NEW ZEALAND SWIMMING TITLES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22568, 23 February 1948, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND SWIMMING TITLES

S. ISLAND TRIUMPH THRILLING RACES CHAMBERS BRILLIANT SHANAHAN WINS AGAIN fP.A.I DUNEDIN, Feb. 23. After one of the most successful meetings on record the New Zealand national swimming and diving championships were brought to a conclusion at Dunedin on Saturday night. The remarkably high standard of swimming that had been shown on the first two days was maintained and the outstanding performance of the night was a record-breaking swim by Noel Chambers (Canterbury) in the 440 yards men's freestyle championship. His time of smin. 3 2-ssec. clipped 7sec. off the existing record and approached closely the time set by ‘.he New Zealand Swimming Council as the Olympic qualifying standard. The night was a triumph for the South Island. Otago won the Yaldhurst Shield for the championship aggregate by a margin of 32 points from Auckland and retained possession of the water polo championship trophy. Rest of N.Z. Beaten The South Island won both the Stalag Shield relays for men and women and the Otago water polo team defeated the rest of New Zealand by 10 goals to 2. The Governor-General. Sir Bernard Freyberg, and Lady Frey berg were present. It was very early evident that Noel Chambers was going to return a remarkable time for the 440 yards men’s freestyle and. swimming beautifully, he raced away from the field to win by 15 yards in a time which compared favourably with times being returned by Australia’s best at present. L. Newell, Canterbury, who established the previous record in 1938 was a spectator on Saturday night and the Governor-General himself won the title in 1906. Colin Chambers, the winner’s younger brother, who had already won the 880 yards and one mile freestyle titles, swam with L. Barry (Nelson) in the early stages, but the Canterbury man went ahead with about six laps to go to finish second about 15 yards back, Barry being another 12 yards away, third. Wins For Fifth Time The 220 yards men's butterfly championship saw John Shanahan (Auckland) record his fifth win, but he was strongly opposed by D. Dowse (Wellington) all the way. The pair turned for the line together and Shanahan then forged to the front. Dowse fought back, however, and in a grand finish Shanahan won by a yard, B. E. Tremaine. Otago intermediate, who swam orthodox breaststroke, being third about eight yards back. The 100 yards women’s butterfly championship attracted four starters, but the only one to use the butterfly was Miss V. Brown (Otago), who did not gain a place. The rules stipulate that either butterfly or orthodox breaststroke may be used so long as the two strokes are not alternated, and the other three Otago girls relied on the orthodox style. Miss H. Forsyth collected her third championship at the meeting when she won by three yards from her teammate, Miss Marjory Hughes, in lmin. 25 3-ssec. Miss Fortsyth’s performance in winning three titles at one meeting has never been equalled by a swimmer who was still eligiDle for the intermediate class, the Otago girl having just turned 17 years. Women Swimmers’ Duel In the 220 yards women’s freestyle championship Miss Betty Casey, the defending champion, of Otago, and the stylish Waikato swimmer , Miss M. Holman, renewed their battle which had been fought earlier over the 440 yards. On this occasion Miss Casey reversed the result of the longer race, stalling off a determined challenge from Miss Holman over the last 50 yards to win by a yard in 2min. 44 2-ssec. Miss P. Stannard (Wellington) was eight yards back in third place. This was the fourth consecutive year that Miss Casey had won both the 100 yards and 220 yards women’s freestyle championships. Miss Norma Bridson (Auckland) swam brilliantly to win the women’s medley title, withstanding a strong bid from the backstroke champion, Ngaire Lane, to finish two yards to the good. Miss Bridson’s time of 74sec. was the fastest yet recorded for the event and will be applied for as a record. Miss Lane’s time was 75 3-ssec., which was nearly six seconds faster than when she won the Otago championship. T. E. Wilson, the young Otago swimmer. scored a convincing win over the titlenolder, P. E. Mathieson (Auckland) in the 100 yards men’s backstroke championship. Wilson’s time was 65 4-ssec„ barely two seconds outside Mathieson's New Zealand record which was established eight years ago. Wilson’s fitness and style were factors in his success. Earlier he finished second in the 880 yards freestyle and 440 yards backstroke. Exciting 50yds. Races As usual the 50 yards invitation scratch races aroused considerable interest, the women’s event being won

