SWIMMING NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23374, 4 December 1937, Page 15

SWIMMING NOTES

SECOND CARNIVAL REVIEWED

(By

LIFEBELT)

CLUB HOURS No club hours will be held next week because of the centre’s “learn-to-swim” campaign. . COMING EVENTS December 4.— Otautau Swimming Club’s carnival, at Otautau. December 6-11.— Learn-to-swim week. December 9.— Southland junior and intermediate championships. January 8, 10, and 12.— New Zealand senior national championships, at New Plymouth. January 15, 17, and 18.— New Zealand intermediate and junior championships, at Nelson. February 22. — New Zealand surf lifesaving championships, at New Brighton ( Canterbury).

The Otautau Swimming Club is holding its first carnival in the newly-con-structed pool at Otautau this afternoon. Swimmers from Invercargill will be attending and a very successful day seems assured.

Last Saturday saw the opening of the Nightcaps Club but because of the Collegiate Club’s carnival the same night, only a small team of four swimmers was able to make the trip. This team was taken out by Mr A. Kingsland and gave interesting demonstrations of the various styles of swimming. A serious loss to Southland swimming has occurred by the transfer of Messrs C. Kidd and P. R. Malthus. Mr Kidd is going to Dunedin at the beginning of this month and Mr Malthus will be leaving for Wellington in January, Both men are well-known swimmers in this province and have been to the fore for several years and as it happens, it appears that this season these two swimmers would undoubtedly have been the best distance swimmers of the province and their loss is most unfortunate. COLLEGIATE CLUB’S CARNIVAL Last Saturday saw the second carnival of the season and some very fine swimming was witnessed. The Collegiate Club as usual had all arrangements well thought out and no hitches occurred to hold up the events, consequently those delays which are almost beginning to be expected at swimming meetings were pleasantly absent and as a result the evening finished much earlier. A very enterprising policy was adopted by the club in abandoning the short length dashes and it included four 100-yards races on the programme which seemed to meet with more popularity. As usual also, there was present an outstanding northern swimmer. This year it was again Miss Islay Purdie, who swam in a special invitation race over 110 yards. The attendance was only fair and it would seem that Saturday evenings are not popular with the public. An unusual arrangement was the playing of the water-polo match halfway through the evening. The idea was sound but the strenuous game had its effect on the swimmers in later events and is not really advisable for that reason.

During the evening an exhibition of swimming was given by Misses Purdie and Macdonald but unfortunately the swim was of two lengths only and was really too short for one to form much impression of styles. However, Miss Purdie impressed as being a most powerful swimmer progressing through the water with long slow strokes. One noticed, however, that she was swimmingly unevenly, due to turning to breathe before making catch with the right hand, which caused her shoulders to swing over out of line and gave her a rocking action. Also as a 100-yards swimmer she appeared to stroke a little long but her style would be a wonderful one for 220 yards or the quartermile.

The programme opened with the 220-yards intermediate girls’ championship which proved an easy win for Miss Macdonald. Swimming to instructions she was content to go along quietly and even so she registered the quite reasonable time of 3min 4 3-ssec. Had she extended herself she would obviously have had no trouble in breaking her own record set up last year, but swimming against beginners she was sporting enough to resist the temptation. In the other three girls Southland possesses some very promising talent. Miss K. Westerby, swimming, as were the others, her first 220yards race, gave a convincing display and next year will be pushing Miss Macdonald along. Miss Y. Webb, who filled third place is another good performer, swimming with quite a good style and together with Miss Kennedy, who has shown a wonderful improvement, will improve very rapidly with more race experience. That the public appreciated the performances of these four girls was evidenced by the applause as each finished. The next race saw Lyall Barry come home a winner in the junior boys’ 220-yards championship against much older opposition. His winning margin was not great, about two feet, but the manner in which he wore down the field over the last length to come from last place to first was a tribute to his intelligence, that for so young a lad he thought out his race so well.

