Young Championship Swimmers Show Good Form

Southland Times, Issue 24001, 16 December 1939, Page 21

Young Championship Swimmers Show Good Form

By

LIFEBELT

Southland . has every right ■to feel gratified at the standard shown by the championship competitors this season. This series of contests must surely have been the most successful ever staged in Southland and right from the start everything went off smoothly. It was a tribute to the organization and efficiency of the centre officials. The racing was very good with close finishes in most events. Some splendid races were seen in the handicap events, although the fields were rather small and depleted a little by the competition from school concerts. This also affected the attendance which was not particularly good. Two records were broken,, the first being the boys’ 100 yards breaststroke in which Bruce Morgan lowered Ruth Shaw’s four-year-old record by one second, covering the distance in 77 4-ssec. This was an outstanding effort and the best registered by an intermediate anywhere in New Zealand for some years. MISS MACDONALD IN FORM Miss Joyce Macdonald was responsible for the other effort when in the heat of the 100 yards open handicap she registered 75 4-ssec, and in the final reduced this time to 75sec, which eclipsed Miss Nancy Basstian’s time of 83 l-ssec by 8 l-ssec, quite a big reduction and only 3-ssec slower than her own New Zealand record established in salt water. On Tuesday Miss Macdonald was timed at 74 4-ssec, which was even better than her new record. ' • - Clelland Millar on the Tuesday was also responsible for a record performance when swimming in great style. He twice lowered the Southland 100 yards yards record. This time was credited to P. McGrath, son of last year’s centre president, Mr A. E. McGrath, and was 59 4-ssec. Millar reduced this by l-ssec in his first swim and further reduced it by 2-ssec in the final. The record now stands at 59 l-ssec. Had Miller been able to sustain his effort in the third lap at the same average, as his first two he would have broken 59sec easily but his lack of fitness told the tale. He swims an easy stroke and would appear to be better suited to middle distance events than to sprints. Although his 59 l-,ssec was good time, he can hardly be classed among the band who swim 56sec and better.

Miss Macdonald was in great fettle and swam perfectly over all her races, gaining the prize for the competitior gaining most points in the open hundred handicaps. L. Cowie had a swim-over in the boys’ backstroke, and that he only missed Cameron’s record by 2-ssec without competition, made his swim a most creditable one. Swimming very steadily, he kept up a good average and finished up in 81 l-ssec. Miss L. Gellatly gained her first junior title when she had a comfortable win in the junior girls’ 100 yards. For the last two seasons she has had to chase the New Zealand champion, Miss Beryl Westerby, and she gained many admirers for her sporting efforts, so her win was most popular. From the start she went into a slight lead and led from Miss Maris Gerrard by one foot in 24sec. Passing the 50 yards in 36sec the lead was increased to 18 inches with Miss Gerrard leading the rest. This was the position at 66 2-3

yards, in 49sec, with Miss Gerrard second well clear of Miss Joyce Morgan with Miss Joyce Macgregor following her. Going down the last lap Miss Gellatly steadily increased her lead to touch six feet ahead of Miss Gerrard, who was struggling hard to head off Miss Morgan by a touch, with _ Miss Macgregor a fair way back. The time of 78 4-ssec was slower than Miss Gellatly has been registering at previous meetings and she has shown 77sec at recent carnivals.

Had Howard Parkinson been able to swim the correct breaststroke he would have gained his fourth title of the meeting, but he must be an incurable optimist to enter with the kick he displayed. With Parkinson away in front but obviously due to be put out, interest was taken in the three other' starters who staged an exciting struggle. P. Fitzgerald won the event from Dave Crawford with Don Crawford third. These three swam in a line up to the 50 yards mark, where Don Crawford began to slip. Fitzgerald and Dave Crawford turned together at the second lap, about two feet ahead of Don Crawford. In a grim fight back to the rope Fitzgerald managed to gain enough to touch first from Dave Crawford with Don Crawford about four feet back in third place. Although the time was pot fast, these boys showed encouraging form. This race gave the Fitzgerald family two junior breaststroke titles, as Brenda Fitzgerald won the girls’ section the first day. DUEL BY SISTERS Miss Beryl Westerby took the 100 yards title from her sister in a good race and returned a good time by doing 71 l-ssec. The two sisters were on even terms at the first lap and held each other back to the second turn where they were ahead of Miss Taylor by a fair margin. Coming back to the final lap both girls were working hard but Kathleen could not hold Beryl and the latter gradually went into the lead to finish six feet ahead of Kathleen with Miss Taylor well back in third place. Kathleen Westerby’s time was 73 2-ssec, which was very good. B. Morgan gave the opposition no chance when he romped home to win the boys’ breaststroke in 77 4-ssec. From the beginning he opened up a gap, and, swimming forcefully all the way, finished nearly lOsec ahead of the others. The struggle between the other four competitors was very good and resulted in a win for B. McNeilage by six inches from B. Phillips and J. Cockerill with S. Bridgeman two feet back. Miss Beryl Westerby collected her third title by winning the 100 yards girls’ backstroke after an easy swim in the good time of 84 3-ssec. As this was her first swim over the distance on this stroke, her effort was considered very satisfactory indeed. Miss Joyce Gerrard and Miss Joan Robertson both displayed fine style and gave good exhibitions to fill second and third places respectively. Although unable to go with Miss Westerby, they had a good race between themselves and are to be commended for the fact that they refused to be overawed by their famous opponent, who was twice a New Zealand title winner, and without expecting to win entered the race and swam very well indeed. Miss Gerrard proved the livelier swimmer of the

two at the finish and had a few feet to spare when she touched. Another splendid race ensued when D. Kirkland snatched a sensational victory from Cowie and Nutsford in the 100 yards boys’ freestyle championship. From the start Cowie held a comfortable lead with the other two boys swimming level and at the second turn he looked to be the only one in the race as at that stage he had a five foot lead. But down the last lap with the other two on his blind side Cowie gradually came back until with 10 feet to go he was actually in third place when he suddenly came to life and began to sprint. By this time Kirkland was in the lead with Nutsford practically on even terms but Cowie moved forward again and managed to head

Nutsford and that was how they finished. It was a most spectacular last lap and had the crowd on its feet all the way. It will be a long time before Cowie ignores the rest of the field again. Kirkland had only to perform the dives to gain the intermediate title as he was the only competitor, but for all that he performed very well and was game enough to tackle a back header off the high board with very little time for practice beforehand. COMING EVENTS January 17, 18 and 20: New Zealand junior and intermediate championships at Dunedin. February 10, 12 and 14: New Zealand senior championships at Wellington.