o v Miss J. Hastings < Auckland) in 29 4-ssec., while L. Barry defeated W. J. Jarvis (Otago) in the men's race in 25 l-sscc. Miss Ma.yzod Reid. N.Z. women’s springboard and low board diving champion, recorded her third win at the meeting in a plain scratch dive after a very good display. Miss Reid and D. Begg (Canterbury), New Zealand men’s springboard and lenv board diving champion, also gave a first-class exhibition of fancy diving in a competition which was one of the features of tire championships. Otago maintained an unbeaten record to win the water polo championship trophy and its mauh with Wellington on Saturday morning provided an even more exciting finish than the game with. Canterbury on Thursday. Fortunes fluctuated throughout and '.he half-time score was 3-all, Otago being the winner by 7 goals to 4. W. J. Jarvis and B. Williams were outstanding for Otago, while the Wellington attack hinged on the play of W. H. Dyson. This was Otago’s seventh consecutive success in the New Zealand water polo championship in which it has not been beaten since 1936 when it won the title for tire first time. Canterbury, which met one defeat, was runner-up for tiie second successive year It defeated Otago B tn its final game by 9 soals to 0 Otago kept its record intact when it met a team drawn from the rest of New Zealand In the evening, the final score being 10 goals to 2 in favour of the home team which had the advantage of 9 perfect understanding and combination Combination Advantage The men’s stalag relay over 600 yards was a thrilling race The North Island breaststroke swimmers Shanahan and Dowse established a big lead over the first 200 yards, but Wilson whittled it down a little when he. swam against Mathieson on the second "leg" backstroke Barry gave the South a fighting chance hen he cut down the lead and the hero of the race ,vas Noel Chambers, who swam brilliantly over the last 100 yards freestyle "leg” to give South Island a victory by a touch in ‘.lmin 40 4-ssec Particularly impressive swimming over their sections of the backstroke and freestyle by Misses Ngaire Lane and Betty Casey respectively were deciding factors In the South Island team's win in the Stalag Shield women’s relay, the time for the 600 yards being 7min 59sec Final points for the Yaldhurst Shield were Otaso 89, Auckland 57, Canterbury 44, Nelson 15, Wellington 14, Waikato 11, Wanganui 3, Taranaki 3, Manawatu 3 Results:— 50yds. Men's Freestyle.—First Heat: W. J. Jarvis (Otago), T; J. Watt (Wellington), 2; J. Clarke fNelson), 3. Time, 25 2-ssec. Second Heat: L. Barry (Nelson), 1; R. McEvoy (Auckland). 2; D. Davis (Southland), 3. Time, 25 l-ssec. Final: L. Barry, 1; W. J. Jarvis (Otago), 2: J. Watt (Wellington), 3. Time, 25 1-5 sec. 100yds. Men's Backstroke. First Heat: C. Martin (Southland), 1; P. E. Mathieson (Auckland), 2. Time, lmin. 7 2-ssec. Second Heat: T. E. Wilson (Otago), 1: D. Branch (Auckland), 2; D. C. Berry (Otago), 3. Time, lmin. 7 4-ssec. Final: T. E. Wilson, 1; P. E. Mathieson, 2; C. Martin, 3. Time, lmin. 5 4-ssec. , .220yds. Men’s Butterfly.—J. Shanahan (Auckland), 1; D. Dowse (Wellington), 2; B. E. Tremaine (Otago), 3. Time, 3min. 7 4-ssec. 440yds. Men’s Freestyle.—N. Chambers (Canterbury), 1; L. Barry (Nelson), 2. Time, smin. 3 2-ssec. (New Zealand record). Stalag Shield Relay Men’s 600yds.— South Island (N. Chambers, L. Barry, T E, Wilson, W. J. Jarvis, J. Erickson, C. Martin), i; North Island (J. Shanahan. D. Dowse, P. E. Mathieson, D. Branch, W. Anderson, J. Watt), 2. Time, (imin. 40 4-ssec. 50yds. Women's Freestyle. First Heat: Miss N. Bridson (Auckland), 1; Miss M. Tremaine (Manawatu), 2; Miss N. Lane (Otago), 3. Time, 29 4-ssec. Second Heat: Miss J. Hastings (Auckland), 1; Miss B. Casey (Otago), 2; Miss N. Mazzoleni (Auckland), 3. Time, 29 4-ssec. Final: Miss J. Hastings, 1; Miss B Casey, 2; Miss N. Bridson, 3. Time, 29 4-ssec. 100yds. Women’s Medley.—Miss N. Bridson (Auckland), 1; Miss N. Lane (Otago), 2; Miss B. Casey (Otago), 3. Time, lmin. Msec. IOOYds. Women’s Buttcrfly.—Miss H. Forsyth (Otago), 1; Miss M. Hughes (Otago), 2; Miss S. Payne (Otago), 3. Time, lmin. 25 3-ssec. 220yds. Women’s Freestyle.—First Heat: Miss M. Holman (Waikato), 1; Miss N. Bridson (Auckland), 2; Miss P. Stannard (Wellington), 3. Time, 2min. 48 l-ssec Second Heat: Miss B. Casey (Otago), 1; Miss J. Hastings (Auckland) 2; Miss R. Dixon (Canterbury), 3. Time’ 2min. 54 3-ssec. Final: Miss B. Casey, 1; Miss H. Holman, 2; Miss P. Stannard, 3. Time, 2min. 44 2-ssec. Stalag Shield Relav Women’s 600yds. —South Island: Misses B. Casey, B. Beadle. N. Lane, D. Gilchrist, IT. Forsyth M. Smith), 1; North Island (Misses M. Teague, N. Shaw, S. Seager, M. Tremaine, N. Bridson, M. Holman), 2. Time, 7min. 59scc. Plain Scratch Dive.—Miss M. Reid (Otago) 125 points. 1; I. A. Johnston (Otago). 109 points, 2; R. Dumbell (Waikato). 92 points, 3. Water Polo.—Otago A, 7, beat Wellington, 6; Otago B, 9, beat Southland, 7; Canterbury, 9, beat Otago B. 0; Otago. 10, beat The Rest of New Zealand, 2.