The race was a great duel all the way with the leaders changing every length. Fyffe and Colley led for most of the journey with Barry and Hinton following but the fourth and fifth lengths saw the latter boys making up their leeway and the race back to. the rope was a desperate struggle with Barry holding on just long enough to win from Ray Colley, who just beat his schoolmate Fyffe by a touch for second place. Hinton was right up with the others and if he had not spent his afternoon in the water as well, would probably have gained a place. The time, compared by record standards, was not fast but under the conditions can be regarded as very satisfactory. STARTLING TIME Then came a sensation. Miss Beryl Westerby 12-year-old schoolgirl, in a special attempt on the New Zealand junior girls’ 50-yards backstroke record put up the startling figures of 39sec. The existing record credited to the Aucklander, Miss Joyce Richardson, stood at 42 3-ssec and was well beaten, being reduced by no less than 3 3-ssec. As Aucklanders were lavish in the praise of the northern girl at the time of her achievement, Miss Westerby’s swim must rank very high. However, Southlanders always think of that record as the time recorded by Miss Colleen Gerrard of 40 4-ssec which, due to no fault of hers, was not officially recognized, but even that was reduced by 1 4-ssec, which is a big margin for so short a distance. Miss Westerby has only been swimming for a short period and with more experience and a greater polish to her stroke, this record, good as it is, does not appear to be her limit. The first length of her swim was covered in 24 2-ssec and had she stuck the turn right she would have improved on her 39sec. This girl is faster now than Miss Macdonald was at a similar age, so it should be safe to forecast a brilliant future for her.

Interest centred next on the 110-yards women’s invitation handicap in which Misses Islay Purdie, Joyce Macdonald and Moira McGrath competed. Miss McGrath was swimming under the

handicap of a hard afternoon in the tennis competitions and did not produce her true form. Miss McGrath led over the first length and at the end of the second lap Miss Macdonald was even with her with Miss Purdie about six feet away. Over the last lap Miss Macdonald opened up a gap from the other two girls, touching at the 100 yards in 69sec, ten feet in the lead. She maintained this lead back to the rope with a grim struggle taking place for second honours. Miss McGrath, who is hard to pass at the end of a race, held on to a slight lead to gain the verdict. This event showed Miss Macdonald as a champion in the freestyle as well as the backstroke, her time being excellent and equalling Miss Purdie’s own time of 76 3-ssec for the race. Miss McGrath should prove a handful for any of her opponents in New Plymouth next January, particularly over the longer distances. A popular win was recorded by the diminutive Mavis Gerrard in the 50yards junior handicap. She is a promising swimmer and when older will be a force to be reckoned with. Miss B. Westerby in this race, swimming backstroke, swam her heat in 39 l-ssec and her final in 40sec. She finished second in the final, but had the unique experience of breaking a New Zealand record three times in one night. Neville Hinton was close up in third place. A. Edwards won the 50-yards intermediate handicap well, with Miss N. Johnston second and C. Lea third. These placings gave the Collegiate Club first, second, and third in that event.

B. Phillips had an easy win in the 100-yards breaststroke handicap from Duthie and Lindsay, all of whom swam exceptionally well. In this event K. Shaw did not appear to make any attempt in the heat or final to swim a serious race.

C. Martin swam well in the backstroke event. Although in receipt of a start from Brown and Berry he won convincingly and may not have needed any handicap. Brown turned the tables on Berry, and Malthus, who swam the race thinking it was only a heat, finished in third place. Both Brown and Martin recorded 71sec and by appearances at this stage the South-

land backstroke championships are going to be wonderful races.

A much improved young swimmer is M. Jones, who won the freestyle 100 yards in hollow fashion improving his time to show 63 4-ssec, very good time indeed. He is a wonderfully consistent swimmer and always swims an honest race. Cameron was swimming fast breaking 62sec in each swim and deserved his second place. J. Macdonald started before his tune and after winning the tiny-tots’ race was disqualified. Judging by the margin he had in hand he could have waited those two seconds and still won. First place was awarded Mavis Gerrard who thus gained her second win of the night. J. Matthews was placed second but this boy requires to practise his kick. If he does he will go much faster. Last week a team of Invercargill swimmers visited Dunedin to take part in a carnival arranged by the Kiwi Club. Three members of the team './ere there by special invitation, . .namely Misses McGrath and Macdonald and P. R. Malthus. Miss McGrath contested the women’s 110-yards invitation race in which she recorded a splendid performance to take second place behind Miss Garvin, a promising intermediate to whom Miss McGrath was conceding a start. Miss Islay Purdie was swimming against time in this race but made no impression on Miss McGrath whose time was only 2-ssec slower than that of the Empire Games candidate. The Southland girl on her form should prove a worthy representative for Southland at New Plymouth, particularly over the 220 yards and quartermile which suit her better.

