SWIMMING ITEMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22900, 1 December 1937, Page 22

SWIMMING ITEMS

CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS JUNIOR AND INTERMEDIATE STANDARD GENERALLY LOW Good performances in the contests in the Tepid Baths next Tuesday night for the intermediate and junior swimming championships of Auckland will no doubt be limited to tAvo or three competitors. Candidates for these titles are apparently few, and most of them have not yet shown promise of reaching the standard achieved in previous years. This inferiority, it is hoped, will be offset by keen racing. The intermediate, Miss Kathleen Grey, a nominee for the British Empire Games, should be conspicuous. She seems invincible in the races for thn 100 yds. and 220 yds. girls' titles, of which she is the bolder, although her victory in the 100 yds. event may not be gained without a hard tussle with Miss Marjorie Black. The intermediate girls' backstroko championship is certain to be won by Miss R. Stacpole, and Miss J. llichardson will have little opposition, if any, for the junior girls' backstroke title. Similarly, M. Bell should retain the backstroke title -for junior boys. In the intermediate boys' free-style events J. Wiles is likely to register fairly creditable times. The Auckland team to take part in the intermediate and junior championships of New Zealand at Nelson late next month will be selected on the form displayed. To make ithe carnival more interesting, seveial open handicap races will be decided, the contestants including senior champions engaging in their last practice races prior to the Empire Games trials the following week. WATER POLO TEAMS POSSIBLE AUSTRALIAN VISIT Water polo teams liavo been assembled for the club competitions, which commence next week. Characteristic of the keenness of the champion club, Ponsonby, is its decision to enter two teams in the senior grade. The first will consist mainly of players who gained the championship last season, such as Yearbury, Bunting, Woodall, Paper, Watson, Stotter and Barry. All of Waitemata's players are experienced. Among them are Fairgray, Enwright, Buchanan, Pascoe, J. Smith and Benson, and the club will be assisted by Cliff, a player from Sydney. North Shore will field much the same team as last season. It has lost Williams, but there remain Cameron, W. F. Smith, Massev, Mackintosh, Painey and Stevens. Four players upon whom Mount Eden will rely are H. Moore, Cordes, Forrest and Cranch. An entry into the senior grade will be made by Eastern Suburbs, whose team will include O. Holland and J. Holland, formerly prominent players in Otago, Baragwanath, and P. and T. Crewther. P. Crewtber was some years ago a valuable member of the Waitemata Club. The possibility of a visit from an Australian team has excited the enthusiasm of local players. The project is at present being considered by the Auckland Centre, arid, in addition, there is the incentive of the New Zealand championship tournament at New Plymouth, in which a representative team will take part. EMPIRE GAMES TRIALS MISS ,T. MAC DONALD'S FEAT The trials for the Empire Games, swum in Dunedin last week, probably served to cause the rejection of L, Newell, of Christchurcli. as a nominee for the 'l4O yards and 1500 yards contests, and to uiihold thej-ight of Miss Joyce Macdouald, the 10-years-old Invercargill swimmer, to a place in the team. In fact, her selection may even already be assured. Timed at ]m 25 1-os .for 110 yards backstroke." Miss Macdouald accomplished a feat of great merit. She was dangerously close to the New Zealand senior ladies' record for 100 metres, which is lm 14 2-os, and is held by Miss Etia Stockley, It is almost nine years since this record was established in the Auckland tepid baths, and, if the different conditions are considered. Miss Macdonald's performance appeals as the more impressive. She swam, not. in salt water, but in fresh water, and covered Ift. 11 in. further than did Miss Stockley. Miss Macdonald should soon eclipse this long-standing record. Of greatest commendation is her age. Because of this, although Australian and English lady exponents of backstroke are faster, sending her to the Games would be wholly approved. The qualifying standard for 440 yards, 5m 10s, was too great a. task for Newell. He registered 5m 16 2-ss, three seconds slower than the New Zealand record, put up in salt water here five years ago by G. Bridson. In spite of his failure, Newell demonstrated considerable improvement. He won the national title at Dunedin in February, 19.%, in 5m 27 2-ss. In a I]o yards free-style handicap, Miss Purdie sprinted strongly, but failed to register faster time through starting late. An opponent to whom she gave 6s defeated lier by about two seconds in lm 19 l-ss.