AUCKLANDERS DO WELL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20171, 4 February 1929, Page 11

AUCKLANDERS DO WELL

MISS STOCKLEY, UNBEATEN.

SOME PROMISING JUNIORS.

SURPRISE IN MILE CONTEST.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT-] WELLINGTON, Sunday.

Aucklanders should be proud of the showing made by their representatives at tho opening session of the New Zealand swimming championship meeting yesterday afternoon. The heats were decided in the morning. Out of the seven championship events decided Auckland secured four firsts, two seconds and two thirds. The points 'for the shields are:—Yaldhurst (seniors): Auckland, 10; Wellington, 9; Canterbury, 5; Wanganui. 3. War Memorial (intermediates and juniors): Auckland, 3; South Canterbury, 1.

Auckland had two solid representatives, Miss Ena Stockley, the title-holder, and Miss Dorothy Grant, the Auckland middle-distance champion, in tho 100 yds ladies' -hampionship. Miss Kathleen Miller (V. jllington) was regarded as the Auckland ladies' most dangerous opponent, and so she proved, as she finished 2ft. behind Miss Stockley, who retained her title, and a touch ahead of j; Mis3 Grant, who was third. I i - Miss Stockley did not swim quite; .up to expectations, as it was thought, she would y lower her own New Zealand- record of 65 3-ss. Possibly a heavy cold from which she was suffering may have prevented her from doing better. Nevertheless her performance was a fine achievement, as she has now won the championship for five successive years —a without precedence in the history of New Zealand swimming. Miss Grant, replaced Miss D. Magee, swam a splendid race. She disputed every inch of the way with Misses Stockley and Miller. Her performance was a highly creditable one, as she is a distance swimmer. Duel Between Auckland Girls.

The next success for Auckland came in the 50yds junior girls' championship, in which Miss S. Grange and Miss M. Elworth fought out a great duel. Miss Grange, who is the Auckland title-holder, managed to defeat her team-mate for the title by the barest of margins in good time.

The defeat ol B. P. Lindsay (Auckland) by A. Stokes (Canterbury) in the one-mile men's championship was the biggest surprise of the day. Stokes Swam a superb race and in the earlier stages of the contest gained a comfortable lead over the title-holder. Although Lindsay challenged repeatedly he could not make up the leeway. Stokes was the better swimmer on the day and his performance was a meritorious one.

At no stage did Lindsay swim as well as he has done at the last two championship meetings. Before half the distance was covered it could be seen that he would lose his title His arm strokes appeared to lack power, although he put ail his strength into them. Certainly he was not in form. This contention is borne out by the fact that Stokes' time, 24m .> 9 4-ss, was 24s slower than Lindsay's New Zealand record of 23m 36 4-ss. In. fairness to Lindsay it mnst be stated that since going to Auckland he has been in camp at Weymouth and has beeu unable to do any regular training. yA-y.ji The other Aucklander in the race, O. Bridson, swam surprisingly well, in spite of tho fact that he had never before swum further than a half-mile. Brilliance ol Cameron. The brilliant Wellington youth, W. Cameron, who was making his first appearanco in a New Zeaand senior championship, was the only swimmer to break a<New Zealand record. In wresting the 100 yards title from N. Dcwsett (Wanganui) Cameron registered the remarkable time of 55 4-ss, which clipped 1 3-5s off .Dowsett s salt-water record. He would have improved on his time if he had not strangely enough slowed down over the last two yards. The ex-champion swam at his best, and although defeated he was far from being disgraced. The Aucklander, J. P. Farrell, swan* splendidly, and was beaten by C. Claridgc (Wellington) for third place by the narrowest of margins. J. Enwright was unlucky not to qualify for the final, as in his heat he touched ahead of C. Claridß© (Wellington), but under water, and by .the time he had brought his other arm over Claridge had touched. Enwright's mistake thus cost him a chance for qualifying in the final. - More Auckland Successes. The prospects of Miss Jean Thomson of retaining her title in the 75 yards inter- „ mediate girls' breaststroke championship were regarded as very slight, aS'Miss M. Mathieson (Otago) was expected to win by virtue of faster times which stood to her credit. The Auckland girl, however, rose to the occasion, and swimming with admirable judgment and calmness, she narrowly defeated the Otago girl. .Miss Thomson's performance was a meritorious one.

In the 100 yards junior boys' championship, A. Walker and S. Gardiner were the two Aucklanders in the final. _ Walker, who returned the fastest heat time, was expectecHto have a fine tussle with Geddis (Otago), whose time, 71 4-ss, was threefifths of a second slower than the Auckland boy's time. J. Strong, another Auckland boy, was eliminated in his heat. In the final, Geddis appeared to have the race well in hand, but fouled the rope lanes repeatedly and finished a touch behind Walker. Had ho swum a straight course ho would undoubtedly have won. Walker, who hails from Whangarei, finished gamely. Ho is a junior of great promise. Although Gardiner was unplaced he gave a good account of himself.