring, of Los Angeles, 14 years old, winner cv the 1936 crown and of the Olympic title at Berlin. Sho scored with a sterling average of 144.36 points, as against 131.23 points garnered by Miss Claudia Eckert, next in line. Miss Arlite Smith, of the Lakeshore A.C., succeeded Miss Marion Mansfield, her club mate, as one-metre hoard champion. Sho totalled 128.55 points, while Miss Mansfield was second with 116.5. Tho all-round team championship was earned by the Miami Beach S.C. with 25 points. The Lakeshore A.C., former holder, nosed out the WashingTon A.C., 23 to 22, for second place. EVERGREEN WALTER SPENCE. Three Metropolitan A.A.U., titles for seniors wore successfully defended at a meet in a 25-yard pool at New York. Walter Spence, doughty veteran of the New York A.C., scored an impressive victory at 220yds free style, achieving the sparkling time of 2:15.5,_ and defeating by Byds William Neunzig, of Jamaica, the Chip State freshman, who won the N.C.A.A. 150yds back stroke crown lately. Miss Janice Lifson, of tho New York W.S.A., captured for the seventh consecutive time the fancy diving championship from the three-metre hoard, averaging 110.80 jioints and overwhelming Miss Elizabeth Harrison, her team mate, who received 89.40 points and was second. The New York W.S.A. medley relay trio, made up of the Misses EH zfl keth Kompa, Elsie Petri, and Elizabeth Ryan, reaped the laurels in the three-stroke classic in 3 ;39.6, 7yds ahead of their clnbmates, the Misses Johanna Knapek, Marjorie Dozier, and Harrie M'Carthy. Miss Kompa swam her allotted back stroke hundred in 1:21.1, equalling the time which won the national title for Miss Forbes at Chicago. Wallace Spence, of the New Y'ork A.C.. swam a 150yds medley in 1:35.9, beating tho American record of 1:38.6. set in r 1935 hy Thomas Hayhie, of the Detroit A.C., but he was started with a whistle, not a gun, so the new mark will not be officially recognised. Neunzig did not have to extend himself to win a 150yds back stroke contest in-1:47.