SWIMMING TITLES

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20433, 25 February 1938, Page 3

SWIMMING TITLES

SOUTH AUCKLAND FIXTURE MEETING TO-MORROW EVENING ROTORUA CHAMPIONS ENTERED With Mls«s Nani Kira, the New Zealand .junior 50 vards free style champion. making an attempt to lower the r>o yards backstroke rpcord. and other champions from Rotorua at the mroti ing. the South Auckland Centre's ' I swimming championships to-morrow ; night should arousp a good dpal of !n----1 trrrst. The Hamilton Municipal ; Paths will be the venue and the standl nrd of swimming- should bp exceptionallv hieh. Others comprising the Rotorua contingent are P. Mitchell and R. Morrison, who werp spc.ond and j third In the Ino yards backstroke and j ■ 10'» yards free style respectively at the last Dominion championships. j No doubt the feature of the pro- j gramme will be the divine-, in which j D. Ewarf. of Rotorua, the present I senior diving champion of New Zea- I land, and S. Sewell. intermediate I title-holder, will take part. As Roto- i run is not now in the South Auckland Centre the contestants from that area will not be eligible for South Auckland titles. The recently revived banner relay teams' race has attracted widespread Interest, with keen rivalry among club teams. Almost every meeting finds the coveted banner In new hands. Morrlnsville, the present holders, will have a difficult task In retaining the trophy, and the event will prove of great Interest to spectators. This race has done a great deal towards popularising swimming In recent weeks. Strong Fields Though Hamilton produced most of the winners last year, a glance at the list of entries seems to Indicate a strong bid for supremacy from other centres to-morrow evening. With so j many new swimmers competing both the senior and .junior classes may produce some unexpected victories, and It will not be surprising If new times are registered in several races. In the sprint events some good performers will face the starter. A strong contingent from Paeroa. Matamata. Morrlnsville and Cambridge will fully extend the local competitors. The 50 yards senior sprint should be very evenly contested. K. Webster will defend his 100 ! yards title and he will need to be in j good form to retain the honours of the j race. T. Hotene, from the Morrlnsville Club, has recently shown great form over 100 yards, and will prove hard to heat. Several others have been swimming really well of late, hut whoever wins the senior sprint will have to produce exceptional form. Diving Events The ever-popular diving competition has attracted a good entry from all clubs. The public should see some fine performances with such men as P. Ladd, J. Salisbury and A. Rouse competing. The novelty diving at a recent carnival proved one of the highlights of the evening, and a similar exhibition to-morrow night will provide some first-class entertainment for : patrons. A member of the Old Roys Club, .T. Kenning. Is a consistent performer and has trained hard for the meeting. He knows the value of being fast off the mark, and should he worth watching in the distance swims. M. Marshall, of Old Technical. Is a diver with a good record. He should help to make the competition in the divine events very keen. P. Winter, besides being a new find for Old Boys, is the youngest aspirant for diving honours. He Is shaping very well. Consistent Performer I A K. Webster, the present holder of ! the 100 yards title, is a consistent i v performer who may be depended on ” to do well. Ir D. Bullock Is a fast sprinter who v trains consistently. He has shown v considerable improvement this season. c F. Ladd, the holder of the diving P title, will again be among the competitors. Anyone who takes his title 0 will have to fight hard. His novelty h diving is very popular. 8 J. Salisbury will he a keen rival in the diving event and may gain a place. His consistently accurate diving has been a feature of the season's activities. G. Ilopcroft has a pleasing style and Is seen at his best when the competition is keen. \; Miss B. Davis is in fine condition to p defend her 50 and 100 yards titles. This competitor will set a hot pace, fo Her opponents will have to excel [ ( themselves to finish in front of the s champion. jj Morrinsville is well represented with T. Hotene, H. Karaka. B. Coombo g and .T. Rice. Tlifs combination are c the holders of the South Auckland v Relay Banner. They will make a c strong hid to retain their - prestige, as each man in the team is a strong sprinter and should do well in the sprint events. The carnival will he a fitting finale to a very successful season and should do much to teach the general public tlie value of swimming.