EMPIRE GAMES PROSPECTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27043, 30 March 1949, Page 2

EMPIRE GAMES PROSPECTS

CHAMPIONS AT AUCKLAND NGAIRE LANE IN FORM Specially Written for the Daily Times by Noel Crump, 1934-38 Empire Games representative. AUCKLAND, Mar. 28. Otago’s Ngaire Lane and Hazel Forsyth, together with Betty Casey, of Wellington, rounded off a very successful educational tour of the North Island with an invitation appearance against Auckland’s best at the tepid pool on Saturday evening. They drew a capacity house, which appreciated the fact that it was witnessing what was possibly the last serious appearance of those great champions, Ngaire Lane and Betty Casey. Chief interest centred on the 100 Metres Ladies’ Freestyle, since the national junior champion, Winkie Griffin, was expected to upset the senior champions. At a recent carnival at the Olympic Pool, in winning the 110 Yards Secondary Schools’ title, Miss Griffin recorded 72sec, which was relatively faster than Ena Stockley's 100 Metres senior record, and taken with her senior furlong record made lately, indicated that she was our best lady yet Brilliant Field Lined up for the 100 Metres test was the finest field of lady sprinters this country has ever seen. From lane 1 to 7 stood Helen McKenzie, 440 Yards national runner-up, Marie McMahon, Auckland 440 Yards champion, Norma Bridson, 100 Yards national runner-up, Betty Casey, holder. of 100 Yards record and three New Zealand titles, Joan Hastings, third in New Zealand 100 Yards. Winkie Griffin and Kristin Jacobi, the find of the season, who swam close behind Miss Griffin in the junior national events.

The Waikato starter, Mr Stan Heather, got the swimmers away well, and Miss Jacobi got the best of the start. The field stayed in a line over the first lap, but Miss Casey gained on the turn with Miss Bridson close behind. The pace was not fast, but by the end of the second lap these two were a couple of feet in front, with the others handy. Misses Griffin and Jacobi closed the gap on the third lap, but Miss Casey gained the decision at the 100 yards turn by a flicker of the hand to be officially timed at 64 4-ssec. After the turn, Miss Griffin unwound a beautiful sprint and won decisively by nearly two feet from Miss Casey who touched out Miss Bridson by about six inches. Miss Jacobi was a yard behind and just beat Miss Hastings. The other two were only about four yards away in the most exhilarating race seen in Auckland since the heydey of men’s sprinting around 1934. Miss Griffin’s time was a fresh New Zealand record of 71 l-ssec, while both Misses Casey and Bridson did 71 2-ssec, 2-ssec better than the old time which has stood for 20 years. The most pleasing feature of the result was the performance of the two 16-year-olds, Misses Griffin and Jacobi who look like being the mainstays of our Games sprinters next year. Miss Casey scratched from the furlong event which produced a great tussle between Misses Griffin, Bridson and McKenzie, the verdict going to the junior again by a yard, gained in the final sprint with Miss McKenzie a game third, a further two yards away. The time, 2min 44 l-ssec, was good time for a second race. Perfect Exhibition

Olympian Ngaire Lane was not extended by the Auckland champion, Dawn Ponder, or junior title holder, Marlene Buchanan, and gave a perfect exhibition to win by 15 yards, her lime being lmin 19 2-ssec for the 100 Metres Backstroke. Miss Lane also competed in a 220 Yards Short Limit Handicap against the national champion, Peter Mathieson, formerly of Otago, Don Branch, New Zealand runner-up, and Michael Amos, junior national champion. Miss Lane found the going too hard, but swam a nice race to finish fourth, heating two other local men in receipt of 11 seconds. The race was won py Branch, who out-sprinted Mathieson in the last few yards in a great finish, the chainpion having made up 6 seconds on Branch during the race. Branch is only 20 years of age, and will be a good prospect for the Games, Hazel .Forsyth met the national, furlong breaststroke champion, Margaret Sweeney, i.n the 100 Yards Scratch Invitation Race, and recovered some of the prestige she lost when relieved of her two titled at this year’s New Zealand Championships. Miss Sweeney raced away to a lead at the end of the first lap, which she held to the 66 2-3 yards mark. Miss Forsyth, swimming beautifully and stroking once to Miss Sweeney’s twice, gradually closed the gap over the final lap and with her last stroke made a dead-heat of it in 88 l-ssec. After her intelligent and courageous race m this event, I feel that, with sufficient hard preparation, Miss Forsyth is the one most likely to fill the present gap in lady breaststrokers which will need to be filled for the games next season. A 220 Yards Breaststroke Scratch Race for juniors (under 17) boys saw the 100 Yards national junior title holder, Trevor Eagle, fully extended by another local boy, M. Tait, who sportingly made the pace early in the race for the champion to go on to win in New Zealand record time, reducing his own record by 1 3-ssec to 3min 3 2-ssec. Both boys swam smoothly, and Eagle may be ready by next year for a place in the games team. At the conclusion of the gala, presentations were made to the visitors by the Auckland Centre, and Miss Lane also received from .a prominent Auckland sportsman. Mr Cyril Maud, a silver tea set for being the first to break a New Zealand record at the Newmarket Olympic pool, a feat she performed in winning the New Zealand furlong event last month. Successful Tour The tour of Misses Lane, Casey and Forsyth in the North Island has been remarkably successful, and will do much to revitalise the sport in the country districts, where the effects of the war and poliomyelitis have been a serious setback. Mrs Carl Atkinson, who chaperoned the team, said that they had given demonstrations to over 50.000 children and that their methods had won praise from officials in all centres.

I must make mention of the treat in store for the South Island in the appearance of the Olympic Tower diving champion, Sammy Lee, and the junior American champion, John McCormack. It is doubtful if any visiting athletes have ever excited so much comment in Auckland, and an indication of their prowess can be gained from the fact that over 12,500 people paid for admission to the five sessions at which they performed. For technique and grace, their displays are remarkable, whilst their showmanship and ability to instruct in the fundamentals make them of great interest to the public and those directly interested in the sport.