Then came what was undoubtedly the brightest performance of the evening, Miss Joyce Macdonald’s brilliant swim over the 110-yards backstroke. Conceding ten seconds start Miss Macdonald, as usual, began with terrific speed and had soon made up a great part of her leeway and she reached the finishing rope a good two yards ahead of her nearest opponent in the remarkable time of 85 l-ssec. This took her to within l-ssec of the standard set by the New Zealand council for consideration for the Empire Games team. Had Miss Macdonald been more used to the Dunedin pool she would have been inside the time, as she lost a good deal of time in looking for the end. However, these facts and also the recognized slowness of the Dunedin water will no doubt be taken into consideration.

Colin Kidd surprised a good number of people by taking first place in the invitation 440-yards handicap. Unfortunately no official time was taken as Newell, of Canterbury, finished first but was disqualified, but it must have been in the vicinity of smin 50sec, a very smart performance.

P. R. Malthus standing Kidd a start of 22sec swam one of his best races to date and was only narrowly beaten by his club mate although he was on the ropes a great deal. Malthus must be classed in the first three quartermilers for New Zealand on his present form and it is the reward of solid training. Newell swam his race in smin 16 3-ssec, the fastest time yet recorded in Dunedin and was only three seconds outside Bridson’s record established in salt water. Without doubt Newell is the best distance performer yet produced in New Zealand. Lindsay has no fresh water times to equal this last swim of the Canterbury boy and he will be most unfairly treated if he is not sent to Sydney. D. Berry and A. Brown staged a great duel to practically dead-heat in the 100-yards backstroke handicap, Berry winning by the merest fraction in the good time of 71sec. Competitors in the relay teams met with minor success. Murihiku being third in the 133 1-3-yards Otago relay championship and a relay medley team

after winning with yards to spare was disqualified for breaking.

In a water polo match against the Kiwi Club, the members of the party played an excellent game, considering that they had never played together before, and were defeated by six goals to three. The game was closer than the score indicates but the Southlanders were as usual handicapped by lack of scoring men. MISS MACDONALD’S FORM Miss Joyce Macdonald, Southland’s brilliant young swimmer, is this year showing form which may well result in her inclusion in the New Zealand Empire Games team. As yet only 15 years or age Miss Macdonald has still another season as an intermediate swimmer, but her times on the backstroke are equalling the senior women’s records established nine years ago by that outstanding Auckland girl, Miss Ena Stockley, who was invited on more than one overseas tour.

Still a student at the Southland Technical College Miss Macdonald began her representative career in 1935 when she represented Southland at the intermediate and junior national championship meeting being placed third in the girls’ 50-yards and 100-yards freestyle both won by Miss Margery Black, of Auckland. She was then 12 years of age. The following year, representing Southland again at Hamilton she once again filled third place in the same events, but was handicapped by a sprained ankle. This was the meeting at which Miss Islay Purdie and the little Maori girl Nawi Kera achieved such fame.

In the following season Miss Macdonald was showing speed which appeared certain to give her at least one New Zealand title at Nelson when the paralysis epidemic caused the abandonment of all the championships. Her record in Southland championships is as follows:—l93s.—First in 50-yards and 100-yards junior girls’ freestyle. 1936—First in 50-yards and 100-yards junior girls’ freestyle; second in 50-yards junior girls’ breaststroke. 1936.—First in 100-yards and 220-yards Intermediate girls’ championship, creating a new Southland record for the 220 yards; first in 100-yards intermediate girls’ backstroke championship. Later in the 1936 season she established a New Zealand record for the intermediate girls’ backstroke of 77 4-ssec. In addition to this she has been the junior champion of the Technical College and holds all the junior records there. At present she is showing as much speed freestyle as any other woman swimmer, as well as being prominent in the backstroke.